Polish Carnival

This summer, Kraków once again becomes a huge outdoor stage, and we’ll hold our breath while we’re watching the spectacular displays, circus acrobatics and juggling displays…  Let’s go to the 29th ULICA Festival!

Four festival days, around forty performances by theatre companies from around the globe, and a hundred thousand expected guests: that’s the 29th ULICA – The International Festival of Street Theatres  (7-10 July) in a nutshell. Organised under the artistic guidance of Jerzy Zoń and the KTO Theatre since 1988, this year’s event is dedicated to Polish street theatre. Special guests include highly acclaimed troupes as well as ensembles at the thresholds of their stage careers.
The festival kicks off at the Main Market Square with a spectacle by the KTO Theatre inspired by the Nobel laureate José Saramago. The Blind, a monumental and emotionally-loaded performance without words, presents a society at the brink of a crisis.
The festival programme is dominated by groups from Poland. We will see Remus by Snów Theatre from Gdańsk, A Hunger Artist inspired by Franz Kafka and prepared by Biuro Podróży Theatre from Poznań, and Outside Time by the Akt Theatre from Warsaw. Cracovian accents come from the Mumerus Theatre with the Strojone ensemble, performing at the courtyard of the Museum of Archaeology with the Pieśń gminna [Common Song] about love and crime in a sleepy Polish town. And there is another feast in store for fans of the KTO Theatre: the now legendary spectacle Peregrinus in a brand new multimedia format!
And of course we will be hosting guests from abroad. We can admire the dancers from the Tango Sumo ensemble from France, discover a moving tale told with shoes by the Spanish theatre Markeliñe and gasp at the soaring acrobatics from Tac O Tac from France, while the international Serious Clowns take us on a journey into the magical world of childhood imagination.
This year, the festival visits the Podgórski Market Square for the first time, with the ensemble Muzikanty presenting Objazdowe nieme kino [Traveling Silent Movies] the Pinezka Theatre showcasing some tip-top clownery, and the French ensemble Cirkatomik introducing newcomers to street theatre with Le P.U.F.: Produit Utile aux Festivaliers !
As usual, there will be plenty of accompanying events. The Leo Jazz Ansamble performs for all music fans, while the youngest visitors can enjoy spectacles and games every day at noon at the Szczepański Square, and their parents can join meetings and discussions with directors and artists from street theatres. The festival culminates with the dazzling Muaré Experience performed by Spanish and English artists from Duchamp Pilot. Unmissable! (Justyna Skalska, "Karnet" magazine)