This May Day, organised under the aegis of the Pécs2010 - European Cultural Capital programme year, was a performance realised with the participation of several hundred locals from Pécs. It was staged from April 30th to May 2nd, 2010, on the grounds of the former Count István Széchenyi Mine and the nearby Pécsbányatelep community centre. The aim of the project was to exhibit, through a performance event created by Pécs’s citizens, the creative energies latent within them; and also to offer external, uninitiated spectators the opportunity for experiential involvement.

Our three-day event was titled The Forgotten Tale of Utopia College, for which the award-winning application by Márton Szuhay and Bálint Fazekas supplied the idea. The now-disused Széchenyi mine was at the centre of the narrative we dreamed up. In our story the mine originally concealed a so-called transhuman machine, with whose help students of Utopia College immortalised the contemporary age’s spiritual energies for the future’s benefit. In the Second World War, however, most of the college students were interned, and the coal mine shut down. Left by itself the machine awoke to a life of its own and turned against the city of Pécs. Descendants of the college students decided to recruit a new school cohort and fix it.

We treated the group game, opened to Pécs’s high school students interested in volunteering for Utopia College’s newest cohort, as the project’s most important element. Students from each of Pécs’s secondary-level educational institutions received invitations; by the end of the two month-long game 35 individuals from among the volunteers had proven duly persevering and determined – they formed the new class.

CAST

Árpád Schilling, artistic director
Máté Gáspár, managing director
Péter Vámosi, financial director
András Éltető, technical director
Péter Fancsikai, artistic collaborator
Lilla Sárosdi, artistic collaborator
Daniella Huszár, project assistant (Városi túra, PQ symopsium)
Bálint Fazekas, project assistant (Akna performance)
Ferenc Tarr, project assistant (Csapatjáték)
Marcell Dargay, artistic collaborator (musical director for Akna performance)
Máté Tóth Ridovics, artistic collaborator (photography)
Bálint Juhász, project assistant (creative art camp)
Marci Gulyás, project manager

FIRST DAY
On the first day of the event, April 30th, volunteers wandered with GPS devices in Pécs city centre listening to stories of the “college’s former members” - actual, dramatised interviews with surviving miners – and later met some of them personally. 

Participants: András Kukái, Mátyás Halász, Gábor Pusztafalvi
Music: István Gyurkó and the 'Fekete Gyémánt' Brass Band
Volunteers: Kitti Baracsi, Gáspár Papp, Ildikó Varga, Krisztina Balassa
Sound post production: Szilvia Papp, Rita Balogh, Péter Lukács

PTE · Department of Communication and Media Studies:
Zsolt Szíjártó, research manager • researchers: Krisztina Balassa, Anna Kiss, Ildikó Varga, Katalin Dezső, Bernadett Fehérváry, Zoárd Halmos, Ildikó Kovács, Nóra Maráczi, Kata Polczer, Mónika Szabadfi

INTERVIEWEES:
Women's Department of Pákolitz István Community House • Mrs. Sándorné Baumgartner, Women's Club, Vasas • Lajos Farsang, József Hideg, Géza Elekes, Ferenc Bánvölgyi, János Berg, András Csethe, Attila Hetesi, Ferenc Traj, Károly Nagy, Lajosné Bencze, Ervin Wodinák, Ferenc Pető, József Szabó, János Bánó, Gyula Petries, Mrs. Imréné Glock, Zoltán Pesti, Sándor Székely, Mátyás Halász, Árpád Mátrai, Ferenc Molnár, Ferenc Ruzsicsics, Ferenc Kengyel, Eta Hámori, János Vokó

Walking utensils: PocketGuide Kft., Martin Rétai managing director

SECOND DAY
On May 1st the restored Utopia College opened its doors. More than 400 people took part in the “fixing of the machine”, which was a large-scale, choreographed oratorio directed by Árpád Schilling in collaboration with composer Marcell Dargay, high school and music student from Pécs, creative organisations and a local miner’s orchestra. Partners to highlight in particular include the Cultural Lab Social Co-operative and the Retextil Foundation, which undertook the show’s visual design.

THE ISTVÁN SZÉCHENYI MINE IS A PROPRIETY OF THE NEOLIT KFT.

Dr. Márk Czéh-Tóth, managing director • Pál Hefner, managing director, Kő-Szén Kft.

'CULTURAL LAB COOPERATIVE SOCIETY'
artistic conception: Márton Szuhay, Tamás Bérces • István Fejes, visualisation • installation: István Fejes, Tamás Sleiner, Melinda Horváth, Levente Wawra, Endre Nagy, Benjámin Csíkszentmihályi, Csaba Pápista, Péter Pál Flachner, Patrik Pálfi, Dorottya Szabó, Viktória Világ, Renáta Baranyai • Orsi Kovács, reart workshop leader • artistic collaborators: Angéla Thiesz, Péter Alasztics, Hajnal Szolga, Judit Vörös, Endre Nagy, Tamás Sleiner • János Stanek, transport • visual collaborators: Krisztián Pamuki, Róbert Nagy • Anta Romsits, financial director • Zsófia Arató, catering • István Sebe, elechtrochemist • documentation: Marci Rév, Máté Komjáthy, Miklós Kiss, Tamás Hámori, Csaba Bedő, Péter Lukács, Róbert Barcza, István Révász, Gábor Kővári, Krisztián Pamuki • volunteers: Bárt & Thomas from Belgium, Salvuwerwer from Malta, Péter Kovács • thanks to: Béla Alasztics, László Vén, Zsolt Szamosközi, Lajos Horváth, András Varga

CONSTRUCTION
Gábor Csikós managing director, Építésziparos Kft. • collaborators: Tamás Lengyel (Hobbo), Attila Boricza (Batya), Szabolcs Hirt (Szabcsi), Lajos Horvát (Lalci), András Varga (Pubi), Szabolcs Salamon (Szasza), Anna Hornok (Nusi)

UTOPIA COLLEGE STUDENTS
Eszter Böröcz, Gyula Frank, Nikolett Háhl, Annamária Makai, Eszter Péter, Balázs Budai, Dániel Misota, Timót Zakariás Peták, Petra Kosa, Donáta Bányavölgyi, Dóra Kecskés, Kinga Kocsis, Dorottya Kaufmann, Flóra Kovács, Vivien Tóth, Karola Barla Szabó, Dávid Szétesik, Magda Fekete, Dorottya Kardos, Lídia Kuti, Anna Kovács, Zsófi Rétfalvi, Ferenc Búzás, Fruzsi Pinke, Márk Török, Ádám Galambosi, Marcella Baumholczer, Veronika Baumholczer, Viktória Szabó, Viktória Vörös, Krisztián Császár

RETEXTIL WORKSHOP
Angéla Thiesz art director • collaborators: Csaba Mata, Stephanie Gundelach, Erika Pataki, Krisztina Balogh, Csaba Pápista, Tamás Sleiner

BRASS BAND OF THE ART SCHOOL 'MŰVÉSZETI SZAKKÖZÉPISKOLA'
Lajos Szilágyi choir director • Viktória Huszár, flute • Bianka Somogyi, oboe • Bálint Gyimesi, clarinet • Alex Molnár, horn • Szabolcs Szőke, bassoon • trumpet: Dávid Bolvári, Gábor Veszelovszki • trombone: Millich Gilbert, Richárd Rituper • Attila Dani, tuba • percussions: Petra Elek, Attila Bagány

CHOIR OF THE MUSIC SCHOOL 'ETŰD'
Zsóka Incze, musical director • Laura Angyal, Zsóka Incze, Gina Kanizsa, Emese Karbuczky, Szilvi Keresztes, Kitti Kulcsár, Eszter Lukácsa, Ági Nagy, Zsuzsa Naszódi, Brigitta Pálinkás, Zsuzsi Pintér, Katinka Placskó, Judit Sárközi, Ági Túri, Dóri Vattay, Márton Almássy, Ádám Darázs, Márton Dániel, Gábor Kabók, Mihály Kovács, Zoltán Páldi, Balázs Szász, Richárd Tóth

BRASS BAND 'FEKETE GYÉMÁNT'
István Gyurkó choir director • flute: Mrs. Kiss née Virág Tihanyi, Annamária Kreutz, Ninetta Erős, Hedvig Specht, Zoltán Lakat • Ildikó Tóth oboe, • clarinet: Elenóra Kiss, Gergely Tari, József Zetz, Gyula Sáska, Levente Gáspár, Tünde Kovács, István Ónodi, Máté Bodó, Gabriella Kuch, Renáta Papp, Sára Luca Kolodics, Róbert Apper • flugelhorn: Mrs. Jónás née Valéria Rulek, Krisztián Dávor, Tibor Végh, Mónika Leffler, Ágnes Kövesligeti • saxophone: Gábor Kriszt, Lajos Papragi, György Kriszt, Réka Ripszám • tenor saxophone: Ildikó Hamerli, József Tari, Attila Juranits • trumpet: György Orsós, Péter Tóth, Róbert Herke, Gergő Batiz, Benedek Bodó, Éva Papp • trombone: Balázs Mohácsi, Ákos Tóth-Pajor • tuba: Norbert Péter Nagy, Dávid Heinrich, Sándor Alvári • perciussions: Réka Gyurkó, Andrea Balázs, László Dávor, Mátyás Jillek, Péter Jónás

ELECTROACOUSTIC DESIGN: Péter Takács

UTOPIA COLLEGE RADIO
Orsi Kovács, Balázs Kovács • collaborators: 'Szabad Rádiók Magyarországi Szervezete' and its partner radios (Radio Periszkóp Pécs, Radio Remete Pécs, Radio Fúzió Budapest, Első Pesti Egyetemi Rádió Budapest, Rádió Ml Szeged, Pöpp FM Budapest, Tűzraktér)

PTE INSTITUTE OF VISUAL ARTS
Katalin Rezsonya course supervisor • students: Nóra Bozsó, Dorottya Kiss, Olívia Kovács, László Ormay, Ferenc Szakács, Bernadett Szitás, Filoména Thorday, Aliz Vértesi, Diána Zékány, Béla Schneider. Using pictures by Dr. János Szász.

THIRD DAY
On May 2nd we held a staged May Day in the backyard of a community house in the mine’s catchment area. At the day’s culmination we handed over the large mural produced by youths from Pécsbánya to the community; which we hope will promulgate the results of our work there for a long time yet. The mural commends the work of Kriszta Katona and her team, the Murál Morál Mező (‘Mural Moral Meadow’), who did the technical preparations and conducted the work with the youths. Also part of the event was a photography exhibition presenting pictures taken during the workshops led by our coworker Máté Tóth Ridovics. In the several week-long work Roma youths from Pécs’s outskirts examined their neighbourhood and its inhabitants from their unique perspectives.

GROUP 'MURÁL MORÁL MEZŐ'
Krisztina Katona, artistic director • trainers: Viktória Takács, Diána Sátori, Zsófia Pajor, Orsolya Kovács, Anna Sahra Lay • creators: Evelin Arató, Péter Timándi, Patrik Prózsa, Bertalan Takács, Balázs Pécsi, Edina Pécsi, Viktória Kiss, Ivett Hell, Richárd Ramos, László Papp, Roland Meitert, Zsolt Meitert, Dominik Tóth, Ferenc Márton, Ádám Szabó, Kálmán Horváth

PHOTO EXHIBITION
Flóra Bernáth, assistant • creators: Klaudia Kovács, Cintia Pamela Kovács, Dzsenifer Kovács, Mónika Napsugár Kovács, Olívia Katrin Búzás, Eszter Orsós, Roland Nyári, Tamás Kalányos, Zsüliett Nyári, Fanni Szilágyi, Balázs Csapiár, Imre Orsós

JÁNOS FÁBIÁN AND THE VASAS WOMEN'S CHOIR

NURSERY SCHOOL 'BÁTASZÉKI'
Mrs. István Lászlóné Kiss manager • preschoolers: Ákos Bozsolik, Bálint Dobai, Bettina Göbl, Balázs Grácsik, Olivér Héhn, Tibor Hermész, Dóra Horváth, Hanna Kisműdi, Levente Kiss, Szilárd Kosa, Evelin Müller, Letícia Puskás, Amanda Rabár, Barbara Sánta, Krisztofer Sárközi, Evelin Simon, Márk Stercz, Bence Szabó, Dalma Szabó, Noémi Szabó, Zoltán Takács, Kristóf Vas • nursery school teachers: Mrs. Lászlóné Bencze, Krisztina Deixler, Katalin Herbszt, Mrs. Nándorné Németh, Éva Mária Szabó, Mrs. Szentes née Mária Hofmann, Zsuzsanna Tóth, Mrs. Lászlóné Apáti and the preschoolers from the nursery school of Óvoda street

Mrs. Deli née Ágnes Székely and the Children's Coir of the nursery school 'Keleti Városrészi'

Catering: Erika Lakatos 

Sponsors:
POLGÁR KRISZTINA EMLEKALAP, BIOMARK 2000 Kft., INTER-METAL CÉGCSOPORT, GLÓBUS BAU Kft., INTER TECHNIKA Kft. LENAU HÁZ, PÉCSI VOLÁN Zrt„ PÉCS-BÁNYATELEPI RÉSZÖNKORMÁNYZAT (president János Kővári)

Thanks for their collaboration to:
VÁROSMEGÚJÍTÓ MUNKACSOPORT (Péter Peták, Béla Pörös, László Tistyán), PÉCS-BÁNYATELEPI KÖZÖSSÉGI HÁZ (Ibolya Wágner), PÉCS 2010 MENEDZSMENTKÖZPONT (József Kardos, Gábor Kozma, Lúcia Pavlovics), NAP HOSTEL (Tamás Szép), KÖZÉRT EGYESÜLET (Zsolt Máthé), NÁDOR GALÉRIA (Péter Pörczi), Pál Hefner, Gyula Wirth

Photo: Máté Tóth Ridovics

PRESS

• Levente Polyák: Városterápiák. Disputa, September 2010. page 43-47.
  “Utopia College’s May Day staged in the Széchenyi Mines, that is its elaboration in promenades resonant with memories of the mining community, effectively contribute to the occasional reassignment of the emphases of the city ecosystem, that is to the expansion of the city’s mental map. It’s no accident that Krétakör’s production is the most distinctive production of Pécs’s European Cultural Capital season. No kind of therapy is conceivable without devotion and commitment; the first signs of success in therapy only appear after the arousal of the local community’s desire for experimentation.”
   
• Kiaknázott installáció Pécsett. Fidelio, 07. 05. 2010. 
  “Krétakör’s city-therapy operation at the Pécs May Day is occupied not so much with dismantling the brick-and-mortar tradition – but rather, as the theoretical backdrop promises, with examining the interoperability of art and science. This May Day, emerging from the mining past, celebrates the renewing power of machines, which the destruction and creation of the ‘here and now’ makes into performance-type installations."
   
• Lina: Ami maradt. szinhaz.hu, 03. 05. 2010.
   
• Anikó Oroszlán: Gép vagy. Szelíd, szánalmas szörnyeteg. Revizor online, 11. 05. 2010.
   
• László Valuska: Gép pusztítja a danbrownizált Pécset. index.hu, 03. 05. 2010.

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