KRZYSZTOF CICHEŃSKI

WORKS: 

stage direction, scenography, music
MŁYN DJABELSKI. BIOGRAFIA DZIEŁA ZAPOMNIANEGO, The Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute, Warsaw, 2022
Opera monodrama based on life and work of Ludomir Różycki

stage direction, dramaturgy
CARMEN. TOUJOURS LA MORT, Poznań Opera House, 2021
Opera performance with music by G. Bizet and T. Rożynek and texts by M. Leiris and S. Sontag

stage direction, dramaturgy, original text
DON PASQUALE, Poznań Opera House, 2021 
Chamber performance based on G. Donizetti’s opera

stage direction, dramaturgy, original music
IZOLACJA: CARMEN, DON GIOVANNI, DON PASQUALE, Poznań Opera House, 2020   
Pandemic opera installation with live streaming based on works by Bizet, Mozart and Donizetti  

stage direction, coproduction
GWIEZDNIK, Children's Art Centre, Poznań, 2019
Opera for children by J. Kordaczuk

stage direction
OFELIA, Poznań Opera House, 2019
Opera by J. F. Wojciechowski, libretto by S. Wyspiański  

stage direction
WHERE ARE YOU, JOHN CAGE?, Children’s Art Centre, Poznań 2017
Musical happening for children with works by J. Cage and J. Siwiński 

stage direction
KLOTHÓ. THE THREAD OF THE TALES, Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka and Music Biennale of Zagreb, 2017  
Opera by M. Kosecka
Presented also at MuTh, Vienna / Armel Festival, Budapest. Broadcasted by Croatian National Television and ARTE TV.

stage direction, dramaturgy
DIE FLEDERMAUS Poznań Opera House, 2016
Operetta by J. Strauss II

stage direction, dramaturgy, scenography and lights
ARIODANTE, Warsaw Chamber Opera, 2016
Opera by G.F. Haendel

dramaturgy, scenography 
KAFKA / SCHULZ: REVELATIONS AND HERESIES, Poznań Opera House, 2015
Ballet by M. Knaflewska based on works by F. Kafka and B. Schulz

stage direction / dramaturgy
PAGLIACCI, Poznań Opera House, 2015
Opera by R. Leoncavallo

stage direction
THE ANGEL OF THE ODD, Poznań Opera House, 2014 
Opera by B. Coli based on E. A. Poe’s novel
Presented also at F. List Academy in Budapest/Hungary and at Kudowa Opera Festival in 2015

TEATR AUTOMATON (2005-2018):

general and artistic director, playwright, stage director, musician, scenographer and producer
 
TA was an independent, experimental theater group, exploring postmodern philosophy, psychoanalysis, technology and religion. All premieres and presentations took place in different cultural institutions and at festivals in Poznań (Poland).

THE NEW VISION: EXCLUSIONS, ACTS AND SUBLIMATIONS
Centre of Theatre Residency “Scena Robocza”, 2017

THE BACCHANTES: LAUGH, HOWL AND THE NEW ELEUSIS
The Republic of Art “Tłusta Langusta”, 2016

EXORCISTS AND THERAPISTS
XVII International Theatre Festival “Maski”, 2013

PUZUK inspired by V. Havel’s play 
Poznań Slavic Fest, 2013

GEPPETTO’S HEIRS
XVI International Theatre Festival “Maski”, 2012

THE EXHUMATION OF WATER HEN inspired by Witkacy’s play
Automaton Showroom Festival, 2012

THE RED PLANET: THE TIGER, THE ASSASSINATOR AND THE DEAD EMPRESS
XV International Theatre Festival “Maski”, 2011  

INCORPORATION OF THE MUMMY OF MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER MARGARET
NSK Festival, 2011

SEMINARS OF IMMANENT SPRING inspired by Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”
VI Spring Festival, 2011 

PRODUCTION AND CULTURE MANAGEMENT:

2020 NEW EXPERIMENTAL OPERA ASSOCIATION
President / initiator of artistic cooperations between artists and institutions   

2005 – 2018 POZNAŃ THEATRE INITIATIVES ASSOCIATION   
Vice-president / General and artistic director of Teatr Automaton / coordinator of international theatre workshops  

2008 - 2011 NUOVA FOUNDATION
Artistic coordinator of Poznań Spring Festival, an international festival of Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” dance and music interpretations / producer at Poznań Live Festival, a city’s festival of world music international artists
 
2005-2008 ZAMEK CULTURE CENTER, Poznań  
Producer at EthnoPort Festival and Contemporary Dance Scene

2004 – 2007 MALTA FOUNDATION, Poznań
Producer at Malta International Theatre Festival, Nostalgia Festival and Tzadik Festival

ARTISTIC AND RESEARCH GRANTS AND RESIDENCIES:

2022 “Placówka” (7th edition) 
for MŁYN DJABELSKI. BIOGRAFIA DZIEŁA ZAPOMNIANEGO
Production grant and artistic residency at The Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute, Warsaw

2020 Creative Scholarship 
for ORFEO/NEW OPERA EXPERIMENT, libretto for a contemporary opera
Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Poland

2017 THE NEW VISION: EXCLUSIONS, ACTS AND SUBLIMATIONS
Production grant and artistic residency at “Scena Robocza” Centre of Theatre Residency, Poznań

2013 Scholarship for young artists 
for EXORCISTS AND THERAPISTS premiere   
Marshal of Wielkopolska Region, Poland

2012-2014 Scholarships for young researchers
Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań

2011 Scholarship for best graduates
Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań   

ACADEMIC AND TEACHING CAREER:

MAGDALENA ABAKANOWICZ UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS, Poznań

2021 – present: Research-and-teaching assistant at the Faculty of Interior Design and Scenography 
2014 – 2021: Lecturer at the Faculty of Interior Design and Scenography

- courses at the Department of Scenography: Chosen Issues from the History of Theater and Drama, Propaedeutic of
Theater Directing, Dramatic Text Analysis.
- courses at the Study in English Program: Chosen Issues from the History of Theater and Drama, Propaedeutic of
Theater Directing, Dramatic Text Analysis 

IGNACY JAN PADEREWSKI ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Poznań  

2018-2019: Lecturer at the Faculty of Vocal and Acting Studies

- acting workshop course
- artistic supervision / stage direction of the student performance “The Haunted Manor / Verbum Nobile” by. S. Moniuszko

ADAM MICKIEWICZ UNIVERSITY, Poznań

2011-2017: Lecturer and PhD candidate at Faculty of Polish and Classical Philology

- courses at the Department of Drama, Theater and Performance: Aesthetics, Actor’s Craft, Theater Etudes, Theater in Local Communities, Theater for Children, Contemporary Theater
- artistic supervision of the student performances “Vanity, Queer and Madness” (2014), “Actors Archives” (2012)
- publications and lectures at international conferences (research interests: plays by T. Różewicz and his autobiographical artistic strategies, acting techniques in A. Vassiliev and R. Pollesch theatre, performativity/performance art, classical and contemporary opera)   

CHILDREN’S ART CENTRE, Poznań

2014-2019: Stage director and educator

- stage direction of performative readings of new plays for children and young adults
- artistic supervision of youth performances
- leading acting workshops for high school students
- leading discussions with youth audiences 

EDUCATION:

2011 – 2017 Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
PhD studies in the field of Theatre studies 

2005 – 2010 Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities 
MA degree in the field of Theatre studies

2008-2009            Université Paris-Est Marne-la-vallée
Lettres modernes, as an Erasmus Programme student

PRACTICAL TRAINING:

2019 Assistant director of Graham Vick, „Paria” by S. Moniuszko, Poznań Opera House
2013 – 2014 Opera direction workshop at Opera Theatre Lab, Poznań Opera House
2005 – 2010 Physical theatre workshops with The Living Theater (USA), Chorea (PL), Meyerhold’s biomechanics (DE), acting improvisations (FR) and others
2000 – 2008 Traditional music workshops in Maison de la Bretagne
2003 – 2004 Director’s assistant in Teatr Nowy, Poznań
2003 – 2004 Drama and acting workshop by ASSITEJ, Warsaw
2000 – 2003 Youth theater creator, Poznań
1996 – 1999 Child actor in Teatr Nowy, Poznań

LANGUAGES:

Polish (native), English (fluent), French (fluent)
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