Description
ZYG is a collaborative project between Companhia de Música Teatral (PT), Dybwikdans (NO) and Fábrica das Artes-CCB (PT) built around the idea of creating an original and innovative artistic experience for children aged 0-36 months with educational repercussions for the community. The project intends to promote the dialogue between portuguese and norwegian cultural institutions that have been important key players in the field of art and education, in particular in early childhood. Companhia de Música Teatral (CMT) and Dybwikdans were founded at around the same time, under the scope of an eclectic and pioneering artistic philosophy. Both groups share a common interest on infants’ and childrens’ performances and installations and have a strong identity and background on conciliating artistic creation with educational activities. There is a common ground but also complementarity: for CMT the source of inspiration starts on music; for Dybwikdans dance is the departure point for the artistic work. The artistic leaders of CMT and Dybwikdans are also academics who share an interest on the use of arts as tools for the promotion of human development. CCB has hosted and recognizes the artistic quality of both groups and is very much interested to combine their strengths aiming to reach infants, families and early childhood professionals with innovative proposals that might contribute for positive changements in society in the european context.
Summary of project results
ZYG is the prefix of "zygoto" and the metaphorical idea of the "egg" (something that results from the conjugation of compatible but diverse identities and that is in itself a new entity / identity) was present from the beginning. Companhia de Música Teatral knew that they wanted to create an artistic experience that simultaneously reflected the "DNA" of each one but that pointed out new paths and brought them something that they had never done before. With the preliminary discussion Companhia de Música Teatral identified some basic principles (communicative musicality, "togetherness", "companionship", "bonding") that were deepened over time and discussed in a blog that served as the logbook of the creative process and thus the project presented at CCB was the result of an organic evolution shaped by many questions and interest in building an innovative and meaningful experience (a decisive factor was the decision to construct a space-container, both physical and which led us to explore the idea of "embodiment" and "readiness", the principles on which the performative component of the project is based). The project also foresaw "educational repercussions" in the form of training, conference-performance actions and Companhia de Música Teatral ended up discovering that “ZYG” could materialize, in a particularly interesting way, our idea of "artistic-educational constellation": ZYG encompasses a performance, a set of possibilities to explore with educators important principles of early childhood artistic experience. Future prospects for “ZYG” are roaming and the exploring of new paths. Companhia de Música Teatral believes that they have created a particularly interesting model, which allows them to build a temporary hub where cultural institutions can create ties with the community. Companhia de Música Teatral also believes that the potential of ZYG is broader than the experience with early childhood and therefore they intend to explore the work with other audiences, especially with people with special needs.
Summary of bilateral results
The partnership for “ZYG” arose after Companhia de Música Teatral initial contacts with Dybwickdans, from Norway. The common ground led the partners to believe that this collaboration would be an effective way to promote the dialogue between these portuguese and norwegian cultural institutions. Besides the intrinsic value of the experience that was created (original, innovative and meaningful) the partners regarded this project as an opportunity to grow artistically and intellectually. The cross-contamination of projects/languages/experiences was something the partners were willing to do and they hoped to learn from each other in the process.