ART OF WAR/ART OF WAR — Berg/Henel-Celis

“The Art of War” is an opera from a young generation — the voice of those who should today learn about life, love and closeness, and instead try to understand the meaning of the words “war”, “conflict”, “fear”.

It arose from the need to name emotions that often can no longer be described in simple language. In a world of increasing social and political polarization, the violence of images and incessant tension, young people create their own score of experiences, questions and fears. “Art of War” is an opera resulting from the suspension between art and war, silence and screaming, documentary and the ritual of living. It is a conversation that was born from the need for empathy and community and speaking out loud questions suspended in space. It is the search for answers or an attempt to cope with the lack of the right words in a collision with the mechanisms of the emergence of conflict and violence. It is not a classic story that leads the viewer to an unambiguous punctuation point.

It is an installation of experience, combining music, body, rhythm and documentary elements with the experiences of the young people who co-create the show. The creators do not propose answers or political solutions. It is an attempt to stop together in the face of war and what is happening to man today. After the performance, there will be no bows or applause. There will be silence. A moment to stay together with what we cannot yet name.

The opera “Art of War” is created as a contemporary chamber opera for young people and for young people. The work combines contemporary music (chamber orchestra), electronics, the work of a youth choir and 2 soloists (soprano, baritone) of contemporary opera and minimalist, symbolic staging. We will also invite a singing senior singer to perform the final lullaby.

Youth experts: Filip Adaszak, Urszula Babicz, Michalina Biernacka, Palina Dabryneuskaya, Lena Giefing, Ada Heigen, Weronika Juszczyk, Marianna Kujaczynska, Helena Loch, Pola Matyla, Barbara Nowak, Yustyna Paliakouskaya, Pola Pawlak, Oleksandra Pohorielova, Magdalena Psik, Lilianna Michalina Wierzbicka-Bodus, Ida Wójcik, Alisa Zhuk.

Cooperation: Jazdaa Polska! Foundation for Young Creators.

Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund.

Honorary patronage of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Radosław Sikorski.

Honorary patronage of the Chairman of the Committee for Public Benefit, Minister Jan Grabec.