NXTSTP 2012-2017 / A European Network for Emerging Artists by Kunstenfestivaldesarts

2012 — 2017

A European Network for Emerging Artists

2012 — 2017

A European Network for Emerging Artists

39 S TEPS IN EUROPE

An introduction

RE TR ACING THE S TEPS

Partners’ perspectives on NXTSTP Artists’ perspectives on their next steps

11 17

ONE S TEP FUR THER

A conclusion

39 AR TIS TIC PROJEC T S

Presentation of the NXTSTP projects

8 PAR TNERS

Presentation of the NXTSTP partners

39 Steps in Europe A N IN T RODUC T ION

What is NXTSTP? NXTSTP is a network of European performing arts festivals that came into being in 2007 to intensify the co-production and circulation of the performing arts in Europe. More specifically, NXTSTP wants to: × stimulate the financial support and presentation of artistic work of a new generation of artists × promote international visibility and transnational circulation of the performing arts in Europe × encourage intercultural dialogue The second term of NXTSTP took place from 1 November 2012 to 31 October 2017. It was awarded a maximum grant of € 2,500,000 within the framework of the European Union’s Culture Programme.

Why this project? NXTSTP wishes to identify and accompany a new generation of artists who are at a crossroads in their career or want to initiate a project that represents a significant step forward for them. For the selected artists, national funding and support from local partners is often insufficient to realise their projects. In order to satisfy this need, they must find additional partners within the international circuit. The role of NXTSTP is to fill this gap.

Who are the NXTSTP members? Eight European festivals have joined forces to stimulate the co-production and transnational circulation of new works by the great European artists of tomorrow – and in so doing, to encourage the artistic renewal of the performing arts in Europe today. Partners

1. Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels, BE) – Project Leader 2. Alkantara (Lisbon, PT)  3. Baltoscandal (Rakvere, EE)  4. Dublin Theatre Festival (Dublin, IE) 5. Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival (Gothenburg, SE) 6. Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival (Groningen, NL) 7. steirischer herbst (Graz, AT)  8. Théâtre national de Bordeaux en Aquitaine (Bordeaux, FR)

NXTSTP supported

PROJECTS

ARTISTS / COMPANIES

44 %

of whom are

and

56 %

MEN

from

CITIES

and

COUNTRIES

WOMEN

becomes becomes Only inside the NXTSTP network becomes becomes

702 becomes

76 455

Based on 5 year average

becomes PERFORMANCES

TICKE TS

ARTISTIC RESIDENCIES

714

TR AIN TICKE TS

BOAT TRIPS

876

FLIGHTS

CAR RIDES

2 550

2 400

NIGHTS

BUS & SUBWAY RIDES

for

PER DIEM

ARTISTIC DIRECTORS & FESTIVAL MANAGERS plus

ASSOCIATED PARTNERS

MEE TINGS

in in

CITIES becomes

1 300

CULTUR AL WORKERS ON TOUR

DAYS

Beyond the NXTSTP network More than

2 000

PERFORMANCES

CITIES

113

from

ADDITIONAL COPRODUCERS

226

and

including

COUNTRIES

CITIES

COUNTRIES

IN THE EU

3. 5.

4. 1.

7. 8.

d. a.

Associated Partners

NXTSTP is associated with four partners from different cultural backgrounds and is active in strategic regions beyond its European borders. Opening up the network to extra-European exchanges means stimulating the reflection and the circulation of knowledge between festivals worldwide. a. Dense Bamako Danse (Bamako, ML)  b. On Marche festival (Marrakesh, MA)  c. Kyoto Experiment (Kyoto, JP)  d. Panorama Festival (Rio de Janeiro, BR)

How do the members operate? The artistic directors meet on a regular basis to discuss about emerging artists and new artistic developments. Since the partners geographically cover a major part of Europe and travel extensively to scout for new talent, the information they bring to the discussion is first-hand and substantial. The NXTSTP project forces them to think on a European level, selecting and defending artists without geographical boundaries and limitations. The purpose and function of the network is to identify and highlight individual, emerging voices in the throng whilst providing a platform where quality and diversity can flourish. Regular follow-up and an annual evaluation by the festival directors ensure there is critical reflection on the selected artists’ practices.

Which artists? The artists supported within the framework of this project have already created promising work, indicating that they are ready to advance along their chosen trajectory. The ‘next step’ can take a variety of forms. Some artists want to develop a new, daring project that surpasses standard production needs and possibilities by, for example, setting up larger-scale creations. Others need an extensive research period or seek to explore new artistic territories, formats, and content. This can also mean extending the artist’s visibility to new audiences across Europe. The international context provided by NXTSTP offers artists the opportunity to develop their work in the best possible conditions and to go further in the specific direction of their work.

How is this support provided? The co-organisers commit themselves to the selected projects in various ways: co-production, presentation, residencies, and production assistance. In order for a project to become a NXTSTP project, at least three partners need to pledge their support. This support guarantees optimal presentation conditions, promotion and communication, and professional technical support. NXTSTP backing can help artists convince other funding bodies to step in (such as local authorities or co-producers that would otherwise be hesitant to take the risk). In the long run, this enables the artists to become more integrated in a diversified financial structure that fuels the continuation of their artistic careers. The sustained commitment of the festival providing follow-up for the project on behalf of the network (usually the partner that first introduced the project) can also translate into wider artistic and practical support. Depending on the specific needs of the artist, this support can take different forms: dramaturgical advice, administrative aid, assistance in finding additional funding partners outside the network, organisation of debates and workshops, etc.

What are the results? Over a period of five years, from 01 November 2012 to 31 October 2017, NXTSTP has supported 39 projects by 33 companies or individual artists from 16 European countries. It has generated a total of 1931 performances in 226 cities in 29 European countries and 11 other countries. Many of these projects will still be touring after 31 October 2017.

Budget: expenses

4 %

91 %

Artistic projects

Administration

3 %

Meeting costs

2 %

Communication

Budget: incomes

41 %

Self-financing by the festivals

50 % EU grant

9 %

Ticket sales

Top 5 most performed NXTSTP projects 1. Halor y Goerger & Antoine Defoor t Germinal

232 performances

2. Lundahl & Seitl An elegy to the Medium of Film

175 performances

3. Berlin Perhaps all the dragons

170 performances

4. Benjamin Verdonck NOTALLWHOWANDERARELOST

107 performances

5. Berlin Zvizdal

101 performances

Retracing the Steps PA R T NE RS’ PE RSPEC T I V E S ON N X T S T P A R T IS T S’ PE RSPEC T I V E S ON T HE IR NE X T S T E P S

Miet Warlop / Joris Lacoste / Gunilla Heilborn / Iggy Lond Malmborg & Maike Lond Malmborg / Richard Gregory / Taoufiq Izeddiou

Retracing the steps

PA R T NE RS’ P E RSP EC T I V E S ON N X T S T P

The facts & figures defining the outcome of the NXTSTP project demonstrate how it progressively made its mark on the European artistic landscape. When NXTSTP began in 2007, its mission was clear: to support emerging European artists through co-production and presentation within a network of international performing arts festivals in the EU. Over two consecutive periods of five years, it has co-produced a total of 74 projects (36 in 2007–2012 / 39 in 2012–2017) and has supported 66 artists or companies (33 / 33). In its second term, the network expanded from six to eight European members and was joined by four non-European associated partners (Dense Bamako Danse in Bamako, Festival On Marche in Marrakesh, Kyoto Experiment in Kyoto, and Panorama Festival in Rio de Janeiro), thereby broadening and deepening its collaborations with those international festivals. It has thereby become one of the most influential and substantial networks of its kind, generating or solidifying exchange between an entire generation of artists, European festivals, and audiences. Another way to gauge the project’s achievements is by taking into account the evaluation of these ‘NXTSTP years’ by the partners themselves. The eight festival directors have looked back on an intense, collaborative experience and on what they describe as a unique tool, not only for supporting emerging artists but also for reflecting and collectively challenging the vision and revealing the role festivals can play in European performing arts field.

The state of play First and foremost, NXTSTP’s success derives from its rationale. Far from starting from scratch, the network was designed in accordance with the concrete, structural needs its members identified within their own artistic environments. On a broad level, despite the impressive multiplication of live art festivals and the internationalisation of the artistic field as a whole, the European political and economic context has made real artistic risk-taking difficult. Cultural protectionism, insufficient funding, and the growing standardisation of the cultural market have often resulted in the isolation – worldwide – of festivals that are willing to support new, daring creations. This called for a network that proposed a reliable, responsible association and made it possible to

support, in a sustainable way, promising European artists who would go on to become tomorrow’s important artistic voices. On a more detailed level, the NXTSTP partners had observed that artists who were neither established nor in the initial phase of their career were lacking consistent support systems, even when the quality of their work had already been recognised. The result is that the trajectories of mid-career artists – who often don’t benefit from sufficient financial or material conditions that would allow their work to develop – slow down or stagnate. It is at this particularly crucial juncture that a stronger support system is required, enabling them to continue working as boldly as when they began. In addition, many artistic specificities or local differences intervene when it comes to identifying an artist as ‘emerging’. NXTSTP’s strength has been to provide support built on a true understanding of the artist’s work and career situation. This can mean co-production, administrative or audience development support, dramaturgical advice, residencies, access to specific resources or working conditions, or simply a continuation of the artistic dialogue in-between projects. NXTSTP provides each artist with stability and brings or increases – sometimes in spectacular ways – the visibility of their work. The circulation between European NXTSTP festivals provides access to a dense international network of programmers and potential co-producers. The network has helped artists consolidate pre-existing relationships with co-producers or presenters and/or find new platforms to support their work. This autonomy is one of the final objectives and greatest achievements of NXTSTP: as the partners help artists make a ‘next step’ in their artistic trajectories, they also place them in a growing network and diversify their support system. New projects by NXTSTP artists have continued to be presented or co-produced by the partner organisations, thus extending the artistic dialogue well beyond the NXTSTP years. NXTSTP has become a recognised label of quality, underlining the importance of specific productions. On a European level, it has also identified a community that can be considered highly relevant in the performing arts today. For instance, works by Philippe Quesne, Marlene Monteiro Freitas, Marcelo Evelin, and many others, have already imposed their signature on today’s artistic landscape and will most certainly have an important impact on the next generation of artists.

Finding common ground Looking back at the way NXTSTP has operated, the partners see a flexible, efficient and trustworthy system of collaboration. The different scales, contexts, and artistic identities of the festivals engender a broad spectrum of contemporary performance in Europe. When it comes to making the selection of the NXTSTP projects, orthodox methods or a general consensus have never been the rule. Three partners need to commit to a project in order for it to benefit from NXTSTP support. The varying types of support have permitted each partner to accompany the evolution of a specific project over the long term, providing feedback, evaluation, and updates. Considering the international dimension and magnitude of the NXTSTP network, the artistic directors are able to follow the works-in-progress closely, thus making a huge difference when it comes to providing the right conditions for the public reception of the final production. On top of the usual discussions that form part of any programmer’s routine within the hyper-social festival context, the formalised format of NXTSTP meetings has not only made possible a substantial increase in communication between partners, it has also offered a space where artistic discourse is deepened and time is reserved for reflecting on how to engage in the contemporary artistic field. This is an extensive critical discourse, removed from procedural or opportunistic logic. A main driving force of the 10-year collaborative endeavour is precisely to share experiences with festivals other than those with which it collaborates on a regular basis. NXTSTP has therefore become a precious tool for sharing know-how as well as for providing regular updates on local scenes and socio-political changes. From the different corners of the EU map and through specific points of view, the partners have initiated a truly European conversation, mirroring the main issues within the field of the performing arts.

Broadening & sharpening the international aspect Nowadays, many European countries see national protectionism rising and art funding imploding. In this context, bringing an artist to an international level often entails exporting their work abroad. For the partners, NXTSTP resisted to that general trend by instead favouring exchange, the circulation of ideas, artistic dialogue, new means for the reception of an artwork, and most importantly, an increase in the awareness of a ‘larger’ world. The specific time frame, space, and audience at a festival define an exceptional format, which in turn generates an international community, even in non-main cities (Graz, Groningen, Gothenburg, …), and lends the event itself an international space.

Additionally, NXTSTP has managed to avoid the pitfall of making the international into an absolute. With time, the network has become a qualitative platform where fundamental questions about the meaning and consequences of internationalisation can be discussed. Does everything need to be internationalised? How can a work remain relevant in a new context? How should an artist be accompanied in this process while restraining the aggressive marketing tactics that go along with international distribution at a distance? Rather than ending up with a common definition, the partners have mostly found the answer in the artists’ own ‘next steps’ or in the specificities of their festivals. For the French company l’Amicale de production, this has meant opening its network beyond national circuits and allowing international audiences and co-producers to encounter the work over time. Renowned Flemish theatre company tg STAN has rewritten a performance in English, opening up its work to new audiences. Swedish artist Gunilla Heilborn has seen real international development at a moment when the continuation of her trajectory in Sweden had become difficult. Others whose projects had been relevant only in their local context were offered the chance to present their work to international programmers. In short, NXTSTP has served as an introductory platform for artists who had so far remained outside of the international festival circuit, and has brought internationally renowned artists onto stages that are more geographically peripheral.

Changing viewpoints & new challenges In terms of co-production and international circulation, the partners are unanimous about the exceptional results of this network. What is perhaps most interesting here is its impact on the festivals themselves. Participation in the network has led the festivals to rethink and strengthen their own identities. Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival and Noorderzon, for example, went from presenting to co-producing festivals. Dublin Theatre Festival took on a new approach to collaborations in the European scene on the continent. Several partners established new residency programmes and began collaborating with local art organisations. All in all, NXTSTP support has meant an enlarged artistic palette. For an artistic director, initiating international programming can be a lonely business, especially at a time when the quality of an artist’s output has not yet been acknowledged by an audience or when a premiere still indicates a fragile end-result. As such, audiences have sometimes been challenged in radical ways, and the production, communication

or audience development strategies have been confronted with new international perspectives on their local context. This has also been the strength of working within a network where each stage of development, doubt, or sign of progress can be shared with others and can become a tool for reflecting on individual practices and ways of operating. With NXTSTPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second term coming to an end, two main challenges remain. The first of these is the need for the performing arts to re-engage with art criticism. NXTSTPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attempt to implement a programme for critics throughout the network never found a definitive form. Formulating a relevant critical language requires close attention to the global crisis in art criticism as affected by the profound changes in the publishing industry. And reflection on the nature and role of the media then raises a more general question: how to address people other than the already converted? Which brings us to the next challenge. While audience development was not originally at the heart of the project, it has become a completely necessary element. Along with many other festivals, the Kunstenfestivaldesarts has seen participative performances and site-specific projects gradually assuming a more dominant position in its artistic programme. Increasingly, artists are adopting practices that call for direct dialogue or interaction with society; developing their work for/with more diversified audiences or specific target groups. Festivals need to truly accommodate these complex processes: time, people, resources, and networks must be dedicated to audience development. This requires a crucial balance between aiming support at the projects themselves and at the various educational and mediation programmes surrounding them. Motivating international festivals to also join forces in this would be a major step forward. Not only would it enable the diversification of audiences and open up a new artistic spectrum, it would also serve as a reminder that the performing arts are created for the very purpose of sharing experience in space and time.

Retracing the steps

A R T IS T S’ P E RSP EC T I V E S ON T HE IR NE X T S T E P S

Miet Warlop Visual and performing artist MIET WARLOP (Belgium) received NXTSTP support for Mystery Magnet (2012) and Fruits of Labor (2016).

With Mystery Magnet and Fruits of Labor – two sizeable group performances created for the stage – I made a substantial ‘next step’ in my career. It started with the creation of Mystery Magnet, when I regularly opened my Berlin studio to present images that would later compose the performance. That was an occasion to experiment with the conditions of presentation considered self-evident, which I like to question in my work. The network supported me in this gradual, interdisciplinary research process, also helping me define my audience and develop steady work directions. Since then, the partners have provided sustainable support, following and presenting my other projects with a continuity that I believe to be special about this network. The partners know that as an emerging artist you are being ‘thrown to the lions’. They have handled my work with a degree of attention and care that allows me, as an artist, to build real trust around my work and maintain an ongoing artistic dialogue: first for myself, and then for the programmers or venues interested in presenting the piece. Financially, having a minimum of three co-producers within the network undoubtedly brings a level of stability and comfort that’s precious to the search for complementary sources of support. But it is artistically that I truly recognise the difference NXTSTP and, more specifically, the Kunstenfestivaldesarts, have made in the development of my career. In terms of international mobility, it’s always difficult to strictly isolate a network’s impact from that of any pre-existing connections, especially as my work crosses the visual and performing arts fields and had already been presented in several EU countries. But there is no doubt that the network has strengthened these links. Notwithstanding the fact that a festival does not have the same means as a permanent structure, the Kunstenfestivaldesarts has made it its mission to build bridges between artists and international venues and programmers who are in a better position to support one’s work in the long run. Even more than my touring all over Europe, it is also the circulation of international programmers at the various festivals and my entering in the

international bubble of the Kunstenfestivaldesarts in Brussels that have brought my career to this level. In 2014, I started my own production structure, Irene Wool, based in Ghent. I sincerely believe it is essential to start from a local base before attempting to add an international dimension. In practical as well as cultural terms, it enables you to implement your work where there are resources, support systems, optimal working conditions, and where you can share a common language and the same sense of humour with an audience! In that respect, mobility, for me, is quite dissociated from the artistic aspect. It is part of how we exist today. Touring influences the work by providing inspiration or challenging experiences, or by forcing you to clarify your position or opinions. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the returning that constitutes a key moment for my work â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that crucial time when you come back to your base and find an un-context for all the experiences you have gathered. And of course, with this comes the great responsibility of maintaining the same level of quality throughout all your projects and locations. My work is continuing to grow, and my dream for 2019 is to expand the duration of the pieces, the scenography, and the number of performers on stage. This also implies working in bigger venues and establishing longer lasting partnerships. The general tendency that associates the evolution of a career with the increasing size and scale of its projects is not necessarily applicable to every artist. But for me, this will become a decisive factor in the next steps I take in the coming years. A network like NXTSTP has an influence on permanent venues, encouraging them to work with commendable artists. Diminishing this support would have an impact on the whole chain, especially for emerging artists.

Miet Warlop Fruits of Labor – 2016

L’Encyclopédie de la parole Suite n°2 – 2016

Retracing the steps

A R T IS T S’ P E RSP EC T I V E S ON T HE IR NE X T S T E P S

Joris Lacoste / L’Encyclopédie de la parole L’ENCYCLOPÉDIE DE LA PAROLE (France) has received support from NXTSTP for Suite n°1 (2013), Suite n°2 (2015), and Suite n°3 (2017).

The Suites chorales correspond to the internationalisation of L’Encyclopédie de la parole [a collective project that seeks to transversally grasp the diversity of oral forms]. This four-piece cycle is based on the live reproduction of human speech recordings gathered throughout Europe and around the world. It states that the pieces include numerous languages, sometimes unsurtitled, and calls for a new form of logic regarding production and distribution. Entering the NXTSTP network was a way of matching this with the issues of the project itself. In very concrete terms, Suite n°1 – the first of the three pieces supported by NXTSTP – examines the idiosyncrasies of human speech through a score in unison with 10 different languages. It’s based on a choir of 22 people led by a conductor: at each presentation venue, 11 invited participants are added to the 11 permanent interpreters. So we needed a network of partners who were highly invested upstream, both in organising the tours and in preparing preliminary workshops with local participants. But with the Suites Chorales, it is mainly the issue of presenting the pieces abroad that has become central. Previously, our performances were all in French, and as a result our network was essentially French-speaking. Suite n°1 was an opening to the world. Most of the international programmers – both European and intercontinental – actually encountered and identified with the value of L’Encyclopédie de la parole at that time. The privileged relationships I’ve developed in recent years with some of the NXTSTP partners have been very important in this respect. For L’Encyclopédie de la parole, the entry into the network marks the transition to an international dimension beyond our expectations. It is also interesting to see how NXTSTP has influenced the choice of languages among the variety of documents that already made up our collection. It was fundamental to us that in the Suites Chorales there should be at least one document in the language of each

of the co-producers. It’s a form of politeness towards the audiences we meet, who can then appreciate all the subtleties of a language that is familiar to them. And the tours are a time for us to experience the way in which these documents, belonging to very varied cultural contexts, take on an importance or a different relevance according to the audience in the various countries. There are many examples, but I particularly like the speech by the Portuguese Finance Minister in Suite n°2. In Portugal, this lengthy speech, usually overshadowed by other parts of the score, became central for the audience because it referred directly to the impact of austerity plans on their daily realities. Suite n°3, created in collaboration with composer Pierre-Yves Macé, focuses on the languages of the European Union. It’s not that we want our work to be about the European Union, we don’t really think in terms of themes. But in the current context, it seemed interesting to listen to some of the speeches being made throughout Europe today. We utilise a device that refers to high European culture – the classical recital with grand piano – and we also went further in the collection of documents by confining ourselves to the 24 official languages of the EU. For this purpose, L’Encyclopédie de la parole has in recent years developed a network of correspondents who feed the sound collection by regularly sending us documents. This enormous preparation work connects us in the long run with all the countries of the EU. And even if we have not necessarily met one another, we form a sort of collective. At present, we need to develop the research dimension of L’Encyclopédie de la parole project, but with means that are not perforce linked to the budget or the temporality of a creation. It is necessary to extend the reflection on distribution to the particularities of the artistic approaches themselves. This requires financial as well as logistical support and the availability of network resources, on a long-term basis and well ahead of the production of a piece. That could include, for instance, organising workshops in collaboration with different partners, opening spaces and temporalities where research, transmission, and the preparation of a performance interconnect. But this is only possible if the partners’ involvement exceeds that of simply facilitating the reception and distribution, and proposes a more specific accompaniment. I think that within a European network such as NXTSTP, the place for research has yet to be identified. The network can be the area where these periods of work which are not directly linked to a production can be thought of in a more systematic and collective way.

Retracing the steps

A R T IS T S’ P E RSP EC T I V E S ON T HE IR NE X T S T E P S

Gunilla Heilborn Choreographer and filmmaker GUNILLA HEILBORN (Sweden) received NXTSTP support for This is not a love story (2011) and Gorkij Park 2 (2014).

For me, making a ‘next step’ meant the possibility of my work finding new contexts and reaching new audiences in Europe. In Sweden, things had been moving forward for quite a while, but I had little international circulation back then. My first connection with NXTSTP was in its initial cycle with the piece This is not a love story, which was entirely created through the residencies I did in various spaces in different Europeans cities. That way of constructing a network of relationships with programmers, festivals, and co-producers during the creation phase really gave me a new international base, making it much easier to tour the work to these places once it was ready. Then, being able to co-produce Gorkij Park 2 together with partners in the network was of course great, since we had already established a dialogue and an artistic relationship. Ten years ago, my international colleagues would often say, “How come we didn’t know your work until now?” Today I have a much wider European network, and NXTSTP has definitely had a significant impact on that development. Among the different aspects of NXTSTP support, the opportunity to tour was always the most important to me. Since I had a pretty stable funding base in Sweden, I managed quite well to create and produce work. To present it, meet audiences, and be able to elaborate and mature a piece by showing it many times, is a crucial dimension. Also, to encounter the reactions of audiences from other contexts, cultures, and languages is a wonderful experience. Looking back at the benefits and limits of NXTSTP, I cannot say that it has brought any specific limitations. I guess the notion of emerging is interesting to problematise with regard to this kind of network. How long does it take an artist to emerge? And what does that mean, anyway? I was 46 years old when we made This is not a love story. My work was well known to a Swedish dance audience but I was only emerging, from a European point-of-view. I feel that there’s a real need for network support for midcareer artists.

If at this stage I had to imagine a European Ministry of Culture, I would propose a shift of resources from the institutions to the independent arts, making room for more production centres, networks for production and co-production, and the circulation of independent companies. I would say this: trust the artists and makers by enabling long-term support.

Gunilla Heilborn Gorkij Park 2 – 2014 © Wolf Silveri

Lond Malmborg 99 Words for Void – 2015 © Tarvo Varres

Retracing the steps

A R T IS T S’ P E RSP EC T I V E S ON T HE IR NE X T S T E P S

Iggy Lond Malmborg & Maike Lond Malmborg Performing artists IGGY LOND MALMBORG & MAIKE LOND MALMBORG (Sweden / Estonia) received NXTSTP support for 99 Words for Void (2015).

What has NXTSTP meant for us? It’s a quality marker. Being part of the network is like having a certificate. We learned a lot about the structure of the network and about production circuits. Before this, we had been involved in several networks that were about artists travelling to meet each other. And we had been co-produced for several years by different venues in Germany and Scandinavia, but that kind of funding is geographically limited. What is radical about NXTSTP is the access it provides to other countries. It makes international co-production possible. For instance, NXTSTP brought us to southern Europe for the first time. It opened a door that enables us to tour. Another thing is the offer of greater financial support. Our ‘next step’ hasn’t involved going to grander venues or bigger festivals, but there has been much development regarding our ability to move from one venue to another. We are therefore not stuck in an aesthetic or discursive bubble, which can be very claustrophobic. In Sweden, venues do not issue invitations, so the idea of import-andexport is absent. Because of this, Swedish theatre is not affected by contemporary international discourse. Thus, it doesn’t have the same agenda and the funding is very connected to the country itself: people can try to experiment a bit, but it’s usually text based and premised on companies obtaining their own venue and producing a show that repeats 35 times in one place. So we had a lot of trouble getting funding in Sweden. Estonia is similarly stunted by a lack of funding. There are only four venues in Tallinn that invite artists, so the idea of mobility is appealing to us, which has made for a brilliant discourse with strong artists. But they only receive € 5000 or € 10 000 maximum for a performance, and you can’t get very far with that. NXTSTP is an antidote; it speaks to the importance of mobility. We think it’s of huge importance to have fluidity between the different scenes, as it engenders a spreading of aesthetics. Of course, there are many similarities in taste and aesthetics across Europe: when you step into the black box in Europe at the moment, there’s a similar drive, similar

terminology, and you can even look into the audience and see a similar style of clothing. Is this a good thing? It’s interesting. It’s something to work with. This is what 99 Words for Void tries to address: the notion of humanism in Europe and the platitudes connected to that. Whatever you say on stage is known by everyone – wherever we’ve toured, everyone knows the kind of speech we’re using. Nevertheless, the different countries react to the work differently. It is about maintaining a balance, a correspondence between nurturing the local scene and promoting international development. We think that the local context is relevant, and that it’s meaningful to have a venue with roots and to work with artists who have local roots. But this cannot be at the expense of international work. You need to take the logic of the independent international scene and put it into a theatre that has a very clear and important relevance, and a tradition of developing its own aesthetic. Combining the two means saying that we can still work with this repertoire but there must be more involvement with other artists. In terms of funding, I guess we are not the only ones in the international performing arts field who think that money from the network should go to artists who choose their venues and festivals, and not the other way round. That would open up the European curator hegemony that already exists. Artists could experiment and take more risks without the fear of being abandoned by the hegemony. It is a radical statement, but it makes sense to consider what it would be like if the money were given directly to the artists.

Retracing the steps

A R T IS T S’ P E RSP EC T I V E S ON T HE IR NE X T S T E P S

Richard Gregory / Quarantine QUARANTINE (United Kingdom) received NXTSTP support for The Dyas Sisters (2013) and Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring. (2016).

When Quarantine entered the NXTSTP network, we were looking to escape the sometimes parochial and constrictive environment of making theatre in the UK. We also wanted to develop our work by situating it in dialogue with contemporary theatre across Europe and deepen our relationship with festivals and venues there. Co-production, residencies, and networking were some of the NXTSTP support aspects we were interested in. By obtaining new resources, we would be able to enter into fresh and potentially inspiring dialogues and relationships outside the artistic boundaries and narrow definitions that one can feel in the UK. Among European artists and audiences, theatre seems to have a more acknowledged place within society and to be more engaged. My perception is also that audiences outside the UK approach theatre with a greater openness to experimentation and perhaps have a wider sense of what theatre can be. The circulation of the performing arts within Europe is therefore absolutely vital, particularly now that UK-based artists are facing an incredibly uncertain post-Brexit future. Circulation widens dialogue, exposes us to new ideas and approaches, and challenges our insular stance. It inspires us to be bolder and better and to search for an understanding of the bigger European picture. The idea of a European artistic identity is crucial, even though this can be both positive and negative. It can mean fostering a kind of dogma concerning aesthetics and style, but it also creates a shared conversation between artists, curators, and audiences. For Quarantine, the true benefit of NXTSTP was that we were introduced to new partners and presenters, and through this we gained access to new contexts, dialogues, and resources. Its limits were maybe that the distribution of our work didn’t go as far as we might have wanted it to. But this also asks the question of our own real capacity as a small structure – with only one person in the office – to build upon opportunities and further develop them. Support to develop in that way in the UK is minimal. Over the last few years, I haven’t seen a real evolution in our local and national institutions.

UK venues are largely still trapped in a 1960s dramatic-theatre repertory approach, and tend to have a very hierarchical and patronising way of working with artists and independent companies, as well as next to no understanding of the process of developing work outside their own methods, or of how to commission or co-produce. There are a few fine exceptions, but it still remains the case that in mainland Europe, certainly in our experience, the situation is far more open and progressive than its UK equivalent. Larger institutions are increasingly dominant in the UK, with artists very dependent on institutions to be open and supportive. I hope that the rest of Europe is not following the same path. If a Ministry of Culture would exist on a European scale, it should be there to put more resources and power into the hands of artists, to turn the tables somehow. In order for Quarantine to work in a comfortable and autonomous way, we need more core resources that enable us to decide what work to make and when. Currently our core funding is from Arts Council England, which only covers organisational costs, not the making of work. Touring in the UK is economically untenable. To make and distribute our work, we rely heavily on support for commissioning, co-producing, and presenting, particularly from partners in Europe. But the nature of our work means that it’s not always possible or desirable for us to make pieces that tour easily. This often requires longer, more expensive residencies in specific locations, and these usually only come about once a trusting relationship has been developed with a festival or venue over time. So we need to balance that with ‘lighter’ touring work, to get seen and build new connections. Sometimes it feels like we’re very detached from the European networks in our approach to this. We rely on ‘champions’ or advocates – like some of our closer NXTSTP partners – to help spread the word. A European ‘home away from home’ – somewhere we could be in residence for a significant period of time – would change our world and our work for the better.

Quarantine Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring. – 2016 © Simon Banham

Taoufiq Izeddiou En Alerte – 2016 © Titanne Bregentzer

Retracing the steps

A R T IS T S’ P E RSP EC T I V E S ON T HE IR NE X T S T E P S

Taoufiq Izeddiou / On Marche festival TAOUFIQ IZEDDIOU is the artistic director of On Marche festival (Marrakesh), one of NXTSTP’s four Associated Partners. As a choreographer working in France, he received NXTSTP support for his dance piece En Alerte (2016).

We have been engaged in 13 editions of the On Marche festival, showing and developing the Moroccan contemporary dance scene. But there is no sustainable policy for dance in Morocco. Funding virtually non-existent; despite in-kind support, such as the provision of resources, access to workspaces, technical material, etc., it is very difficult for the structure to exist in the long term. It’s fundamental for our struggle to work with ever more international links, be it for the festival or the artists we support, and also for the generations to come. The relationship that exists today between the On Marche festival and the NXTSTP network, as an associated partner, is very important. When the network organised one of its annual meetings in the framework of On Marche in 2015, it allowed our artists to meet international programmers and to show the Moroccan State that we were followed internationally, therefore encouraging it to recognise all the work we are doing here in Marrakesh to support young choreographers. I was also invited to the Baltoscandal festival (Estonia) to present the event and its specificities, as well as to talk about the importance of having a festival like this in an Arab-Muslim country. It is interesting to see how other festivals work, with their particularities, their geography, their own issues. I’m not trying to reproduce the same thing in Morocco because we do not have the same history. But this allows me to question myself and to be connected to the international issues, as I then become better connected to my territory. I have always worked like that. With On Marche, we cannot travel to see international artists, as would normally be the job of a programmer. It is through my tours as a choreographer that I’ve been able to meet many artists and to defend the cause of the festival. To see what happens in other places and meet people in order to create links between Morocco and elsewhere, that is what comprises the programme of On Marche!

In my own artistic career, I have travelled a lot. Part of my training has been in France and my creations are mainly supported by European structures. But when a question is posed concerning the distribution of the creations by Moroccan artists in Europe, I refuse the idea of being labelled a Moroccan or African dancer. Like the artists we support, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t conceive of my work as the reproduction of Moroccan folklore or the transmission of past traditions. In the same way as when I travel in Europe, I do not see a homogeneous artistic identity. There are of course common threads, working methods, writings, and reflections, but within the same festival one finds a multiplicity of questions and very open universes. This balance between the local anchorage of an artist and his international dimension is difficult to find. I think thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too much emphasis on mobility today. For non-European artists who often cannot afford to develop or show their projects where they are based, residencies abroad often represent costs and energy that are disproportionate. My creations, which would not exist without European support, are all presented in Europe. But in Morocco, they can only be seen once â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at the festival that I organise! We need to change the rules of mobility and continue to invent other systems that help artists develop their work locally while maintaining an international connection. As a festival director, I appeal for the creation of an international branch in Marrakesh. This place could become a research and residency laboratory for Moroccan and European artists involved in creation. It could strengthen the link between Moroccan and European networks like NXTSTP and would feed the emerging artistic scene here in Marrakesh.

One Step Further A CONCLUSION

One Step Further The European project, as we know it in 2017, is under threat. The financial crisis has resulted in a strong uprising of populism, protectionism, and anti-solidarity, revealing the fragility of Europe and thus affecting confidence in a solid European community. However radically local contexts may differ, each of NXTSTP’s member festivals has experienced this changed political reality at a national level on a daily basis: major budget cuts, especially those in the cultural and social sectors, as well as a sense of protectionism, has led to increased pressure to prioritise the producing and presenting of local artists. Internationalism has always been a guiding principle for exchange, but lately, local governments have shown a growing tendency to impose a oneway policy by exporting local artists rather than fostering an eagerness to work together. Festivals focusing on international artistic production go against this tendency. They gather artists and audiences in a social space within a condensed time frame and offer an experience of international interdisciplinary artistic production; they are versatile and can constantly reinvent themselves. International festivals build bridges between local audiences and international visitors and artists. Festivals are ‘spaces of exception’. They create intense moments of production, presentation, and reflection, and the circulation of people, work, and ideas. During a brief and concentrated period, they can maximise impact. They activate a territory, temporarily but intensively, through a selection of artistic works in combination with moments of exchange and encounter. Over the past few years, a growing number of emerging artists, each with their own voice and particularities, have, with the support of NXTSTP, acquired a significant position in the performing arts scene in Europe. But still, we are convinced that NXTSTP’s strong foundation and unique constellation of partners can be widened and deepened. It is a long-term project to make a true impact on the cultural landscape beyond the specific stories of individual artists. We therefore strongly believe in the continuation of this network to sustain and promote new generations of emerging international voices. Each of the festivals involved in NXTSTP has a wide-range of experience in producing and presenting artistic work. But there is a need to create long-term, sustainable relationships with individuals. Festivals need to go beyond the production of artistic ‘products’ and extend into processes of encounter, exchange, transmission, and participation – sharing this with local communities and other European citizens

across national borders. Artistic creation should be better contextualised and more embedded in society. Supporting the arts means avoiding exhausted formulas and stimulating the creation of new modes of information-exchange and methods of working. Encouraging the appropriation of spaces for producing and presenting artistic creations also means maintaining a constant dialogue between artistic practices and the world that we are living in and shaping.

Berlin Zvizdal – 2016 © Frederik Buyckx

39 Artistic Projects

Alma Söderberg & Hendrik Willekens

Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin), Les Subsistances (Lyon),

IDIOTER

PACT Zollverein (Essen), Centre chorégraphique

Based in Malmö / Brussels

national de Montpellier Languedoc Roussillon – in

www.manyone.be / www.hendrikwillekens.tumblr.com

the framework of the project Jardin d’Europe, with

Premiere Amsterdam (NL), March 2014

support of the European Commission and ]domaines[

Tour 26 Performances – 13 Cities – 8 Countries

(Montpellier), Tanzquartier (Vienna)

Cities Leuven (BE), Strasbourg (FR), Stockhom (SE),

Dro (IT), Amsterdam (NL), Brussels (BE), Gothenburg

Árpád Schilling / Krétakör

(SE), Utrecht (NL), Stamsund (NO), Rakvere (EE),

THE PAR T Y

Toulon (FR), Zagreb (HR), Stockholm (SE)

Based in Budapest

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

www.kretakor.eu

Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival, Baltoscandal

Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2014

(Rakvere) Other Co-producers SPRING Festival

Tour 12 Performances – 5 Cities – 5 Countries

(Utrecht), workspacebrussels (Brussels)

Cities Brussels (BE), Graz (AT), Bordeaux (FR),

Anne-Cécile Vandalem

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

AF TER THE WALL S

steirischer herbst (Graz), Théâtre national de Bordeaux

Helsinki (FI), Wroclaw (PL)

Based in Brussels

en Aquitaine Other Co-producers Trafó House of

www.dasfrauleinkompanie.com

Contemporary Art (Budapest)

Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2013 Tour 27 Performances – 7 Cities – 2 Countries

Benjamin Verdonck

Cities Brussels (BE), Montpellier (FR), Rennes (FR),

NOTALLWHOWANDER ARELOS T

Bordeaux (FR), Le Havre (FR), Namur (BE), Liège (BE)

Based in Antwerp

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts

www.benjamin-verdonck.be

(Brussels), Théâtre national de Bordeaux en Aquitaine,

Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2014

Noorderzon (Groningen) Other Co-producers Das

Tour 107 Performances – 34 Cities – 11 Countries

Fraulein Kompanie (Brussels), Théâtre National de

Cities Brussels (BE), Antwerp (BE), Rotterdam (NL),

la Communauté française (Brussels), Théâtre de la

Courtrai (BE), Ghent (BE), Dendermonde (BE),

Place (Liège), Le Volcan (Le Havre), Printemps des

Haarlem (NL), The Hague (NL), Groningen (NL),

Comédiens (Montpellier)

Rakvere (EE), Graz (AT), Dublin (IE), Tongeren (BE), ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL), Leuven (BE), Roeselaere (BE),

Antonia Baehr

Breda (NL), Utrecht (NL), Porto (PT), Lisbon (PT),

ABECEDARIUM BE S TI ARIUM

Paris (FR), Postdam (DE), Avignon (FR), Ljubljana

Based in Berlin

(SI), Tilburg (NL), Genk (BE), Eindhoven (NL),

www.make-up-productions.net

Amsterdam (NL), Hasselt (BE), Delft (NL), Maastricht

Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2013

(NL), Szczecin (PL), Luxembourg (LU), Berlin (DE)

Tour 39 Performances – 19 Cities – 12 Countries

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

Cities Brussels (BE), Hamburg (DE), Tallinn (EE),

steirischer herbst (Graz)

Graz (AT), Dublin (IE), Essen (DE), Vienna (AT), Nyon (CH), Basel (CH), Frankfurt (DE), Copenhagen (DK),

Berlin

Porto (PT), Erlangen (DE), Lille (FR), Poznan (PL),

PERH APS ALL THE DR AGONS

Bremen (DE), Metz (FR), Bogota (CO), Rovinj (HR)

Based in Antwerp

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

www.belrinberlin.be

steirischer herbst (Graz) Other Co-producers HAU

Premiere Paris (FR), January 2014

Tour 172 Performances – 37 Cities – 12 Countries

Cities Paris (FR), Hamburg (DE), Brussels (BE),

Brighton (UK), Lisbon (PT), Antwerp (BE), Dro (IT), Hasselt (BE), Groningen (NL), Geneva (CH), Alma Söderberg & Hendrik Willekens Idioter – 2014

Rotterdam (NL), Dublin (IE), Utrecht (NL), Munich (DE), Luxembourg (LU), Lugano (CH), Modena © Luc Vleminckx

(IT), Sint-Niklaas (BE), Santiago de Compostela (ES), Cherbourg-Octeville (FR), Hannover (DE), Ghent (BE), Maasmechelen (BE), Amsterdam (NL), Leuven (BE), Evry (FR), Tirol (AT), Saint-Brieux (FR), Valenciennes (FR), Bern (CH), Erlangen (DE),

Anne-Cécile Vandalem After the Walls – 2013

Vienna (AT), Girona (ES), Amiens (FR), Oostende (BE), Mol (BE), Graz (AT) © Christophe Engels

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts

(Brussels), Noorderzon (Groningen), Dublin Theatre Festival Other Co-producers Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg, Le CENTQUATRE (Paris), Centrale Fies (Dro), La Bâtie – Festival de Genève Antonia Baehr Abecedarium Bestiarium – 2013

Berlin Z VIZDAL © Almudena Crespo

Based in Antwerp www.berlinberlin.be Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2016 Tour 101 Performances – 40 Cities – 13 Countries Cities Brussels (BE), Antwerp (BE), Brighton (UK),

Árpád Schilling / Krétakör The Party – 2014

Essen (DE), Berlin (DE), Dro (IT), ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL), Hasselt (BE), Groningen (NL), Tilburg (NL), © Luc Vleminckx

Drachten (NL), Bergen (NO), Luxemburg (LU), Genk (BE), Aubusson (FR), Izegem (BE), Amsterdam (NL), Mainz (DE), Terschelling (BE), Cividale del friuli (IT), Zurich (CH), Zwolle (NL), Dublin (IE), Breda (NL), Rotterdam (NL), Eindhoven (NL), Turnhout (BE), Oostende (BE), Utrecht (NL), Roosendael

Benjamin Verdonck NOTALLWHOWANDERARELOST – 2014

(NL), Paris (FR), Maasmechelen (BE), Mechelen (BE), Valenciennes (FR), Tarbes (FR), Aalst (BE), Manchester © Kurt Van der Elst

(UK), Frankfurt (DE), Athens (GR), Aarhus (DK) NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

Dublin Theatre Festival, Noorderzon (Groningen) Other Co-producers Het Zuidelijk Toneel (Tilburg),

PACT Zollverein (Essen), Le CENTQUATRE Berlin Perhaps all the Dragons – 2014

(Paris), BIT Teatergarasjen (Bergen), Künstlerhaus Mousonturm (Frankfurt), Theaterfestival Boulevard © Elise van Tilcke

(‘s-Hertogenbosch), Onassis Cultural Center (Athens)

Cláudia Dias

www.elcondedetorrefiel.com

MONDAY: WATCH OUT FOR THE RIGHT!

Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2016

Based in Lisbon

Tour 30 Performances – 12 Cities – 9 Countries

www.seteanossetepecas.com

Cities Brussels (BE), Groningen (NL), Dublin (IE), Graz

Premiere Munich (DE), February 2016

(AT), Athens (GR), Zurich (CH), Glasgow (UK), Leeds

Tour 24 Performances – 13 Cities – 7 Countries

(UK), Lille (FR), Rome (IT), Milan (IT), Lausanne (CH)

Cities Almada (PT), Athens (GR), Münster (DE),

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

Bremerhaven (DE), Munich (DE), Lisbon (PT), Porto

steirischer herbst (Graz), Noorderzon (Groningen)

(PT), Groningen (NL), Dublin (IE), Bilbao (ES), Vilnius (LT), Torres Novas (PT), Coimbra (PT)

Emma Martin

NXTSTP Co-producers Alkantara (Lisbon), Noorderzon

GIRL SONG

(Groningen), Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival

Based in Dublin

Other Co-producers Goethe-Institut, Teatro Municipal

www.unitedfall.com

Maria Matos (Lisbon), Teatro Municipal do Porto

Premiere Dublin (IE), October 2017 Tour 5 Performances – 1 City – 1 Country

Dead Centre

Cities Dublin (IE)

CHEKHOV ’S F IRS T PL AY

NXTSTP Co-producers Dublin Theatre Festival,

Based in Dublin

Noorderzon (Groningen)

www.deadcentre.org Premiere Dublin (IE), September 2015

Gunilla Heilborn

Tour 27 Performances – 7 Cities – 7 Countries

GORKIJ PARK 2

Cities Dublin (IE), Berlin (DE), Bristol (UK), Rakvere

Based in Stockholm

(EE), Groningen (NL), Brisbane (AU), Bordeaux (FR)

www.gunillaheilborn.se

NXTSTP Co-producers Dublin Theatre Festival,

Premiere Gothenburg (SE), May 2014

Baltoscandal (Rakvere), Noorderzon (Groningen),

Tour 18 Performances – 5 Cities – 4 Countries

Théâtre national de Bordeaux en Aquitaine

Cities Stockholm (SE), Gothenburg (SE),

Edit Kaldor

NXTSTP Co-producers Gothenburg Dance and Theatre

WEB OF TRUS T

Festival, steirischer herbst (Graz), Noorderzon

Based in Amsterdam

(Groningen) Other Co-producers MDT (Stockholm)

Groningen (NL), Graz (AT), Postdam (DE)

www.editkaldor.com Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2016

Halory Goerger

Tour 17 Performances – 6 Cities – 4 Countries

CORPS DIPLOM ATIQUE

Cities Brussels (BE), Utrecht (NL), Athens (GR),

Based in Lille

Amsterdam (NL), Ghent (BE), Lisbon (PT)

www.amicaledeproduction.com

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts

Premiere Valenciennes (FR), March 2015

(Brussels), Dublin Theatre Festival, Noorderzon

Tour 59 Performances – 21 Cities – 6 Countries

(Groningen) Other Co-producers HAU Hebbel am Ufer

Cities Valenciennes (FR), Paris (FR), Brussels (BE),

(Berlin), SPRING Festival (Utrecht), Vooruit (Ghent),

Meylan (FR), Ghent (BE), Courtrai (BE), Nanterre

Contemporary Arts Center (Cincinnati)

(FR), Chambéry (FR), Bordeaux (FR), Chalon-surSaône (FR), Brest (FR), Lausanne (CH), Dublin (IE),

El Conde de Torrefiel

Niort (FR), Poitiers (FR), Lyon (FR), Nantes (FR),

GUERRILL A

Besançon (FR), Bergen (NO), Montigny-le-Bretonneux

Based in Barcelona

(FR), Helsinki (FI)

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts

(Brussels), Dublin Theatre Festival, Noorderzon (Groningen),Théâtre national de Bordeaux en Aquitaine, Alkantara (Lisbon) Other Co-producers Les Halles de Schaerbeek (Brussels), Le Phénix – Scène nationale Valenciennes, Arsenic (Lausanne),

Edit Kaldor Web of Trust – 2016

BIT Teatergarasjen (Bergen), Kunstencentrum BUDA

(Courtrai), Vooruit (Ghent), Espace Malraux – Scène nationale de Chambéry et de la Savoie, Le CENTQUATRE (Paris), Le Manège de Reims, Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers, Le Quartz – Scène nationale de Brest, Espace des Arts (Chalon-sur-Saône)

Halory Goerger & Antoine Defoort

El Conde de Torrefiel GUERRILLA – 2016

GERMIN AL Based in Lille / Brussels www.amicaledeproduction.com Premiere Lyon (FR), September 2012 Tour 232 Performances – 69 city – 15 country Cities Aix-en-Provence (FR), Alfortville (FR), Annecy

(FR), Armentières (FR), Avignon (FR), Basel (CH),

Emma Martin Girl Song – 2017

Bar-le-Duc (FR), Belfort (FR), Bergen (NO), Berlin

(DE), Besançon (FR), Blois (FR), Bordeaux (FR), Bourges (FR), Brussels (BE), Charleroi (BE), ChâteauGontier (FR), Clermont-Ferrand (FR), Compiègne (FR), Creil (FR), Dublin (IE), Foix (FR), Frankfurt (DE), Ghent (BE), Groningen (NL), Courtrai (BE), Lausanne (CH), La Roche-sur-Yon (FR), Le Mans (FR), Lens (FR), Lieusaint (FR), Lille (FR), Lillebonne

Gunilla Heilborn Gorkij Park 2 – 2014

(FR), Lisbon (PT), Lyon (FR), Marseille (FR), Mulhouse (FR), Nantes (FR), Niort (FR), Olioules (FR), Oostende (BE), Poitiers (FR), Rakvere (EE), Rotterdam (NL), Saint-Denis (FR), Saint Gaudens (FR), Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande (FR), Reims (FR), Orléans (FR), Oslo (NO), Paris (FR), Saint-Nazaire (FR), Salzburg (AT), Strasbourg (FR), Toulouse (FR),

Halory Goerger Corps diplomatique – 2015 © Didier Crasnault

Turnhout (BE), Valenciennes (FR), Vienna (AT), Zurich (CH), Melbourne (AU), Minneapolis (US), New-York (US), Portland (US), Montréal (CA), Seattle (US), Singapore (SG), Toronto (CA), Quebec (CA), Yokohama (JP) NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

Alkantara (Lisbon), Théâtre national de Bordeaux en Aquitaine, Baltoscandal (Rakvere)

Halory Goerger & Antoine Defoort Germinal – 2012

Other Co-producers Biennale de la danse (Lyon),

Le Phénix – Scène nationale Valenciennes, Kunstencentrum BUDA (Courtrai), Vooruit (Ghent), Le Vivat – Scène conventionnée danse et théâtre Julian Hetzel Schuldfabrik – 2016

(Armentières), Le Manège/Le CECN/Technocité (Mons), Beursschouwburg (Brussels), Théâtre de la © Wolf Silveri

Manufacture – Centre dramatique National NancyLorraine (Nancy)

Julian Hetzel SCHULDFABRIK Based in Utrecht Kris Verdonck H, an incident – 2013

www.julian-hetzel.com © Silvano Magnone

Premiere Graz (AT), September 2016 Tour 44 Performances – 5 Cities – 4 Countries Cities Graz (AT), Utrecht (NL), Tallinn (EE),

Groningen (NL), Ghent (BE) L’Amicale de production On traversera le pont une fois rendus à la rivière – 2017

NXTSTP Co-producers steirischer herbst (Graz),

Noorderzon (Groningen) Other Co-producers SPRING Festival (Utrecht) © Els De Nil

Kornél Mundruczó DEME N TI A Based in Budapest www.protontheatre.hu Premiere Munich (DE), November 2013

L’Encyclopédie de la parole Suite n°1 – 2013

Tour 35 Performances – 19 Cities – 11 Countries Cities Munich (DE), Bordeaux (FR), © Anne Vijverman

Dresden (DE), Berlin (DE), Lisbon (PT), Bratislava (SK), Zurich (CH), Hamburg (DE), Budapest (HU), Frankfurt (DE), Groningen (NL), Rotterdam (NL), Saint Petersburg (RU), Moscow (RU), Evreux (FR), Lille (FR), Singapore (SG), Minsk (BY), Brno (CZ)

L’Encyclopédie de la parole Suite n°2 – 2015

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts

(Brussels), Théâtre national de Bordeaux en Aquitaine, © Bea Borgers

Noorderzon (Groningen) Other Co-producers HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin), HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts (Dresden), Trafó House of Contemporary Arts (Budapest), Festival De Keuze/ Rotterdamse Schouwburg (Rotterdam), SPIELART Festival (Munich), Festival Automne en Normandie (Rouen), Teatro Municipal Maria Matos (Lisbon), Künstlerhaus Mousonturm (Frankfurt)

Kris Verdonck

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

H, AN INCIDE N T

Théâtre national de Bordeaux en Aquitaine Other

Based in Brussels

Co-producers Parc de la Villette – résidences d’artistes

www.atwodogscompany.org

(Paris), Théâtre Universitaire (Nantes), Centre

Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2013

Pompidou (Paris), Festival d’Automne à Paris,

Tour 17 Performances – 10 Cities – 7 Countries

Nouveau Théâtre de Montreuil – centre dramatique

Cities Brussels (BE), Utrecht (NL), Reykjavìk (IS),

national, Studio-Théâtre de Vitry (Vitry-sur-Seine),

Graz (AT), Brugge (BE), Turnhout (BE), Courtrai

Macval (Vitry-sur-Seine)

(BE), Bordeaux (FR), Dresden (DE), Gothenburg (SE) NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

L’Encyclopédie de la parole

steirischer herbst (Graz), Gothenburg Dance and

SUITE N°2

Theatre Festival, Théâtre national de Bordeaux en

Based in Paris

Aquitaine Other Co-producers Kaaitheater (Brussels),

www.encyclopediedelaparole.org

SPRING Festival (Utrecht)

Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2015 Tour 58 Performances – 20 Cities – 11 Countries

L’Amicale de production

Cities Brussels (BE), Lausanne (CH), Gwangju (KR),

ON TR AVERSER A LE PON T

New York (US), Philadelphia (US), Oslo (NO),

UNE FOIS RE NDUS À L A RIV IÈRE

Porto (PT), Gothenburg (SE), Strasbourg (FR),

Based in Brussels / Lille

Maubeuge (FR), Toulouse (FR), Rotterdam (NL),

www.amicaledeproduction.com

Paris (FR), Graz (AT), Bordeaux (FR), Saint-Jacques-

Premiere Armentières (FR), January 2017

de-la-Lande (FR), Lisbon (PT), Rakvere (EE),

Tour 39 Performances – 11 Cities – 4 Countries

Clermont-Ferrand (FR), Montreuil (FR)

Cities Armentières (FR), Valenciennes (FR),

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

Montbéliard (FR), Blois (FR), Paris (FR), Chambéry

steirischer herbst (Graz), Théâtre national de Bordeaux

(FR), Brussels (BE), Groningen (NL), Frankfurt (DE),

en Aquitaine, Alkantara (Lisbon), Gothenburg Dance

Saint-Médard-en-Jalles (FR), Montbéliard (FR)

and Theatre Festival, Baltoscandal (Rakvere) Other

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts

Co-producers T2G Théâtre de Gennevilliers, Festival

(Brussels), steirischer herbst (Graz), Noorderzon

d’Automne à Paris, Asian Culture Complex – Asian

(Groningen) Other Co-producers Le Phénix – Scène

Arts Theater (Gwangju), Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne,

Nationale de Valenciennes, La Filature (Mulhouse),

Seinendan Komaba Agora Theater (Tokyo), La Villette

Le CENTQUATRE (Paris), Le Vivat (Armentières),

– résidences d’artistes 2015 (Paris), Rotterdamse

Théâtre Garonne (Toulouse), Biennale de la danse

Schouwburg

(Lyon), Le Carré les Colonnes (Saint-Médard-en-Jalles)

L’Encyclopédie de la parole L’Encyclopédie de la parole

SUITE N°3

SUITE N°1

Based in Paris

www.encyclopediedelaparole.org

Premiere Toulouse (FR), Octobre 2017

Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2013

Tour 29 Performances – 9 Cities – 6 Countries

Tour 33 Performances – 12 Cities – 6 Countries

Cities Rakvere (EE), Brussels (BE), Frankfurt (DE),

Cities Brussels (BE), Bordeaux (FR), Nitra (SK),

Reims (FR), Lisbon (PT), Paris (FR), Valenciennes

Paris (FR), Nantes (FR), Prato (IT), Lisbon (PT),

(FR), Gothenburg (SE), Toulouse (FR)

Santarcangelo di Romagna (IT), Rome (IT), Rotterdam

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts

(NL), Tarbes (FR), Encausse les Thermes (FR)

(Brussels), Alkantara (Lisbon), Gothenburg

Dance and Theatre Festival, Baltoscandal (Rakvere) Other Co-producers Théâtre de la Ville (Paris), Festival

d’Automne à Paris, La Comédie de Reims – CDN / Festival Reims Scènes d’Europe, festival NEXT / Le phénix – Scène nationale de Valenciennes, Théâtre Garonne (Toulouse), L’apostrophe – Scène nationale

Lond Malmborg 99 Words for Void – 2015 © Tarvo Varres

de Cergy-Pontoise et du Val d’Oise, Künstlerhaus Mousonturm (Frankfurt)

Lond Malmborg 99 WORDS FOR VOID Based in Malmö / Tallinn Premiere Tallinn (EE), November 2015 Tour 18 Performances – 7 Cities – 5 Countries

Marcelo Evelin Dança Doente – 2017 © Mauricio Pokemon

Cities Tallinn (EE), Bern (CH), Rakvere (EE),

Trondheim (NO), Bordeaux (FR), Malmö (SE), Paris (FR) NXTSTP Co-producers Baltoscandal (Rakvere), Dublin

Theatre Festival, Théâtre national de Bordeaux en Aquitaine Other Co-producers Kanuti Gildi SAAL (Tallinn), Teaterhuset Avant Garden (Trondheim)

Maria Hassabi Première – 2014

Lundahl & Seitl AN ELEGY TO THE MEDIUM OF F ILM Based in London www.lundahl-seitl.com Premiere Graz (AT), October 2014 Tour 175 Performances – 5 Cities – 4 Countries Cities Graz (AT), Groningen (NL), Seoul (KR),

Marlene Monteiro Freitas Bacantes – Prelúdio para uma purga – 2017 © Filipe Ferreira

Gothenburg (SE), Stockholm (SE) NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival, Noorderzon (Groningen), steirischer herbst (Graz)

Marcelo Evelin DANÇA DOE N TE

Marlene Monteiro Freitas de marfim e de carne – as estátuas também sofrem – 2014 © Pierre Planchenault

Based in Amsterdam / Teresina www.demolitionincorporada.com Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2017 Tour 32 Performances – 14 Cities – 8 Countries Cities Brussels (BE), Frankfurt (DE), Utrecht (NL),

Berlin (DE), Geneva (CH), Lisbon (PT), Porto (PT), Paris (FR), Düsseldorf (DE), Kyoto (JP), Ghent (BE), Leuven (BE), Campinas (BR), São Paulo (BR)

Miet Warlop Fruits of labour – 2016 © Titanne Bregentzer

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

France-Suisse 2014-2020, Teatro Municipal do Porto,

Alkantara (Lisbon), Gothenburg Dance and Theatre

Le Cuvier – Centre de Développement Chorégraphique

Festival Other Co-producers Vooruit (Ghent), Teatro

(Nouvelle-Aquitaine), HAU Hebbel am Ufer

Municipal do Porto, Teatro Municipal Maria Matos

(Berlin), International Summer Festival Kampnagel

(Lisbon), Festival d’Automne à Paris / T2G-Théâtre

(Hamburg), Athens and Epidaurus Festival, Münchner

de Gennevilliers (Paris), Montpellier Danse, Kyoto

Kammerspiele, Kurtheater Baden, SPRING Festival

Experiment, SPRING Festival (Utrecht), Tanz im

(Utrecht), Zürcher Theater Spektakel (Zurich),

August / HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin), Künstlerhaus

Nouveau Théâtre de Montreuil – centre dramatique

Mousonturm (Frankfurt), Tanzhaus NRW

national, Centre Pompidou (Paris)

(Düsseldorf), La Batie – Festival de Genève (Geneva), Brazilian Government

Marlene Monteiro Freitas DE M ARF IM E DE CARNE – AS E S TÁTUAS

Maria Hassabi

TAMBÉM SOF REM

PREMIÈRE

Based in Lisbon

Based in Nicosia / New York

www.pork.pt

www.mariahassabi.com

Premiere Lisbon (PT), May 2014

Premiere Bologna (IT), April 2014

Tour 64 Performances – 32 Cities – 15 Countries

Tour 13 Performances – 8 Cities – 8 Countries

Cities Lisbon (PT), Montpellier (FR), Bordeaux

Cities Bologna (IT), Brussels (BE), Gothenburg (SE),

(FR), Pau (FR), Zurich (CH), Beirut (LB), Douai

Amsterdam (NL), Nottingham (UK), New York (US),

(FR), Porto (PT), Uzès (FR), Gothenburg (SE),

Graz (AT), Bern (CH)

Frankfurt (DE), Noisiel (FR), Paris (FR), Vanves (FR),

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

Poitiers (FR), Gwangju (KR), Arles (FR), Strasbourg

steirischer herbst (Graz), Gothenburg Dance and

(FR), Jerusalem (IL / PS), Munich (DE), Geneva (CH),

Theatre Festival Other Co-producers Kaaitheater

Oslo (NO), Brussels (BE), Utrecht (NL), Montréal

(Brussels), Dance4 (Nottingham)

(CA), Montemor-o-Novo (PT), Bern (CH), Budapest (HU), Berlin (DE), Vienna (AT), Deltebre (FR),

Marlene Monteiro Freitas

Leuven (BE)

BACAN TE S – PRELÚDIO PAR A UM A PURG A

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

Based in Lisbon

Alkantara (Lisbon), Théâtre national de Bordeaux en

www.pork.pt

Aquitaine Other Co-producers Bomba Suicida (Lisbon),

Premiere Lisbon (PT), April 2017

Montpellier Danse, Centre Pompidou (Paris), Centre

Tour 52 Performances – 20 Cities – 9 Countries

chorégraphique national Rillieux-la-Pape, Musée de

Cities Lisbon (PT), Brussels (BE), Utrecht (NL),

la danse – Centre chorégraphique national de Rennes

Montemor-o-Novo (PT), Porto (PT), Oslo (NO),

et de Bretagne, WP Zimmer (Antwerp), Teatro Maria

Annecy (FR), Umea (SE), Montpellier (FR), Athens

Municipal Matos (Lisbon), ARCADI (Paris), Centre

(GR), Graz (AT), Bordeaux (FR), Baden (DE), Paris

de développement chorégraphique de Toulouse Midi-

(FR), Tarbes (FR), Hamburg (DE), Zurich (CH),

Pyrénées

Geneva (CH), Berlin (DE), Munich (DE) NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

Miet Warlop

steirischer herbst (Graz), Alkantara (Lisbon) Other

F RUIT S OF L ABOR

Co-producers TNDMII (Lisbon), NorrlandsOperan

Based in Brussels

(Umeå), Montpellier Danse 2017, Bonlieu – Scène

www.mietwarlop.com

nationale d’Annecy & La Bâtie – Festival de Genève

Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2016

in the framework of FEDER – programme Interreg

Tour 41 Performances – 15 Cities – 7 Countries

Cities Brussels (BE), Courtrai (BE), Hamburg (DE),

Quarantine

Paris (FR), Montreuil (FR), Geneva (CH), Ghent

SUMMER. AUTUMN. WIN TER. SPRING.

(BE), Marseille (FR), Rennes (FR), Zurich (CH),

Based in Manchester

Montpellier (FR), Strasbourg (FR), Erlangen (DE),

www.qtine.com

Marchtrenk (AT), Tampere (FI)

Premiere Manchester (UK), March 2016

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

Cities 25 Performances – 6 Cities – 2 Countries

Dublin Theatre Festival Other Co-producers Vooruit

Cities Manchester (UK), Bristol (UK), Glasgow (UK),

(Ghent), Kunstencentrum BUDA (Courtrai), La

Lancaster (UK), Norwich (UK), Groningen (NL)

Villette (Paris), PACT Zollverein (Essen), La Bâtie –

NXTSTP Co-producers Dublin Theatre Festival,

Festival de Genève, Gessnerallee Zürich, Kampnagel

Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival, Noorderzon

– International Summer Festival Hamburg

(Groningen) Other Co-producers Compass Live Art (Leeds), Contact (Manchester), HOME (Manchester),

Philippe Quesne

Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival, In Between

L A NUIT DE S TAUPE S

Time (Bristol), Lancaster Arts, National Theatre Wales

(WELCOME TO CAV EL AND)

(Cardiff), Northern Stage (Newcastle), SICK! Festival

Based in Paris

(Manchester)

www.nanterre-amandiers.com Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2016

Quarantine

Tour 69 Performances – 20 Cities – 9 Countries

THE DYAS SIS TERS

Cities Brussels (BE), Lisbon (PT), Rakvere (EE),

Based in Manchester

Bordeaux (FR), Munich (DE), Montpellier (FR),

www.qtine.com

Toulouse (FR), Santarcangelo (IT), Ljubljana (SI),

Premiere Manchester (UK), July 2013

Marseille (FR), Frankfurt (DE), Fribourg (CH),

Tour 11 Performances – 3 Cities – 2 Countries

Strasbourg (FR), Graz (AT), Paris (FR), Lausanne

Cities Manchester (UK), Groningen (NL), Belfast (UK)

(CH), Mulhouse (FR), Erlangen (DE), Hamburg (DE),

NXTSTP Co-producers Dublin Theatre Festival,

Berlin (DE)

Noorderzon (Groningen), Kunstenfestivaldesarts

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts

(Brussels) Other Co-producers Project Arts Centre

(Brussels), steirischer herbst (Graz), Théâtre national

(Dublin), Contact (Manchester)

de Bordeaux en Aquitaine, Alkantara (Lisbon), Baltoscandal (Rakvere) Other Co-producers Théâtre

Sarah Vanhee

Vidy-Lausanne, La Filature – Scène nationale

OBLIV ION

(Mulhouse), Künstlerhaus Mousonturm (Frankfurt),

Based in Brussels

Kaaitheater (Brussels), Le Parvis Centre d’art (Tarbes)

www.sarahvanhee.com Premiere Ghent (BE), November 2015

Pan Pan Theatre

Tour 39 Performances – 20 Cities – 10 Countries

THE SE AGULL AND OTHER BIRDS

Cities Ghent (BE), Lancaster (UK), Lisbon (PT),

Based in Dublin

Berlin (DE), Noisiel (FR), Brussels (BE), Salzburg

www.panpantheatre.com

(AT), Groningen (NL), Gothenburg (SE), Frankfurt

Premiere Dublin (IE), September 2014

(DE), Leuven (BE), Oostende (DE), Courtrai (BE),

Tour 27 Performances – 6 Cities – 5 Countries

Valenciennes (FR), Rennes (FR), Amsterdam (NL),

Cities Dublin (IE), Dusseldorf (DE), Groningen (NL),

Timisoara (RO), Roubaix (FR), Hannover (DE),

New York (US), San Francisco (US), Gothenburg (SE)

Tallinn (EE)

NXTSTP Co-producers Dublin Theatre Festival,

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts

Noorderzon (Groningen)

(Brussels), Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival,

Noorderzon (Groningen) Other Co-producers CAMPO

(Ghent), HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin)

Simon Mayer Philippe Quesne La nuit des taupes – 2016

www.simonmayer.at Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2017 Tour 13 Performances – 4 Cities – 3 Countries Cities Brussels (BE), Nyon (CH), Graz (AT), Vienna (AT) NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

Quarantine Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring. – 2016

Avant Garden (Trondheim), brut (Wien), Centrale Fies (Dro), Kunstenwerkplaats Pianofabriek & GC De kroon (Brussels)

Sylvain Creuzevault LE CAPITAL E T SON SINGE Sarah Vanhee Oblivion – 2015

Tour 97 Performances – 16 Cities – 4 Countries Cities Angers (FR), Tarbes (FR), Lisbon (PT), Paris

(FR), Mulhouse (FR), Brussels (BE), Valence (FR), Lorient (FR), Montpellier (FR), Grenoble (FR), Arles (FR), Toulouse (FR), Marseille (FR), Barcelona (ES), Perpignan (FR), Annecy (FR) Simon Mayer Oh Magic – 2017

Théâtre national de Bordeaux en Aquitaine, Alkantara (Lisbon) Other Co-producers Théâtre National de la Communauté française (Brussels), Nouveau Théâtre d’Angers, Théâtre national de la Colline (Paris), Festival d’Automne à Paris, Comédie de Valence, La Criée – Théâtre national de Marseille, Le Parvis

Sylvain Creuzevault Le Capital et son Singe – 2014

– Scène Nationale Tarbes-Pyrénées, Printemps des Comédiens (Montpellier), MC2 (Grenoble), La Filature – Scène nationale (Mulhouse), Théâtre de l’Archipel – Scène nationale de Perpignan, Le Cratère – Scène nationale d’Alès, Festival Grec de Barcelona

Taoufiq Izeddiou E N ALER TE Taoufiq Izeddiou En Alerte – 2016

www.taoufiqizeddiou.com

Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2016

NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

Tour 26 Performances – 12 Cities – 9 Countries

Noorderzon (Groningen) Other Co-producers KVS

Cities Berlin (DE), Brussels (BE), Lisbon (PT),

(Brussels), SPRING Festival (Utrecht)

Marseille (FR), Montpellier (FR), Aix-en-Provence (FR), Groningen (NL), Gothenburg (SE), Graz (AT), Dusseldorf (DE), Bilbao (ES), Vienna (AT) NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels),

steirischer herbst (Graz), Alkantara (Lisbon), Noorderzon (Groningen), Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival Other Co-producers Charleroi Danses, Festival de Marseille, Arab Fund for Arts and Culture

tg STAN DE KERSE N TUIN Based in Antwerp www.stan.be Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2015 Tour 71 Performances – 24 Cities – 6 Countries Cities Brussels (BE), Genk (BE), Diest (BE), Haarlem

(NL), Dublin (IE), Aix-en-Provence (FR), Bordeaux (FR), Paris (FR), Coimbra (PT), Leuven (BE), Courtrai (BE), Amsterdam (NL), Ghent (BE), Strasburg (FR), Tarbes (FR), Nantes (FR), Guimarães (PT), Nimes (FR), Toulouse (FR), Antwerp (BE), Mechelen (BE), Torun (PL), Lisbon (PT), Dunkerque (FR) NXTSTP Co-producers Kunstenfestivaldesarts

(Brussels), Théâtre national de Bordeaux en Aquitaine, Dublin Theatre Festival, Alkantara (Lisbon) Other Co-producers Festival d’Automne à Paris, Théâtre de la

Colline (Paris), Le Bateau Feu (Dunkerque), Théâtre Garonne (Toulouse), Théâtre de Nîmes

Ula Sickle KINSH ASA ELEC TRIC Based in Brussels / Kinshasa www.caravan.be Premiere Brussels (BE), May 2014 Tour 37 Performances – 20 Cities – 10 Countries Cities Brussels (BE), Utrecht (NL), Lisbon (PT), Porto

(PT), Montreuil (FR), Brugge (BE), Budapest (HU), Berlin (DE), Groningen (NL), Zurich (CH), Arras (FR), Cagliari (IT), Leuven (BE), Marseille (FR), Arles (FR), Ljubljana (SL), Malmö (SE), Polverigi (IT), Kinshasa (CD), Dilbeek (BE)

tg STAN De Kersentuin – 2015

Ula Sickle Kinshasa Electric – 2014

8 Partners

Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Project Leader)

Established in 1994

The Kunstenfestivaldesarts is an international arts festival dedicated to contemporary creation at its most innovative, covering theatre, dance, performance, film, and visual art. The festival takes place annually over three weeks during the month of May in some 20 or so theatres and arts centres, as well as in public spaces throughout Brussels. It brings together artists with a personal vision of the world and audiences keen to challenge and expand their perspectives. The event also creates a space for reflection, confrontation, and dialogue between works and people driven by a desire to create, perceive, and share. kunstenfestivaldesarts.be

Alkantara

Established in 1993 Alkantara is a Lisbon-based association with a cross-cultural vision on contemporary artistic creation, dedicated to the development of the performing arts in Portugal and abroad. From its inception as a national dance platform (Danças na Cidade), the Alkantara festival has developed into a biennial performing arts event with a strong international programme. In collaboration with local and international partners, Alkantara runs a residency programme in its studio space in Lisbon’s historic Santos neighbourhood. It is also an active co-producer of Portuguese and international work, and develops training, research, and editorial projects. alkantara.pt

Baltoscandal Established in 1990

Baltoscandal is an international festival of the performing arts that takes place every second year at the beginning of July in the small town of Rakvere. Its dense programme spans a full four days, creating a special, concentrated atmosphere. Baltoscandal consists of artistic works by international and Estonian artists focused on innovative and unconventional forms of contemporary performance. baltoscandal.ee

Dublin Theatre Festival

Established in 1957

Dublin Theatre Festival brings world-class performances to Dublin, supports artists in creating outstanding work, and provides a platform for showcasing the best of Irish theatre to the world. At the heart of this 18-day event is the city itself – its people and its stories, testifying to the festival’s commitment to the vibrant social and cultural life of Ireland’s capital. The programme appeals to diverse communities in Dublin and incorporates theatre, music, dance, and family events as well as artist talks, public discussions, and artist development programmes. dublintheatrefestival.com

Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival Established in 1994

The international Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival co-produces and presents new work in the field of dance, theatre, and performance. This biannual event runs for 10 days in August, presenting some 20 productions in circa 15 venues, as well as in public spaces in Gothenburg and in towns and communities in the surrounding region. A wide range of initiatives throughout the year – including residencies, workshops, and artistic labs – allows the festival to connect with local communities, reinforcing its position as an important platform for art and dialogue, in the city and beyond. GDTF is organised together with the presentation venue Stora Teatern. gdtf.se

Noorderzon Established in 1991

Noorderzon is an interdisciplinary performing arts festival, at once a trendsetter and a trend follower. The event is an agent and a mediator in all sorts of meetings and discussions, bringing a challenging and urgent programme. It regards the world as its backyard and uses the festival in Groningen as a platform for dialogue and reflection. Within a densely packed 11-day period, Noorderzon aims to offer a nuanced but highly personal vision as a window on the world, and along with this, tries to stimulate the natural curiosity of the visitors. The programme and audience are central and go hand in hand. In this way, Noorderzon

attempts to provide both full accessibility and a cutting-edge programme. noorderzon.nl

steirischer herbst Established in 1968

Based in Graz, steirischer herbst is a festival that initiates, produces, and presents works that describe the current status of contemporary and internationally relevant art, discussing these in a wide variety of ways. Its mission lies in discovering and producing new work, linking aesthetic positions and theoretical discourse, and networking with international and regional artists, scenes, and contexts. All of this, but above all its interdisciplinary approach, makes steirischer herbst unique – for 50 years, it has been one of the few contemporary art festivals anywhere in the world that is by nature truly multidisciplinary. steirischerherbst.at

Le Théâtre national de Bordeaux en Aquitaine Established in 1986

The TnBA numbers among the 42 arts centres within the network described by the decentralisation of the performing arts in France. For the most part, the theatre is financed by the French Ministry of Culture, the City of Bordeaux, and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine administrative region. The mission of the TnBA as well as of its counterparts, the other national venues, is to create, produce, and distribute performance works, as well as to develop community education activities in order to raise public awareness. The TnBA comprises three separate buildings that can accommodate 700, 415, and 120 spectators. It also houses l’éstba, the national theatre school. tnba.org

Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Project Leader)

Noorderzon

Quai du Commerce 18 Handelskaai

P.O. Box 1736

1000 Brussels, Belgium

9701 BS Groningen, The Netherlands

T +32 2 219 07 07 / F +32 2 218 74 53

T +31 50 314 02 78

www.kunstenfestivaldesarts.be

www.noorderzon.nl

General & artistic director Christophe Slagmuylder

Artistic director Mark Yeoman

Managing director Valérie Wolters

General director Femke Eerland

Programming assistant Karim Mohdhi Administration Hilde Maes

steirischer herbst Sackstrasse 17

Alkantara

8010 Graz, Austria

Cç. Marquês de Abrantes, 99

T +43 316 823 007 / F +43 316 823 007 77

1200-718 Lisbon, Portugal

www.steirischerherbst.at

T +351 213 152 267

General & artistic director Veronica Kaup-Hasler

www.alkantara.pt

Managing director Agnes Wiesbauer

Artistic director Thomas Walgrave Théâtre national de Bordeaux en Aquitaine Baltoscandal

Place Renaudel Square Jean-Vauthier BP 7

Foundation Rakvere Theatre House,

33032 Bordeaux Cedex, France

Kreutzwaldi 2a

T +33 5 56 33 36 60 / F +33 5 56 92 81 50

44314 Rakvere, Estonia

www.tnba.org

T +37 2 32 95 451 / F +37 2 32 95 441

Director Dominique Pitoiset / Catherine Marnas

www.baltoscandal.ee

Deputy director Patrick Pernin

Artistic director Priit Raud

Administrator Ariane Braun

Festival director Velvo Väli Festival coordinator Katrin Vingel Dublin Theatre Festival Festival House, 12 Essex Street East, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, DO2 EH42, Ireland T +353 1 677 8439 www.dublintheatrefestival.com Artistic director & chief executive Willie White

Colophon Editorial staff Johanne de Bie, Flore Herman, Sarah Melin, Christophe Slagmuylder, Willie White, Valérie Wolters, Mark Yeoman Translation & proofreading Jodie Hruby, Carla Nobre Sousa Graphic design Arnaud Lorne Print Jan Verhoeven

General manager Tríona Ní Dhuibhir Director of programme and production Stephen McManus

Brussels, October 2017

Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival

This project has been funded by the European Union. The publication reflects only the views of its author,

Lagerhuset, Heurlinsplats 1, 1 tr.  41301 Gothenburg, Sweden  T +46 31 368 32 41 / F +46 31 368 32 69

and the EU cannot be held responsible for any use made of the information contained herein.

www.gdtf.se  Director Birgitta Winnberg Rydh (2007 – 2014) / Martin Hansson (2014 – present) Programme curator & producer Sarah Melin Project manager Malin Schiller

With the support of the Culture Programme (2012 – 2017) of the European Union

W W W.N X T S T P.E U

Alma Söderberg & Hendrik Willekens Idioter Anne- Cécile Vandalem After the walls Antonia Baehr Abecedarium Bestiarium Árpád Schilling / Krétakör The Party Benjamin Verdonck NOTALLWHOWANDERARELOST Berlin Perhaps all the dragons Berlin Zvizdal Cláudia Dias Monday: Watch Out for the Right! Dead Centre Chekhov’s First Play Edit Kaldor Web of Trust El Conde de Torrefiel GUERRILLA Emma Mar tin Girl Song Gunilla Heilborn Gorkij park 2 Halor y Goerger Corps Diplomatique Halor y Goerger & Antoine Defoor t Germinal Julian Het zel Schuldfabrik Kornél Mundruczó Dementia Kris Verdonck H, an incident L’Amicale de production On traversera le pont une fois rendus à la rivière L’Encyclopédie de la parole Suite n°1 L’Encyclopédie de la parole Suite n°2 L’Encyclopédie de la parole Suite n°3 Lond Malmborg 99 words for Void Lundahl & Seitl An Elegy to the Medium of Film Marcelo Evelin Dança Doente Maria Hassabi Première Marlene Monteiro Freitas Bacantes – Prelúdio para uma purga Marlene Monteiro Freitas de marfim e carne – as estátuas também sofrem Miet Warlop Fruits of Labor Philippe Quesne La nuit des taupes (Welcome to Caveland) Pan Pan Theatre The Seagull and Other Birds Quarantine Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring. Quarantine The Dyas Sisters Sarah Vanhee Oblivion Simon Mayer Oh Magic Sylvain Creuzevault Le Capital et son Singe Taoufiq Izeddiou En Alerte tg S TAN De Kersentuin Ula Sickle Kinshasa Electric