Letní Letná ^expired Free

ince its founding in 2004, the festival Letní Letná presented 1,477 shows that were attended by the overall number of 324,000 spectators. Thanks to the festival, the Czech Republic has hosted prominent names of the international contemporary circus scene, among them Cirque Alfonse, Collectif Malunés, NoFit State Circus, Circa, Cirque Ici, Cirque Trottola, Les Colporteurs, 7 Fingers, Cirkus Cirkör, Compagnie XY, Compagnie Rasposo, Cirque Baroque, Cahin Caha, Malabar, Atelier Lefeuvre & André, Cie Galapiat, Le Poivre Rose, Cirque Inextremiste, Le Boustrophedon and many more. The festival’s attractiveness is incessantly growing: the first edition offered 60 shows to 6,300 spectators, the last edition in 2017 then lured over 45,000 spectators to as many as 190 shows. Within its fourteen year existence, Letní Letná has grown into a stable pillar of the cultural calendar, not only in Prague but also on the national level, building up a unique profile of an event that systematically hosts the best of international contemporary circus and, at the same time, provides cultural and leisure activities to children and their families.

Letní Letná has become a solid platform presenting the work of Czech contemporary circus and theatre companies to the general public. The festival regularly features new works of such groups as Cirk La Putyka, Losers Cirque Company, Cirque Garuda and others. The charm of the event as a whole translates into massive and effective publicity for such specific projects. Besides, the festival is an important meeting point where Czech artists can approach foreign productions, serving as an enriching interface for the development of new circus as a discipline in the Czech Republic.

Furthermore, Letní Letná is a co-producer of European projects: in 2012 the festival was involved in and later successfully presented a premiere of LaCrimae (a piece bringing together the Swedish company CirkusCirkör, the French Cahin-Caha and the Czech company Cirk La Putyka). In 2014, Letní Letná became a co-producer of a project of the Belgian company Le Poivre Rose, one to feature Iva Bittová live on stage. Another coproduction followed in 2015 with Losers Cirque Company and their piece Walls & Handbags that was awarded the Theatre Journal Award in the category of Dance and Movement Theatre.

The festival also helps mediate contact between Czech artists and the international scene and therefore encourages the growth and development of the genre of contemporary circus in the Czech Republic.

Letní Letná attracts exceptional numbers of spectators every year (over 40,000 in the past few editions), yet its atmosphere remains relaxed, reminiscing the ancient world of traditional circuses, miles away from mass events and commercialism. Letní Letná has become a magical meeting point and a leisure time landmark for friends and families with kids.