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Projects of the Foundation of the Baroque Theater in Český Krumlov

Since its establishment in 1992, the Foundation for the Baroque Castle Theater in Český Krumlov has organized 10 benefit performances.

Benefit performances popularize the phenomenon of the theater, castle and town of Český Krumlov. Benefit performances offer a special educational method of how to gain an approach to genuine cultural patronage. Furthermore a benefit performance is a place to meet supporters, friends, cooperators and finally even the prospective sponsors or other contributors of the foundation. At the same time benefit performances represent a revival of a historic experience, the process of bringing back the atmosphere of forgotten skills and therefore the understanding of the process of the Baroque theater reconstruction.

In 1993 one of the first benefit performances took place in the Stavovské Theater where the phenomenon of the Baroque castle theater was first introduced to the professional and diplomatic public.

Especially known to the general public are the benefit performances held inside the premises of the Český Krumlov Castle, such as demonstration of the Baroque theater before Christmas which the foundation has carried out for invited Krumlov public over the course of the last four years including December of 1997. Last year\'s demonstration was already realized in a concert, operatic and experimental performance by the ensemble Cappella Accademica.

The pearls among benefit activities are the concerts held in the Masquerade Hall for invited guests and the general public. Such concerts are usually combined with another activity, e.g. in 1997 the benefit performance was organized together with seminar Intersections in the Developed Landscape and in 1998 the benefit performance was held together with Festival of the Five-Petalled Rose on June 20th 1998 in the Masqeurade Hall.

Other highly exclusive benefit performances also took place abroad, mainly in the USA - in April 1997 in Washington D.C. in co-operation with the Czech Embassy and in October in New York in St. Steven\'s Church in co-operation with the Czech Center, Association of Czech Science and Art in USA and again with the Czech Embassy. The board of directors of the Baroque Theater foundation also paid tribute to musicians of the ensemble Poetica Musica New York which traditionally represent the foundation at benefit performances.

  • 7th September 1996 - Benefit concert in Masquerade Hall to support Baroque theater
  • 24th April 1997 - Benefit in Washington
  • 26th October 1998 - Benefit in N.Y.
  • 2nd June 1998 - Benefit in Washingtonu
  • 20th June 1998 - Benefit in Masquerade Hall

Projects of the foundation :
At the end of 1992 when the foundation was established, a considerable amount of attention was paid in search of an adequate name. Eventually, after consultation with the Heritage Authority České Budějovice, the Czech equivalent of the Foundation of the Baroque Theater in Český Krumlov was accepted. The name well conveyed the foundation\'s aim not only at the restoration of the Baroque theater but deliberately at the comprehensive restoration of the whole castle complex - foremostly, however, the restoration of the Baroque theater.

In the last few years the foundation has taken part in the organization of several seminars, musical festivals and, moreover, projects of participation in renovation of the whole castle complex. One of the latest projects was participation in the reconstruction of the Baroque Cascade Fountain in the castle gardens. In 1996, the Foundation made contact with the international grant agency Monument World Fund residing in New York. The project was finally included on the list of 100 endangered historic monuments for the year 1996, and in 1997 the sum of 50,000 USD was assigned to the Foundation for the restoration of the sculptural group the cascade fountain is decorated with. In fact, it was the first project which achieved international success. Such financial support played an important role in final completion of the whole reconstruction with the budget of 11 million crowns so we can look forward to this summer when the fountain in the Baroque park will be put again in operation. The foundation has also developed a project to minimise negative chemical effects on the interiors of the Baroque theater which combined the solution to negative influence on environment and restoration of the historic monument of the highest regional importance - the Baroque theater. At present the project is under the control of PHARE.

Representative of World Monuments Watch during grant presentation for reconstruction of the Cascade Fountain

In 1997, the foundation received a grant for restorations of museums of the Czech Ministry of Culture as one of the first private initiatives. The three-year project of professional inventorization of the funds of the Baroque theater was given the sum of more than 1 million Crowns.

In 1997, the foundation received a grant for publishing a German version presenting the foundation from the regional development organization PHARE.

Many other projects are developed and regularly sent to Czech or foreign grant institutions.

One rather interesting and prestigious project was set up in May of 1997. The Foundation in cooperation with the Chancellor\'s office of the South Bohemian University and Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic prepared the first year of the educational, professional and popularizing seminar "Intersections in the Developed Landscape" which was attended by the mayor of Český Krumlov, ing. Jan Vondrouš.

Projects of the Foundation :

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