St.art

ST.ART Powerful images. Movement that tells a story. An emotional ride filled with euphoria, triumphs, but also frustration and pain. Sport as a gateway to themes that touch every one of us – whether we love it or despise it. The performance St.art – literally “saint art” – bridges the worlds of sport and art, while also evoking the divine origins of the ancient Olympians. At the same time, the title carries the word start – as a symbol of beginning, movement, and transformation, but above all as a direct reference to the world of sport. From the roots of ancient Athens, Cirk La Putyka embarks on a journey that mirrors the lives of today’s professional athletes and connects them with the reality of artists. Two worlds that may seem distant at first glance, but in truth are closer than they appear. This is underscored by the collaboration with top Czech athletes, who took part in the creation of the performance as expert consultants. In conversations with them, the creators discovered just how much they have in common – from daily grind and the necessity of precise preparation, to the mastery of both body and mind. Whether artist or athlete, both stand in front of an audience, both push themselves to the limits – and in both realms, emotions, discipline, and the desire to surpass oneself play a crucial role. What does the path to a dream look like? What goes through an athlete’s mind a second before the start? How does it feel to return to training after an injury? What does an athlete experience when nothing works, when everything hurts, when failure sets in? When do they crave solitude – and when do they feel abandoned instead?

Unless you’re a sports fan, you might not fully appreciate the impact of seeing the actual jerseys and kit of winning athletes appear on stage; instead, it’s the acrobatic performances that stick in your mind. Take, for example, Helena Nováčková’s piece featuring suspended rings of various sizes, which, in her own words, was influenced by her experience of freediving. Or the breathtaking jumps of Matyáš Novák, seven-time Czech trampoline champion and the director’s son, who symbolically leaps up into the clouds created by fog machines and lighting. His monologue about his dream of making it to the Olympics through javelin training, which he is currently pursuing, is boyishly clear and sincere. And perhaps it will give everyone in the audience pause for thought as to whether their own goals are perhaps a little too down-to-earth, or whether they have any at all.
HANA STREJČKOVÁ, Divadelní noviny

The spectators are in for an intense spectacle right from the very start. Audiences at Cirk La Putyka performances are used to seeing top-class acrobatics, but this time they are seamlessly integrated into the plot – in the production ST.ART, sport and art merge into one, and what the performers showcase on stage can undoubtedly be regarded as world-class performances.
JANA BOHUTÍNSKÁ, Reflex

ROSTISLAV NOVÁK Jr. (1979) is an actor, director, performer, puppeteer and artistic director of the Cirk La Putyka theatre company and the Jatka78 venue. In 2021, he was awarded the title of “Personality of the Year” by a leading Czech theatre magazine. He is known for his creative leadership during the COVID­‑19 pandemic, when he kept audiences connected to the performing arts through bold new formats. As a director, he has created a number of notable productions, including St.art (2025), Rest In Euphoria (2023), Runners (2021/22), Memories of Fools (2019), ADHD (2018), Roots (2016) and the original La Putyka (2009). He continues to be one of the key creative forces behind the company’s major projects.

CIRK LA PUTYKA is a leading Czech theatre company specialising in new circus. Since its foundation in 2009, it has established a strong position both domestically and internationally. It comprises a large team of actors, musicians, acrobats, dancers and athletes from all over the world, led by the artistic director and principal, Rostislav Novák Jr., who founded CLP together with his brother Vítek. Cirk La Putyka regularly collaborates with international troupes and artists to broaden its creative horizons and push the boundaries of contemporary circus art.