ICR Romanian Cultural Institute London

Attic Arts 2009 Winners

     

The Romanian Cultural Institute brings to London new artists in the new Attic Arts residency season: Ioana Paun, Peca Stefan and Jean-Lorin Sterian.

The winners have been selected from a number of 30 applicants, according to the following criteria, each marked with maximum 5 points:

• the project proposal and its relevance for current approaches in the field
• curriculum vitae - educational qualifications and professional experience
• ability to identify partnerships or collaborations with individual artists or organizations from Great Britan, with whom can start or develop a project
• preparedness to deliver within of 3 months of the residency completion an innovative artwork or project to be shown on ICR London or external premises as appropriate
• ability to communicate in Romanian and English

The artists who will take residence in the Institute's bohemish attic from October to December 2009 are:

Ioana Paun - performance artist, graduated from the Stage Directing Department at the National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest, currently MA student in Performance Making at Goldsmiths College, University of London.

She has taken part in many festivals, workshops and projects such as: Surge Festival (Goldsmiths College, 2009); Young Theatre Festival (Piatra Neamt, 2008) with the performances L-V:8-16 and Forbidden under 18; Green Hours Theatre (Bucharest, 2008) with the performative action I represent Romania; Build your community! - Community Art Project documenting life in Rahova area blocks (Bucharest, 2007); Made in China - performance on consumerism, Desant Theatre (Bucharest, 2007); Locked - site specific performance on kitchen routine, Desant Theatre (Bucharest, 2006).

As an Attic Arts resident, Ioana Paun will work on a Public Art and Site Specificity project called X Street - The live sound of the hammer-throw. The project focuses on the social and sound landscape and lifestyle implications of the 2012 Olympic Games reconstruction plans in the Hackney area, East London. Project partners: Live Art Development Agency and Hackney Council.

Peca Stefan is a playwright, winner of the dramAcum prize (the Romanian award for best new playwright) in 2002. He also won the Best Play-Relationship Drama Awards at the London Fringe Report Awards for The Sunshine Play in 2006. His education includes New York University and he was one of the Royal Court International Playwriting Residents in 2005.

His plays have been translated into English (The Sunshine Play, Bucharest Calling, Colors, Romania 21, The Complete Truth About the Life and Death of Kurt Cobain, New York [Fuckin' City], I HATE HELEN), French (U.F.), German (Romania 21, Nils' fucked-up Day, Jazz), Turkish (Romania 21), and Italian (The Sunshine Play). His work has been presented in New York (The Lark Theatre, New York University), London (as part of the Royal Court International Residency), Dublin (Dublin Fringe Festival), Berlin (Schaubuehne Theatre), Wiesbaden (New Plays From Europe Biennale), Graz and Leeds (JANUS project), France (Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, Avignon), Sankt Petersburg (RAINBOW Festival), Rome (Teatro Valle) and in many national festivals in Romania.

During the residency at the Institute, Peca Stefan will develop the play Under Pressure/Home Away 3.0, which explores three stories of failure in a context where social and financial crisis meets human relationships and love.

Jean-Lorin Sterian - writer, film director, playwright and journalist. He has published a novel Lorgean (Polirom, 2007) and short stories Postume (Amaltea, 2002), The Writer Goes Hunting (ProLogos, 2001), Baltazar and Hazard (Metafora, 1997). He has also written the short and feature scripts The Principle of Communicating Vessels Applied to Love (2006), Netless mornings (2006) and Bachelor Hour (2007, together with Ioana Joca).

In 2008, he created the Lorgean Theatre - 'a theatre of intimate spaces' in his own flat in Bucharest. The stage is separated from the living space by a light sign. The performers stay next to spectators. The entrance is free, but you have to be invited and to bring a personal object related to the topic of the play. At the end of the show, the objects are narrated, debated.

During the residency at the Institute, Jean-Lorin Sterian will develop a Lorgean Theatre project and will meet theatre professionals from the Royal Court, Young Vic, Soho Theatre, Forced Entertainment and Theatre 503.