VII edition of Brave Festival – „The Mask”,
2 - 8 July 2011
The mask. Instead of covering and hiding, brings closer the rich culture of various parts of the world, among others Bali, Sri Lanka, Furkina Faso or Sardinia.
In 2011 it was the main theme of the seventh edition of the Brave Festival, which took part between July 2-8 in Wrocław, giving us a chance to meet the authentic culture,
forgotten traditions, mysterious rituals and the art of the most remote regions of our globe. The indigenous artists and representatives of dying cultures have arrived to
the capital city of Lower Silesia; cultures which can be searched for, in vain, during other festivals and on the omniscient Internet. The festival audience had the unique chance
to see the representative of the Sardinian carnival - Mamuthones, dancers from Bali, the traditional Hindu drama - Kathakali, or Blind Note - a show by musicians performing, in
complete darkness, on traditional, local instruments. Furthermore, the main events were accompanied by a series of documentaries, the Brave Kids project, exhibitions, meetings with
the artists and workshops.
VI edition of Brave Festival
– „Enchanters”,
2 - 9 July 2010
The 6th edition of Brave Festival was called 'Enchanters' and aimed to focus on the presentation a wide range of traditions in which word has a significant meaning, not being only a sound or an information carrier, traditions that recognize the energy of word and pay a great attention to it's poetic, power of expression, melody and rhythm. Invited by organizers to Wroclaw came the solo artists and groups from all over the world, among others: Korean mistress of ancient art pansori - Ahn Sook-Sun, Bi Kidude - 100 years old diva of taraab music from Zanzibar, Bulgarian group Bistritsa performing Balkan polyphonies and Sekouba Traoré, Malian master of donso n'goni.
V edition of Brave Festival
– „Prayers of the World”,
3 - 11 July 2009
The fifth edition of Brave Festival was entitled "Prayers of the World". The festival took place not only in Wroclaw, but also in other cities of Lower Silesia, namely Olesnica, Wolow, Swidnica and Klodzko. During the event artists and genuine representatives of traditional cultures performed original songs, rituals and ceremonies connected with prayers and observances still practised in many religions of different cultural regions of the world, from, among others, Asia, Africa and Europe. The audience had the chance to take part in the rituals performed by a Korean shaman, Tibetan monks or Theyyam dancers.
IV edition of Brave Festival
– „The Ritual Starts in Africa”,
4 - 12 July 2008
The fourth edition of Brave Festival was entitled "The Ritual Starts in Africa". The work of both African artists and others which was presented during this edition enabled spectators to witness new, unknown qualities of the continent and allowed them to discover the core of African culture - the ritual. The festival gave spectators the chance to learn about unique practices, to meet people from culturally distant regions and to learn about various artistic forms of "the dying world". The schedule of the festival consisted of, among other events, performances of dancers and musicians of the Fula tribe from Niger, performances by the women of the Tanzanian Wagogo tribe and many concerts, film showings, workshops, meetings and discussions with invited guests.
III edition of Brave Festival
– „Drowned Songs”,
7 - 14 July 2007
The third edition of the festival was entitled "Drowned Songs". The organizers presented not only songs, performances and films, but also the context and sources from which they came. The artists from faraway corners of the world presented, here in Wroclaw, the Berber trans songs of Morocco, the Ukrainian "songs of the marshes", the refined, ancient polyphonies of Caucasus, the polyphonic dialogs of Belgorod, the mystical songs of Sardinia and "shoulder dances" of black Jews from Ethiopia.
II edition of Brave Festival
– „Voices of Asia”,
8 - 15 July 2006
„Voices of Asia” was the theme of the second edition of the festival. During this edition the traditions of Laos, Japan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Siberia were presented. In total 13 bands and 99 artists participated. There were performances, concerts and workshops of traditional dancing and singing. We also presented a series of Asian films which were accompanied by film workshops devoted to creating intercontinental documentary films and to the way films are shot. The audience were also able to attend lectures and meetings with festival guests.
I edition of Brave Festival
– „The Magic of Voice”, 24 - 27 November 2005
The first edition of Brave Festival was entitled "The Magic of Voice". It explored the subject of voice - broadly understood - through performances built around songs and through concerts and workshops devoted to various vocal techniques, and to learning how to play traditional instruments mostly from the former Soviet Republics. During the festival, which lasted four days, there were presented, among others, the Siberian ugadan kurduk, singing from Tuva, the music of Svans, Khakassian singing with quarter-tones and semitones, the music of the Sufi tradition, the liturgical songs of monks from Atos, traditional Ukrainian songs, the music of Ancient Greece and African stories.
