THE SEVENTIES – (CZECHOSLOVAK) PHYSICAL THEATRE DURING THE ERA OF NORMALIZATION

The Department of Non-verbal Theatre at the Dance and Music Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague invites you to a conference.

The first generation of modern Czechoslovak pantomime emerged from a fascination with the white-faced persona and flawless technique inspired by French examples.

The second generation—sometimes described as "uncombed and unwashed"—was known as the "Beatnik" generation; this label came out when editor Günter Simon, writing for the German magazine *Theater Heute*, dubbed them the "Black Beatles of Prague."

But what distinguished the third generation of pantomime? What trends defined them, and what did the 1970s contribute to the development of the domestic physical theatre scene?

The conference will explore the following areas:
•    Physical theatre productions staged between 1971 and 1983
•    Key figures in physical theatre associated with the "Normalization" era
•    Ensembles and their activities during the 1970s
•    The origins of the Braník Pantomime Theatre
•    Festival events in 1969 and 1971
•    The emigration of Czech mimes

This conference is organized by the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague as part of the institutional project "The Third Wave of Czech Pantomime," supported by funding for the long-term conceptual development of a research organization provided by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MŠMT) in 2026.