The eighth edition of the outdoor gathering WiFič VEN! is approaching. And with it, the transformation of the Egoé grounds into one big stage connecting genres and generations. In an industrial setting where ideas become products, this year visitors can look forward to conce
The eighth year of the outdoor gathering WiFič VEN! is approaching. And with it, the transformation of Egoé's grounds into one big stage linking genres and generations. In an industrial setting where ideas become products, this year visitors can look forward to concerts from Dunaj, Sunnbrella, Dukla, Modré hory and Cotatcha Orchestra. There'll also be interviews hosted by Lucie Výborná, a performance from new circus troupe Losers Cirque Company, several theatre and exhibition pieces, dance performances, and a thoroughly grown-up programme for children. All that on 29 and 30 August in Bílovice near Uherské Hradiště.
To learn, to discover. That's what WiFič VEN! is about. And this year more than ever. For its eighth year, the organisers have pushed the dramaturgy even further. "We reached out to those who aren't afraid to invite you into their own world. Into their own head. Because we do the same thing. We invite everyone into our home and show how we think, design and work with space," says the event's artistic director David Zezula.
Music worth listening to
For the music programme, the organisers have bet on musicians with a distinctive voice and lyrics that actually say something. That's the thread connecting Slovak hip-hop group Modré hory and singer-songwriter projects Alois Göbel and Člověk krve. Also on the bill: legendary outfit Dunaj s Janou Vébrovou, home-grown club scene star Dukla, and Slovak indie-pop legend Puding pani Elvisovej, returning to the stage after nine years.
Other standout names in the line-up include David Žbirka's Sunnbrella. The programme also gets a boost from sixteen-piece big band Cotatcha Orchestra, whose bandleader Jiří Kotača picked up his second Anděl award this year, plus the Czech Republic's first virtual pop star, Nivva. "We picked strong names, each with their own audience, their own world. And we bring them all together, to one place. We love watching what comes out of it – the variety, the dialogues, the unexpected connections," describes dramaturge Kristina Frascaová.
Interviews with Lucie Výborná
The other programme blocks carry just as much weight as the music. A fixture of public-service media – and by now of WiFič VEN! too – is presenter Lucie Výborná, who has been part of the event since its first year. This year she'll delve into the stories of, among others, journalist Nora Fridrichová, social architect Kateřina Šedá, Polish writer Mariusz Szczygieł, mountaineer and doctor Matěj Bernát, economist Tomáš Sedláček, and literary historian and theologian Martin C. Putna.
"We choose the people who sit down with Lucie Výborná according to a specific criterion. They're people known for their profession or expertise. But they also have other layers they're not afraid to talk about. They can inspire, name what really matters, and often open up subjects that don't usually get discussed," adds Petr Vavrouška, dramaturge of the interviews section, adding that further names are still being finalised.
Žně designu. When you're looking for a solution
One of the programme blocks at WiFič VEN! is also the industrial exhibition Žně designu. The project sets out to map the current situation in the Czech Republic and raise awareness of the quality of Czech designers and manufacturers. The exhibition has been held on an occasional basis, in 2020 and 2021. All the featured products share one thing in common: design as the result of teamwork between designers, technologists, engineers, and also marketers and salespeople. On show will be vehicles, everyday objects, and solutions for public space.
New circus and dance performance
New circus and physical theatre have been part of Bílovice for several years now. This year, for instance, Losers Cirque Company are coming. This theatre troupe of actors, acrobats and mimes will present their show The Losers. For up-close contact with the audience, there's the performance The Urge by Move Ostrava. Slovak dancer Michal Heriban arrives with his physical theatre piece, the dance performance Já som placebo,. Acrobat Eliška Brtnická will also perform, and choreographer, dance teacher and dancer Lenka Vágnerová brings her project Dark Horse.
Kids? Lower admission, a programme that's all grown up
The organisers take their young visitors completely seriously. On both days, children can drop into Výtvarná polepšovna and experience what it feels like to be a maker — sandblasting glass, working with wood, leather or ceramics, for example. Theatrical experiences come courtesy of Horácké divadlo Jihlava with its productions Karkulka zasahuje and Datel a Slabihoudek. Divadlo Polárka presents the show Láska z Tiktoku, and the very youngest will be delighted by actress and musician Vanda Kavková, in another of her artistic guises, with the fairy tale O Josefíně, včelce. Children can also look forward to a Klauni na volné noze show, a dance workshop, and a parkour course.
WiFič VEN! as an invitation into unique spaces
Egoé's premises are part of the production-and-education platform Pole designu. Exhibitions, concerts and training sessions all take place here. The high point of the year-round programme is the outdoor gathering WiFič VEN! itself, which has been transforming the whole site into a two-day open-air stage since 2018. As the grounds gradually opened up to the public, a campsite, modern educational facilities, and a children's art studio – Výtvarná polepšovna – grew up here too.
