It ... relates to me!

In early October, the campaign #ARTforHealth, organized by the theatre, the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation and the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) office in Belarus, was launched in the Belarusian capital. This noble mission will also end at the Bolshoi: on 1December  (World AIDS Day) the audience will see a choreographic parable about love – Orr and Ora. People and Birds on the stage of the theatre.

The Belarusian Bolshoi, as always, keeps pace with the times and again confirms that we are an advanced theatre that does not turn from really significant social projects. It would seem that the days when AIDS was called “the plague of the twentieth century” are long gone. But even now, there are a lot of stereotypes over this disease, and people living with HIV must daily overcome the difficulties of misunderstanding or, most likely, unwillingness to understand and accept. But it is so important to know and speak. There is a cure! In the twentieth century, AIDS killed many talented people: dancer Nureyev, singer Mercury, actor Perkins. Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov contracted HIV in 1983 in a clinic-after surgery, he received blood transfusions. Now, knowing about the disease and applying effective therapy, you can live a long and fulfilling life. This highly active therapy is called-antiretroviral, abbreviated-ART. Therefore, the hashtag of the campaign #ARTforHealth can be read differently, but in any case – it is true.

The campaign will end on 1 December (World AIDS Day). At 17:00, the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation will present in the theater an exposition of unique photographs of the legendary dancer from the collection of the French Museum. And after the opening of the exhibition on 1December, at 18:00, the Belarusian artists will tell a parable about love in the language of dance: the ballet Orr and Ora. People and Birds staged by Alexandra Tikhomirova to the music of Mikhail Krylov will be performed on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre.

Anyone can participate in the campaign by purchasing a ticket for the performance at www.kvitki.by. Part of the funds will be transferred to the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Belarus for helping people living with HIV.