31.07.2023
Identity constructions are based on and strengthened by stories and experiences. Stories tell who we are and who we strive to become, they question and challenge the way we see ourselves and the others. We, 6 performing art organizations based in Europe ( Maison de la Culture de Seine-Saint-Denis MC93, Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles, Alkantara, Culturgest, africologneFESTIVA, Riksteatern in association with TR Warszawa), believe that a diversity of stories and a multiplicity of perspectives will allow for a more accurate and fair understanding of the political, cultural and social challenges we have to face in order to create common grounds in European societies in transformation.
Learn more about the project from the freshly launched website.
An important part of the Commons Project is CommonLAB – an itinerant laboratory, the CommonLAB proposes each year (and over 3 years) to 8 emerging theatre directors, playwrights, choreographers and performance makers to experiment with collective and individual devices for knowledge sharing, and the development of artistic research, broadening European narratives.
Over 8 weeks in 4 different countries, CommonLAB will provide opportunities for selected artists to:
- Exchange, share and learn, through a programme of activities that includes lectures and talks by guest speakers, workshops and masterclasses in relation to a specific context or to the work of the selected artists, practical sessions on author status and professional environment.
- Encounters, city visits and meetings – with the teams of the host organisation; with guest artistic mentors; with local communities; with different working contexts…
- Research their own projects, through individual and collective working sessions with guest mentors.
- Pitch their projects on November 19th as part of the Alkantara Festival in Lisbon.
Following the first project call released in March 2023, we are happy to share the list of the 8 selected artists among more than 250 applications. Selected artists are living and working in Europe and are addressing the dynamic notions of identity and diversity in a changing European society, both at a professional and personal levels.
Saphir Belkheir (France / Algeria)
Carys Coburn (Ireland)
Stephanie Kayal (Belgium / Lebanon)
Hang Hang (France / Vietnam)
Nancy Ofori (Sweden / Ghana)
Anna Ten (France / Ukraine)
Billie Willett (Sweden)
Maíra Zenun (Portugal / Brasil)
THE CONTEXT
Common LAB 2023 is part of Common stories, a project that brings together performing arts organisations, artists and audiences to address the dynamic notions of identity and diversity in a changing European society.
Identity constructions are based on and strengthened by stories and experiences. Stories tell who we are and who we strive to become, they question and challenge the way we see ourselves and the others. We believe that a diversity of stories and a multiplicity of perspectives will allow for a more accurate and fair understanding of the political, cultural and social challenges we have to face in order to create common grounds in European societies, characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, but at the same time struggling for social justice.
European societies are historically built upon inequalities that, we believe, need to be addressed. Cultural sectors, both concretely and symbolically, are riddled with colonial and patriarchal tensions and rationales. In the performing arts sector, power, resources, decision-making and programming positions are still mostly in the hands of a white male middle-and-upper-classes majority, while artists and art professionals from different cultural, social, gender and ability backgrounds are largely underrepresented on and off stage, especially in decision-making and leadership positions.
In Common stories, through different actions, we will promote new artistic practices and contents, while contributing to develop a wider framework to welcome and listen to multiple voices and perspectives.
Common stories is developed by Maison de la Culture de Seine-Saint-Denis, MC93, Bobigny (FR), Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles, Brussels (BEL), Alkantara, Culturgest, Lisbon (PT), africologneFESTIVAL, Cologne (GER), Riksteatern, Stockholm (SWE), in association with TR Warszawa, Warsaw (PL), Orient Productions – DCAF Festival, Cairo (EG), CulturArte, Maputo (MOZ), Les Récréâtrales, Ouagadougou (BF), cofunded by the Creative Europe Programme.
