Nick Awde

London

International Editor at The Stage

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thestage.co.uk

Articles

Theatre is the last stage standing for freedom in Georgia

1 month ago | seestage.org | Nick Awde

After eviscerating Georgia’s TV and news channels, infiltrating social media and corralling the students, Georgia’s government is now turning its sights on theatre – the backdrop being the citizens’ protests that have taken place every day since November 28, 2024 when the ruling Georgian Dream party, backed by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili and Russia, announced it was sabotaging the nation’s accession to the European Union.
Georgia: The Protests, Act 1 – a review

Jan 14, 2025 | deserthearts.com | Nick Awde

by Nick AwdeWho: The People of Georgia and the GovernmentWhat: A month of street protests against an oligarch/Russian-puppet governmentWhere: Centred around the Parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue, TbilisiWhen: November 28-December 28, 2024And… Russian-style, the Government uses social media to control, influence, undermine, threaten and justify – big budget Bolshoi/Soviet theatre overkill.
Kosovo Albania Theatre Showcase 2024 – the Tirana interviews

Dec 8, 2024 | deserthearts.com | Nick Awde

by Nick AwdeWho:Forming a ‘cluster feature’ are street-style interviews with Jeton Neziraj, Altin Basha, Endri Çela, Ema Andrea, Elisabeth Schuster, Ivanka Apostolova Baskar, Steven Leigh Morris, Aktina Stathaki and Aurela Kadriu. What: Curated by Qendra Multimedia, Kosovo Theatre Showcase happens each year in Prishtina and other cities of Kosovo.
Staging Slovenia's housing crisis

Oct 6, 2024 | seestage.org | Nick Awde

Along with almost every other country, Slovenia has a housing crisis. A shortage of housing and ever-rising prices are putting home ownership beyond most Slovenians, while in the rental market an increasing number of tenants compete for limited housing. The government has said it will come to the rescue through investing in affordable public housing – 5,000 new dwellings by 2026 – but these plans have already stalled thanks to a somewhat predictable reluctance to commit public funds.
Mirëdita, Dobar Dan cancelled in Belgrade. What comes next?

Jul 15, 2024 | seestage.org | Nick Awde

Organised across the borders by Belgrade’s Youth Initiative for Human Rights and Civic Initiatives and Prishtina’s Integra NGO, the Mirëdita, Dobar Dan festival has been running since 2014, merging “art, culture, advocacy and public debate in one platform” (‘mirëdita’ and ‘dobar dan’ mean ‘hello’ in Albanian and Serbian respectively).
Slovenia Counts: Sebastian Nübling and Jackie Poloni

Apr 4, 2024 | seestage.org | Nick Awde

The ambitiously titled Slovenija šteje – Slovenia Counts – is a journey through what it means to live in Slovenia, posing and then answering questions that expose the mechanics of the everyday life of citizens in the republic via a fusion of narrative, movement and music.
"I want to make revolutions in theatre"

Mar 27, 2024 | seestage.org | Nick Awde

The answer as to why a play offers ways of telling a story that you might not find in a film, documentary or novel can be surprisingly practical. Certainly if you ask Hana Rastoder. “Theatre still has the ability to give you a complete, uninterrupted experience,” says the Montenegrin director/writer. “Everything that happens is more or less predicted.
The Metamorphosis of the New Theatre Tbilisi

Feb 21, 2024 | seestage.org | Nick Awde

Cultural institutions are slow to change – it’s in their nature – and state theatres are no exception, particularly those with an origin story from Communist times (but not all!). Generally resistant to political and economic upheavals by virtue of their monolithic anatomy, their foundations were shaken by Covid like the rest of the theatre world and suddenly we heard voices in high places talking loudly about reimagining and reinventing the system. And then not much happened.
"I’m always looking for ways to initiate a public debate"

Nov 12, 2023 | seestage.org | Nick Awde

Artistic directors come in many shapes and forms. There’s a broad spectrum to the role which involves the managing of a theatre’s programme, one that stretches from purely administrative to purely creative – and a theatre’s artistic output will reflect this.
"Cultural cooperation in Europe is a political act"

Oct 11, 2023 | seestage.org | Nick Awde

Written by Jeton Neziraj and directed by Blerta Neziraj, Balkan Bordello, The Handke Project and now Negotiating Peace are dramatic works that expertly blur the lines between activism and entertainment. They form part of a string of provocative plays from Kosovo that refuse to compromise on their Balkans identity and agenda and yet manage to resonate with audiences far beyond the region.