Support BFT’s Minsk-based ensemble to travel to the UK to create Burning Doors in collaboration with Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina
Belarus Free Theatre is the only theatre in Europe banned by its government on political grounds.
Forced into exile, our founding members live as political refugees in the UK.
Our permanent ensemble of actors continue to perform and teach every day in Europe’s last surviving dictatorship.
On 1 June, we are launching our first-ever Kickstarter campaign to raise £20,000 to bring our talented and courageous ensemble from Minsk to the UK to create a brand new theatre production, Burning Doors, ready for tour this autumn.
Over the next month BFT are asking our audiences and supporters to help us reach this target. Every pledge, of any amount, is welcome. To express the gratitude of the whole BFT team, both in London and in Minsk, we have a host of exclusive rewards on offer.
“This show should be made right now because we don’t have time to sit tight and wait, the people who desperately fight for art, desperately say what they think, and sacrifice so many things, are worth our solidarity and support”
– Nicolai Khalezin, Co-Director, Burning Doors
Burning Doors is powerful theatre in solidarity with those who refuse to be silenced. Three contemporary artists living under dictatorship – Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina, Russian Actionist and political artist Petr Pavlensky and incarcerated Ukrainian film-maker, Oleg Sentsov – are the inspiration behind this brand new stage production created by BFT co-founders, Nicolai Khalezin and Natalia Kaliada.
Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina will make her theatre debut performing alongside members of BFT’s permanent ensemble in a passionate new work that confronts the total suppression of artistic freedoms just a four hour flight from London.
Burning Doors draws on BFT’s own experience of political oppression and continues our campaign to stand up for artistic freedom and human rights across the globe, a reminder, once again, that theatre can be a revolutionary art.
Your support will enable us to bring our ensemble from Minsk to the UK for a devising residency in July and August, where they will work with their exiled Artistic Directors.
No matter how much you are able to pledge, we are delighted to offer some wonderful exclusive rewards to supporters of the campaign. From personalised thank you videos from the ensemble when they arrive at the residency, to your chance to hang out with our Artistic Directors and cast during the UK performance run, we have a range of great rewards to say thank you for making this important production a reality, and to bring you closer to the work.
Burning Doors will tour the UK in Autumn 2016, before travelling internationally over the coming years. Come and see us at your local theatre:
Founded in 2005, BFT has been fighting social justice, taboo zones and violation of human rights across the globe for 10 years.
Our Artistic Leaders were forced to leave Belarus in 2011 due to their work for the company, but continue to develop our work online and across borders.
Our audience, the bravest theatre audience in the world, risk harassment and detention simply for turning up at our shows.
Our incredible ensemble take enormous personal risks to perform over 100 times a year in Belarus, and tour internationally to raise awareness and increase political pressure for democratisation in Belarus. Meet some of the BFT Ensemble working on Burning Doors here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0356w27
By supporting the Belarus Free Theatre, you are taking an important stand for artistic freedom, human rights, and international solidarity.
Belarus Free Theatre relies on the generosity of our friends and supporters to continue to exist. Research and design for Burning Doors has already begun, and the cast and Artistic Directors are working online and on Skype. Your support will be vital in getting the ensemble to the UK for a production residency, the only way we can intensively work together as a company. The production residency is very generously supported by the Academy of Music and Theatre Arts, University of Falmouth.