margo@zalite.net

I am a stage director and theatre curator, specializing in multidisciplinary, often unconventional and ambitious approaches. I am a creator of plotless, dreamlike works, which I call “moving pain paintings”.

I am passionate about architecture, anthropology, biology and expanding space-time with the help of music theatre. Rolling through countless mentalities and world-views is my answer to the dismayed Western Europe.

Festival FAVORITEN is the festival where Margo Zālīte is artistic director. FAVORITEN is the theater, dance and performance festival of the independent scene in North Rhine-Westphalia – has been held every two years in Dortmund since 1985. It is one of the oldest festivals of the independent performing arts in Germany and is aimed equally at the people of the city and region as well as at a nationwide and international (professional) audience. For the 2022 and 2024 editions of the festival, Anne Mahlow, Margo Zālīte and Sina-Marie Schneller will be the artistic directors of FAVORITEN for the first time.

INFO: https://favoriten-festival.de/en/the-festival/

EDUCATION
2010-2012 OPERA DIRECTING MASTER PROGRAM AT THE Hans Eisler Academy of Music, BERLIN
2010 VISUAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Free University of Berlin
2006 UNIVERSITY OF GREENLAND, Inuitology
2005 BACHELOR OF ARTS, RIGA, LATVIA
2003 UNIVERSITY OF COPANHAGEN, Inuitology
2000 ACADEMY OF CULTURE, bachelor in culture management, Riga

SCHOLARSHIPS and PRICES

2017 two nominations for best event of the year, Latvian Event Prize

2016 Nomination: Event of the Year, Poland Music Award for Orphee

2011-2013 Deutsche Bank Stiftung / Akademie Musiktheater heute 2012 radikalJung festival for young directors
2012, 2014, 2017 Nomination Best stage director, Latvian Classical Music Award

2010 OpenOp Festival for new music theatre, Berlin 2000-2009 different Latvian State grants
2007 Cite des Arts, Paris Artist residence
2003, 2006 CIRIUS Danish State scholarship

2008, 2009 DAAD German State scholarship
2006, 2008 CULTURE PRISE OF LATVIA, nomination „The best culture management of the year“.

WORKEXPERIENCEwith Meredith Monk (body and vocals) / stage directors Calixto Bieito, Sebastian Baumgarten, Jürgen Flimm / Gidon Kremer / Marina Abramovich

ORGANIZATIONAL: dealing with large-scale formats involving people from different media and with differing perspectives. Assistant to the Festival Ruhrtriennale artistic director Stefanie Carp (2018-2020).

WRITINGS: the peak-point: from the age of 23 to26 I was the official speech writer for the Latvian minister of culture Helena Demakova. Long practice of creative writing on people in music, theatre and streets in Greenland, Faroe Islands, Siberia, Berlin. Acclaimed interviews with e.g.,. composers Michael Nyman, Meredith Monk, conductor Kent Nagano, stage directors Achim Fryer, Ariana Mnouchkine. At the beginning of my career, I also translated three difficult theoretical books on culture.

TEACHING: Since the age of 14 I directed choirs at various summer schools. For several years, I also held singing, performing, and acting workshops.

LECTURES

2016-2018 RISEBA “Multimedia Performance and Dramaturgu”

2015 Berlin Music Academy “Performativity and Music”

2014 Latvian Music Academy “Chamber operas”
2013 Warsaw Music Academy “Chamber operas”

2012Helsinki Art Academy “Sculptural opera”.