Drak Theatre previously ran two long-term youth ensembles (one for children, the other for teenagers), which met regularly once a week. These groups took part in a theatre education course that culminated at the end of each season in a work-in-progress presentation showcasing the results of the creative and educational process. Based on our positive experience with intensive creative work by teenage groups during the summer camps, and also inspired by how participatory creation with young people is approached at JES and in several other Czech theatres, we decided to transform the format for working with the teenage ensemble in 2025—or rather, to create an entirely new one.
We launched an open call, inviting teenagers to take part in the collective creation of an original production, led by Drak Theatre’s head educator Jana Nechvátalová and supported by members of the theatre’s artistic ensemble—professional actors Edita Dohnálková Valášek and Šimon Dohnálek. The creative process was structured into several weekend sessions, culminating in an intensive summer residency.
The result is the original production Míla D., inspired by the true story of a sixteen-year-old boy who escaped from a correctional facility and stole a bus. The production explores themes of freedom, resistance to the system, and the search for identity, and it draws not only from the original story but also from texts written by the teenage creators themselves.
The production has scheduled reruns and will be presented in the Drak Theatre studio. It is also planned to be presented at festivals dedicated to participatory work by young creators.
What we learned
- Project-based formats allow for deeper artistic engagement than weekly courses.
- Open calls attract participants ready for commitment and responsibility.
- Combining real stories with personal writing strengthens relevance and ownership.
- Long-term processes enable trust, complexity and artistic risk-taking.