Ladies and Gentleman, International Mime Art Theatre Workshops „Silence of the Body/Milczące Ciało” are focused on examining and mastering the art of the Actor of Silence. Its essence and main source is a Human himself. "Silence of the Body/Milczące Ciało" is a unique, artistic endeavor. It cannot be compared to any other in Poland or in the World. It is not a festival but a meeting between artists, public and participants of workshops. Mime acting should be the essence of the truth, i.e. an authentic, organic, internal experience of the actor. Far too often, in the mime theatre, we observe how the knowledge transmitted to us by the masters, is developing in the wrong direction. Young artists, often fascinated by the style or master's technique, tend to forget what is the most important in the mime acting today. The decision of choosing movement as expression beyond the words makes mime theatre artist an Actor of Silence-Actor Creator. It is unique and special. The essential part of the „Silence of the Body/Milczące Ciało” is always a premiere of a performance by The Mime Art Theatre. As I do each year, this time also I want to show the results of my work with the actors who are working with me systematically in my studio. It is a great challenge for mime actors in my company. They strive to create only that kind of movements which will reflect their thoughts and emotional experiences, but only those thoughts and those experiences discovered through a long process of trials and research. The result of their hard, artistic work is a presentation of a pure essence of everything important, but also of internal transformations. In order to do this, mime actor in my theatre goes through or experiences during the performance a very difficult process. This is precisely what makes mime artist the Actor-Creator during the performance. All of the artists which I invited, transmit secrets of their artistic work to the public and workshop participants. They also share with them knowledge they achieved through the years of their artistic work. Presentations as demonstration of the creative work and short lectures are extremely valuable. It gives us an opportunity to get a closer look at the artist himself and his way of creating in the mime or movement theatre. Participants of workshops get knowledge about the ways and skills needed to picture all of the complicated states of silence. Invited artists show how to work, and how to be able to know the own body to such extend, that one is capable of showing deep, human experience through a movement, but also by holding still or by a simple gesture. This original and one-in a kind undertaking, in my opinion, is needed not only for participants, but also for artists themselves. Public is being an observer of the processes of a creative work, which could not exist in any other circumstances but during the International Mime Art Theatre Workshops „Silence of the Body/Milczące Ciało”. This endeavor is a result of my long, artistic work. I focused my whole attention on the artist, who using only himself as a tool, becomes the subject, the idea and the creator of his work. I am very grateful to all, who support this endeavor. I believe that it is crucial for the right development of this beautiful but hard mime art theatre acting. Stefan Niedziałkowski
