Prague Quadrennial Reports a Threefold Increase More than Attendance in 2011The Prague Quadrennial, the largest international festival of theatre and performance design in the world, held every four years in the Czech capital, reported the total attendance of its main locations at 180,000 entries during its 11 days. The festival brought thousands of foreign guests to the city. Accredited professionals, who came from 90 countries and regions, numbered 6,000 alone. From June 18 - 28, Prague thus stood at the center of world theatre and performance design, as visitors could take in the latest works by stage and costume designers, architects, and lighting and sound designers from 78 countries -- which means eight more countries than in 2011. "We are pleased at the interest that this year's Quadrennial aroused not only among the general public but also among theatre professionals. Foreign visitors came from all European countries as well as North and South America, Africa, and Asia. The number of visitors increased threefold compared to the last festival, when the figure was 50,000. Contributing factors certainly included the festival's location in the city center, its overall range of events, and its diverse program: 11 days filled with more than 600 live events and with the participation of 78 countries from around the world," says Daniela Parízková, the executive director of Prague Quadrennial 2015. The most visited part of PQ'15 was the Section of Countries and Regions -- 68 scenographic expositions at diverse locations as baroque palace, gothic church, or galleries and other spaces in the historical center of Prague. The international jury awarded the prestigious Golden Triga for the best exposition to Estonia's "Unified Estonia" project created by Theatre NO99 with the directors Ene-Liis Semper and Tiit Ojasoo and curator Eero Epner. The Gold Medal for Best Exhibition Design went to Belgium for the project MovingLab.be, the Netherlands were recognized for Best Curatorial Concept which was focused on the analysis of the theatricality Prague's public space, and Best Performance Design went to Gao Guang Jian from China. Besides the expositions, the diverse program also included art installations in the public space, performances, site-specific projects, lectures, workshops, discussions, film screenings, and a children's program. Especially popular were events in the public space such as Tribes, project where in total 83 groups of masked people walked through the Prague's center confronting thus the everyday life with scenography, the Music and Space installation by director Jirí Herman, and the Finnish sound container on the Ovocný trh square. There was immense interest in the public lectures as well, with many lectures having to turn people away for a full capacity. The 13th Prague Quadrennial was attended by theatre personalities such as Robert Lepage and Robert Wilson, whose influence over the past decades has changed the very look of theatre. At PQ'15, these two theatre directors inspired audiences during their packed lectures, and world-renowned director Julie Taymor presented the Czech premiere of her latest film, A Midsummer Night's Dream. But the Quadrennial brought many other artists and theatre professionals to exhibit, perform or take part in the discussions or leading the workshops to Prague as well, including Bianca Casady, Andris Freibergs, Sean Patten, Stefan Kaegi, Kirsten Dehlholm, Jerzy Gurawski, Wojtek Ziemilski, Phillipe Quesne, Aby Cohen, Simon Banham, Jim Clayburgh, John Jordan, and many more. "The Prague Quadrennial 2015 was a meeting place for artists and professionals from around the world -- people who represent the best of their countries' theatre and performance design, who work with space within modern and contemporary scenography. This was the first time in history that the PQ was held in important buildings and monuments in Prague's historic center. The 13th Quadrennial invited many people to view scenography as a discipline that, is increasingly departing from the stage to become a part of everyday life and urban public space and beyond, with new ideas and impulses," adds programming director Sodja Lotker. 
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