THE TOWER OF BABEL - an interactive and immersive performance for a young audience by the network Participate in your life. 5 theatre companies from 5 countries with director H.Brinchmann (NO) produce an interactive performance premiering in Kaunas 2022. This network was created in 2018 to share experiences, invent and explore the possibilities for interactive theatre for children and young people. “The tower of Babel” will be a practical result and product of these two past years of collaboration and networking. "The tower of Babel" will be an interactive and immersive work of art inspired by the concerns of young European's for our common future. We will interview reference groups (from target group age 14-16) about their hopes, worries and thoughts on topics like climate change, politics, nationalism, democracy and international cooperation. In the performance the audience (here: the participants) is let in through 4 entrances, each group will co-create a tribe/nation together with actors. Will they be able to communicate when they meet at the main stage? The aim of the PIYL network and this performance is: To create a performance for young audience using interactivity as a method - where the target group is participating in the making. To gain (and share) new perspectives and knowledge about different ways of using interactivity as a method. To find out, listen to what young Europeans think and feel about the world they live in. To contribute to giving young people a voice/a feeling that they have impact on the performance (and the world) The collaboration Participate in your life is formed by 5 international theater companies/institutions: Kompani13 (Bergen, Norway) will contribute with their experience with children’s theatre and their previous work together with Káva. In the future of the network, Kompani 13 can contribute with hosting future happenings in Norway, and to expand the network in Norway and Scandinavia. Kompani 13’s producer will contribute will be the main administrator of the project. Káva Kulturális Műhely (Budapest, Hungary) will contribute with their experience and knowledge in the method “theater of the participant”. Káva would like to bring this knowledge to this network, to transfer know-how to their neighbours in Europe. They also will contribute with administration. Bird and Bat (Reykjavík, Iceland) is a dance company who adress movement and body language as means of communication with the audience. This is valuable in this project. Bird&Bat is well connected in the small icelandic dance community. Teater Allena v/Lasse Åkerlund (Sweden) will contribute with connections in Sweden and Scandinavia and with his experience in storytelling and directing. National Theatre, Lithuania (Kaunas, Lithuania) will host the performance. They are an institutional theatre and can provide professional photographer, marketing materials of the project. They also contribute with connections in the Baltic countries.
Art is not a privilege, it is for everyone, a fundamental right and part of society. For our Hungarian partner especially, art is also a tool in the fight against political apathy; strengthening democratic values, and citizenship awareness. Art is about the essence of humanity. By using interactive methods in the theater, we can open up situations for children and youth so that they can decide what world they want to live in. By implementing this project our aim was to: a) explore the method of participation/interactivity further, with the audience directly involved. Bringing in youth from all partner countries, both asking their opinion, involving them directly in "building a tribe" and then in the performance. b) empower youth through action both directly where they contribute to the making of the performance (by sharing their reality, and by participating and giving feedback throughout the entire process) - and by inspiring other artists to use the method of interactivity and to engage in international collaborations (thus exploring art for the future generation further). b) unite the perspectives of different European companies, as well as to push the boundaries of how to make interactive theater for a young audience.
The consortium of partners have worked together since 2018, exploring interactivity and participation in theatre for children and youth, to be part of the important discussion about how to meet young audiences. After two years we wanted to implement our experiences and explore the topic more hands on. Our most important motivation was the target group: youth. As artists we always seek to give the audience the opportunity to reflect upon the world, the society and themselves. In order to do that, we need to communicate and resonate with them and to begin to understand how they perceive their environment. Our tool is to create and we wanted to make a performance together. We decided to bring in a director who had her own experiences with both the interactive methods and meeting the young audiences. In a recent manifesto developed by Assitej International it is recommended “involving children and young people through consultation and collaboration and ensuring inclusion of their opinions and perspectives, at every possible level.” Children and youth should not be perceived merely as tomorrow’s audience; to be educated into good grown up spectators. They should have the right to experience art made especially for them, right now.