Hatis Noit (JP/GB), a name taken from Japanese folklore meaning ‘stem of the lotus flower’, is a Japanese vocal artist and performer from Hokkaido currently resident in London. Her range of interests and influences is wide indeed, from Japanese classical music (Gagaku) and opera to Bulgarian and Gregorian chanting, to avant-garde and contemporary pop. What’s perhaps more astonishing than her stunning vocal technique and stage presence is the fact that she is entirely self-taught.

Legendary label Erased Tapes have a happy knack of picking winners, and Hatis Noit is the latest in a distinguished line. The list of artists lining up to work with her is pretty much any self-respecting avant-gardist’s record collection: Kevin Richard Martin (The Bug), Lubomyr Melnyk, The London Contemporary Orchestra, Rick Rubin and William Basinski, to name a few. The buzz is building, so you’d best be there.

After a hiatus of almost four decades, Marko Pogačnik Workshop again brings into focus the City of Ljubljana. No longer as a meditation on notable architect Jože Plečnik’s and Prešeren's Ljubljana, but as an examination of the impact of the ongoing radical change in the Earth's being upon the city’s subtle fabric. How do these same shifts find expression within humans and the processes of our transformation? 

The annual Marko Pogačnik workshop has been held at Cankarjev dom every winter since 1983 with the aim of repeatedly inquiring into the meaning of human existence on Earth, the present-day transformation of space and the attitude of humanity towards natural beings and the universe. 

Marko Pogačnik, born in Kranj in 1944, an academy-trained sculptor based in Šempas na Primorskem. For his artistic achievements, Pogačnik received the Prešeren Fund Award, the Bevk Prize (both in 1990) and the 2008 Jakopič Award. In 2016, he was designated as UNESCO Artist for Peace/UN Goodwill Ambassador.
 

The male approach to our planet, based on rational thinking and logical action, pushed the Earth to the brink of an abyss called "climate change." What is urgently needed to counter the current crisis is the gentle strength of a woman's touch. The female principle complements and interconnects every partaker in the dance of life – including the male principle. It is time female sensitivity were introduced into the male world, and the ability to guide humanity towards a new balance took the reins in the female universe.

The annual Marko Pogačnik workshop has been held at Cankarjev dom every winter since 1983 with the aim of repeatedly inquiring into the meaning of human existence on Earth, the present-day transformation of space and the attitude of humanity towards natural beings and the universe. 

Marko Pogačnik, born in Kranj in 1944, an academy-trained sculptor based in Šempas na Primorskem. For his artistic achievements, Pogačnik received the Prešeren Fund Award, the Bevk Prize (both in 1990) and the 2008 Jakopič Award. In 2016, he was designated as UNESCO Artist for Peace/UN Goodwill Ambassador.
 

The audiences will be thrilled by the world-renowned format Theatresports, created by the father of theatrical improvisation, Keith Johnston. It involves an offbeat fusion of sports and theatre with teams of experienced improvisers confronting various challenges, while taking cues from the audience. The contest is supervised by professional referees who award points and penalties. The audience is invited to loudly criticize the referees in the classic sports style and even award points instead of them during the show. 
At the grand final awards are presented for the season's best achievements in the art of improvisation.

Experience the inimitable authenticity of improvised performance and watch a crazy story evolve from your prompts on stage. All the options are open, all the plots are possible, all endings are either happy or unhappy, all the scenes are a one-time thing, unfolding at that very moment, before that very audience, and never to occur again.

 

Slovenia’s main programme of improvisational theatre, Impro liga was established in 1993. A meeting point for Slovenian improvisers, most of the programme usually takes place as a national competition of impro theatre groups.

The ensemble Fake Orchestra has been operating as a musical collective since 1997, with its more or less permanent members and regular guests including numerous Slovenian and foreign musicians of the highest caliber. They have performed at all major venues and celebrations in their home country, as well as internationally in Croatia and Italy, New York, London, Vienna, Dublin, Cork, Budapest, Helsinki, Brussels, Prague, Istanbul, Belgrade, Venice, Berlin, and more. In 2009, the group was nominated for the Songlines award, a British world music magazine, in the new comers category.

After a hiatus due to the pandemic, the Fake Orchestra are returning for their traditional December evening at Štih Hall. Just the way you like them; they will present a glimpse of their favorite repertoire, which includes contemporary adaptations of Slovenian folk songs, compositions from jazz diva Billie Holiday, and exotic tunes from the third world.

To the Moon! takes you on a journey into outer space. Combining a theatrical experience with educational content, the show is aimed at young audiences aged between twelve and fifteen. It offers a fascinating glimpse at the Moon’s formation, the first human to step on the Moon, and the latest space technology that has become part of our daily lives. 

To the Moon! revisits the surge of excitement surrounding Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s landing on the Moon in 1969, taking a fun approach to explaining the law of gravitation and its effects on celestial objects (and human body). In a unique yet scientifically accurate way, Prof. Dr. Peter Kranjc and his assistant Aleksander explain how the Earth rotates around the Sun and the Moon orbits Earth and the effects of this endless circling embrace (also on teaching assistant Aleksander...). In addition, Prof. Kranjc and his assistant vividly recount several creation myths about the Moon’s formation and outline the fascinating symbolism of the Moon in art.

Learning about the universe is gaining in popularity and the interest in space exploration has been on the rise in recent years. The authors of the huge hit The Fearless Explorer – Marie Curie and Radioactivity invite you to join them for a new adventure. Let's fly together! Higher and higher!

Brief Event Schedule:

18:00: Viewing of the theater play "Cripple's Defence" 
18:55 to 19:15: Short break
19:15: Presentation of the novel "Life in the Subconsciousness. Fighter – The Diary of a Coward" and discussion will be hosted by journalist Helena Ajdnik, and her conversation partners will be Simon Šerbinek and psychologist Dr. Aleksander Zadel
Event concludes at 20:00
After the event: Social gathering with refreshments

Brief Description of the Theater Play "Cripple's Defence":

"Cripple's Defence" is an original theatrical play and a continuation of the collaboration between actor Simon Šerbinek, a bilateral below-knee amputee, and director Matjaž Latin. They previously created a successful monodrama titled "Krhkost" (Fragility) based on an essay by the renowned French filmmaker Jean-Claude Carrière. "Cripple's Defence" is based on Simon Šerbinek's autobiographical story. It's a "comedy" that uniquely portrays the actor's autobiographical tale of rehabilitation and the integration of disabled individuals into society. The play addresses various types of disabilities, both physical and mental diagnoses. The actor presents his personal story in an apparently relaxed manner, yet with a significant amount of social critique and self-irony. The performance simultaneously challenges and breaks various taboos associated with disability, delving into painful personal and societal themes. Crucially, it involves a candid and intimate portrayal of the actor's personal story, one that profoundly marked his life and stigmatized him. Despite losing both legs due to a suicide attempt, Simon Šerbinek managed to find meaning again, complete two degrees, and build a family.

Brief description of the novel "Life in the Subconsciousness. Fighter – The Diary of a Coward"

The author, who named himself Alen in the book, personally experienced everything described in the story. The story is subjective and in certain parts exaggerated, so the author advises the reader to approach it with some distance. The fundamental story revolves around a decision made by an individual struggling with mental health issues and having survived a suicide attempt. This person wants to confront their past in order to start anew. A psychiatrist advises this decision, acting as an objective commentator in Alen's story. Alen describes his state of psychosis and relapse in his diary, recounting his experiences during his psychiatric treatment. He asks his life companions for their insights to help him with his story. The following characters are thus introduced into the narrative: a psychiatrist, a friend, a director, and a professor. Alen describes his condition, which involves regression, taking him back to his childhood, school days, and then his student life, filled with ups and downs. At the presentation, alongside Simon Šerbink, there will also be Simon's former psychiatrist and psychotherapist, retired Dr. Bojan Filipič, as well as psychologist Dr. Aleksander Zadel, who will participate in the discussion.

Iz/najdena (Re/Invented) takes an in-depth look at a dance piece by Živa Kraigher, Ballade No. 1 in G minor (1989), her last work marked by a highly intricate and stylized choreography. The Ballade’s dramaturgy is driven by an intense inner development with crescendos and diminuendos, the ups and downs that tellingly reveal traces of Živa Kraigher’s experience of the world and her turbulent lifestyle at that time. In addition to recontextualizing the dance-stylistic concept and thematic idea of the dance piece, the project also delves into the intimate stories revolving around this great artist and dedicated dance pedagogue. These stories continue to remain alive today; most notably through dance, when seeking to create a balance between Živa’s motto “And now once again for the sake of art!”, and the Ballade’s concluding exclamation, the daring cry: 
 

Ryszard Legutko (1949) is a Polish philosopher, politician (member of the European Parliament) and professor of philosophy at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, specializing in ancient philosophy and political theory. He is the co-founder of the Center for Political Thought (Ośrodek Myśli Politycznej) and author of several books. In the book The Demon in Democracy – which he will present in a lecture entitled Totalitarian Temptations in Modern Societies – Legutko explores the common features of the communist regime and liberal democracy and explains how the latter eventually bowed to the same goals as communism, albeit without Soviet-style brutality. Both systems limit human nature to the common man who is convinced that he is free from all the shackles of the past. Both the communist and the liberal democrat refuse to admit that there is anything of value outside the political systems to which they have pledged their allegiance. Likewise, both systems reject any critical examination of their ideological prejudices.