The eighth annual multi-genre In the Middle (Uprostřed) festival has just launched in the centre of Brno. It starts today and runs for two full months, featuring dozens of open-air performances, concerts and other art forms. The entire programme is completely free of charge to attend.
"The basic dramaturgical thread running through this year's festival is the Wednesday and Sunday concerts at the Old Town Hall, the focus of which is on local bands, which are being given space to perform on home soil. Based on the open call, two projects were also created specifically for our festival. Featuring live music, the park on Moravské náměstí will host the fashion show Stripped Emotions, created by graduate duo Nikola Kovářová and Adam Vejtasa from the Secondary School of Art and Design and Higher Professional School in Brno. A workshop and ritual performance by the Folklore's Not Dead movement called Ride of the Kings, paying tribute to the folk tradition of the same name, will take place in Tyršův sad, the first time the park will have hosted an event for this festival," says Jana Janulíková, Director of TIC BRNO, the festival's organiser.
The festival, which will see public space in the city centre come alive with quality art for several weeks, is not just about culture. It's also about enabling people and communities to meet and connect. In the spirit of the motto "You never know in Brno", visitors can encounter art without necessarily knowing they are part of the IN THE MIDDLE festival. In addition to the aforementioned venues, the festival will also take place in Denisovy sady park, on náměstí Svobody and, for the very first time, on Římské náměstí. "Římské náměstí is a little-known spot in the city centre. That's why we’ve decided to draw attention to it and move the opening concerts, which this year will take place there on 21 June from 4:00 to 10:00 p.m., as will the Grand Bazaar. We want to continue the tradition of bazaars in the centres of big cities. We want to open up the bazaar to anyone who wants to sell something, while at the same time offering a basic selection of sales stands," said Tomáš Pavčík, director of Kávéeska, which is co-organising the festival together with TIC BRNO. The festival starts today, 21 June, and runs until 21 August 2024.
The programme also includes a concert by the big band New Time Orchestra with actor and singer Radek Melša, a performance by dancers from the National Theatre Brno Ballet, classics such as the swing dance session in Denisovy sady park, cimbalom music, a historical walk and concerts by a number of local and South Moravian bands ranging from jazz and pop to rock and rock 'n' roll.
The last day of the festival will be dedicated to commemorating the events of 21 August 1968. In conjunction with the Memory of Nations Institute, the Old Town Hall will first present a production by the FESTE Theatre, The Power of the Powerless, followed by a screening of the film Viktor Fajnberg: Madly in Dissent and a debate with guests.
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