Theatrical Company of the Blind
and Visually Impaired
NEW LIFE (NOVI ZIVOT)

Hrvatska - Zagreb - Croatia

All translations from Croatian into English by prof. Anadea Cupic

• Theatrical troupe of a happy disposition
• Chronology of the plays
• 1st International Blind and Visually Impaired Theatre Festival, Zagreb, 7 to 10 October 1999

Address: Dramski studio slijepih i slabovidnih "NOVI ZIVOT",
10000 Zagreb, Senoina 32, Croatia
tel.: ++ 385 1 48 12 502, +385 1 48 12 066
fax.: ++ 3851 1 48 40 091
e-mail: teatar-slijepih@zg.htnet.hr

www.novizivot.hr

THEATRICAL COMPANY OF THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED NEW LIFE

The theatrical company of the blind and visually impaired New life performed its first theatricals precisely on 21 March 1948. Since the audience of the town of Zagreb, truly amused, showed great enthusiasm for the acting of the blind performers, such reaction stimulated the Group to continue its activity, thus becoming the first blind theatrical company in Europe. New Life staged the plays by most famous national and foreign playwrights. In the last five years, the Group has focused on the Theatre of the Absurd and surrealism. By giving about 60 performances a year, plus one or two opening nights, New Life was placed on top of the Croatian amateurism. However, rather a long time ago, New Life's quality of presenting spectacle indicated beforehand that another professional Zagreb theatrical company was forthcoming. Touring all over Europe became a habit of the Group; for quite a long time, the invitations to come and visit the United States of America and Australia have been an option for the future which New Life is seriously taking into consideration.

The library of the New Life has the Bible printed in the Braille alphabet and in Croatian language, consisting of 39 volumes (150 pp each). Of course, the library has also audio recordings of the Bible in Croatian.

The company has contacts with:

• National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, The Library of Congress,
  Frank Kurt Cylke (Director), 1291 Taylor Street NW, Washington, DC 20542, USA
• Deutsche Blindenstdienanstalt e.v. - Bidungs - und Hilfsmittelzentrum für Elektronik und Hilfsmittel nbH der Deutschen Blindenstudienanstalt, Arbeitsgemenischaft der Blindenhörb;ücherein e V.
  Jürgen Hertlein (Direktor), Am Schalg 8, D-3550 Marburg

Related web sites:

• Croatian Association of the Blind
• Udruga slijepih zupanije Istarske
• Udruga slijepih (Association of the blind people), Sisak
• Udruga slijepih Zagreb
• CARITAS
• Hrvatska udruga paraplegicara i tetraplegicara (HUPT)
• Croatian Association of the Depah and Hard of Hearing
• Studentski projekt za gluhonijeme, Filozofski fakultet Druzbe Isusove, Zagreb (a student project for deaf-mute persons, Faculty of Philosophy of the Society of Jesus, Zagreb)
• Children's village, Croatia
• The Lipik Orphanage and Colonel Mark Cook

• Theatre Companies with Performers with Disabilities, National Arts and Disability Center, UCLA, USA
• MACULA LUTEA, Harry's visible links, Sweden
• MACULA LUTEA, INTERNATIONAL LINKS IN COUNTRY ORDER, by Harry Svenosson, Sweden

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