Contemporary Czech Theatre as a Creative Process and Artistic Work: A Challenge for Documentation

Abstract

The following text reflects on the research project implemented by the Theatre Department of the National Museum within the framework of contemporary collecting (documentation of the present). It presents both the concept and the starting point of the project and describes its practical implementation. The paper further analyses practical and theoretical issues and problems that have arisen during the two-year implementation of the project; it deals with specific examples of collected material – its types and relevance, the way it was archived, processed and used. Rather than presenting a final complex methodology, the article presents the first steps made during its creation; it points out the difficulties of the project and reflects the future potential of the documentation.