The Węgajty Theatre: From Collectivity to Participation

Abstract This article charts the evolution of one of the most significant Polish non-institutional theatres, the W#ęgajty Theatre. We focus not only on the artists’ interests, forms, and methods of work on performances, but also on the organizational structure of the theatre and its ensemble. This analysis of the team ethic underpinning W#ęgajty’s working practices and its evolution reveals how some of its transformations are specifically connected to social changes in Poland during the reconstruction of the political system in recent decades, as well as broader global contexts. The document analyzes two main aspects of the W#ęgajty Theatre: its tity as a constellation of creators and collaborators and the evolution, over more than twenty years, of the group’s working process in realizing theatre performances.