Current Projects (2024-25)
Bringing Family Theatre to Villages across Europe
‘Bringing Family Theatre to Villages across Europe’ will share high-quality professional performing arts performances from Poland, Lithuania, and Germany. Performances will reach rural communities in Estonia, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Poland, and Lithuania.
Of the total EU population, 30% live in rural areas; at national and European level, cultural activity in rural areas is fragmented within a poorly supported infrastructure. Rural communities within Europe do not have the same access to contemporary performing arts as their urban counterparts. The Where to Land Report 2022 stated that the primary carbon footprint from events came not from touring artists but from audiences attending shows. Furthermore, the SPARSE project evaluation found that over 50% of the audience lives less than 5km from the venue so it reaches a local, rural audience.
This project seeks to learn from previous successful cross-border rural touring projects, which are still a very new and challenging concept – involving new partners, selecting new touring shows collaboratively, creating zoned tours that support artist well-being, and reaching rural audiences.
Partners
Artistic Works
Performance of paper (origami) dolls based on Vytautas V. Landsbergis’ fairy tale presents the theme of love to the audience in a modern, subtle, and creative way. Dominique, a wild horse, falls in love with a beautiful and slightly naughty cornflower. As winter approaches, the horse picks the corn and hides it because the frost is trying to freeze it. Then he leaves for Africa to find the cornfield, where his beloved comes from. During this interesting and complex journey, he meets a polar bear, a crocodile, a camel and other characters. Finally, Dominique reaches his travel goal. As spring approaches, he decides to return home, because his cornflower has to sprout again.
Two actors perform this sensitive love story, playing with different shapes and sizes of paper leaflets, and objects. This story of affection and travels teaches love and creativity, and at the same time subtly testifies to the power of continuous renewal.
The performance expresses a need to give voice to the youngest – in the relationships we form with those around us – for their kindness and open hearts allow us to believe that a new, empathic society is possible. Two gentle performers invite the smallest audience members to cooperate in building their small community and sharing their creativity. A performance created in response to the ‘Mapping. A Map on the aesthetics of performing arts for early years’ project supported by Creative Europe.
Tour Dates
Maciej Zakrzewsk
