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Description
AIM: The project focuses on performative activities, covering three main areas of art: dance, visual arts and music. The aim is to build a program of residencies that will initiate cooperation between artists from Norway and Poland, as well as local non-professional artists and the public. EVENTS PLANNED IN THE PROJECT: 1. shows: • two performances of "Make me dance" by the Panta Rei dance theater; • a co-production prepared by the Panta Rei dance theater and the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theater, which will be presented 6 times in 2 days, in February 2024. The "As we pass by" event will be a spectacle-walk through the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theater, exhibiting its extraordinary architecture. 2. Residences: • In April 2023, the Guerrilla Plastic Movement will be in residence. Through waste collection campaigns and artistic activities, the group educates about the dangers of pollution of sea waters. Plastic found on beaches or along roads is processed by it and used in the implementation of installations, performances, exhibitions, workshops, etc. The aim is to show how the plastic that is used every day is turned into waste that stays in the ocean for hundreds of years, killing birds and animals and destroying the fragile balance of nature. Various activities that will take place during the visit: exhibition, beach cleaning effort, art workshops, collective creation of installations in front of the theater, publication promotion, panel discussion. All of them will lead to one goal, which is making the recipients aware of the harmfulness of using plastic in everyday life. 3. Concerts: • Shannon Mowday will give a concert with his LILA quartet, and will also conduct Master Workshops for students of the Academy of Music in Gdańsk, culminating in a concert.
Summary of project results
The aim of the project organisers was to present innovative trends in Norwegian culture, developed through various forms of art. The project was based on cooperation with artists from Norway and co-creation of events with the participation of Polish artists and local communities with limited access to cultural offers.
The aim of the project was to show social problems through art, raise awareness of the role we play in the environment around us, how the decisions we make affect the behavior of other people and the protection of our environment.
The project partner, Panta Rei Dance Theater from Oslo (PRD), initiated the artistic phase of the project with a performance combining music, theater and dance, based on the personal stories of the artists about their creative development. Using existing contacts of the Shakespeare Theater and new opportunities to establish contacts with the local artistic community of the Pomeranian region, PRD created, during the residency in 2024, a co-production realized in various spaces at the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theater. The co-production developed with the participation of artists and dancers from the Tri-City was an artistic summary of the project.
The aim of the project was to address issues that concern both Poles and Norwegians, exchange experiences and develop new, creative solutions that, through art, will influence the change of society''s attitude to the problems of the modern world.
As part of the project of the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre (GTS), a performance was created with the participation of children and young people, the premiere of which took place on June 24 at 4:00 p.m. and June 25, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. Before the premiere, workshops were held, led by Pia Holden from Panta Rei Danseteater, those with the children''s group (18 people) lasted 3 days, with the youth group (11 people) 2 days plus a rehearsal and two performances before the presentation of the performance "Płatki i baśnie". In addition to the workshops, the performance was accompanied by a literary and animation program for families prepared by Małgorzata Brajner, an actress and popularizer of high-quality children''s literature. The actress read fairy tales that were matched in character to the theme of the performance, while the animators conducted artistic activities with the children. During the Panta Rei Theatre residency in Gdańsk, a production meeting with the stage team was also held, devoted to the evaluation of available spaces for the implementation of individual solo locations of the future co-production, which was the culmination of the project. Using the experience gained, a seminar was also held for employees of Tri-City cultural institutions on including the audience in the creative process as part of outreach activities. The program and implementation of the meeting were highly rated by the participants in the surveys. In September 2023, GTS representatives: Anna Szynkaruk, Melania Szymerowska and Paulina Popiół went on a study visit to Norway. The artists participated in a unique night dance walk in the Fredriksten fortress in the Norwegian city of Halden. During this event, six dance solos were presented, which were the result of participation in the development program for young professionals - TILT Grow. These solos, created by leading Norwegian and international choreographers, were presented in 2024 at the Gdańsk Theatre
In November, two week-long residencies of two Polish dancers took place in Oslo. In cooperation with choreographers from the Panta Rei Theatre, Polish artists selected in the casting: Artur Grabarczyk and Natalia Dinges worked on creating solo performances, which became an integral part of the Polish-Norwegian co-production.
In December 2023, representatives of the Norwegian theatre Panta Rei and Guerilla Plastic Movement visited the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre. The meeting focused on key issues related to the upcoming co-production between the institutions.
On March 15-17, the premiere and subsequent presentations of the performance "SOLO" took place, which was presented a total of 9 times. All performances gathered large audiences, and each of them enjoyed great interest and positive reception from the audience. This three-day artistic marathon was not only an opportunity to present the finished choreographic work, but also to engage the local community in the unique GTS performance. The premiere of "SOLO" was the culmination of the project''s activities, during which art, ecology and social involvement were promoted.
As part of the pro-ecological activities, on March 9, a forest clean-up campaign was organized, at the same time obtaining materials for the construction of the scenography from recycling for the "SOLO" project. Together with the Horyzont Zdarzeń Foundation and Guerrilla Plastic Movement, the coast of Gdańsk was cleaned, collecting rubbish and creating applied art from waste. On March 17, open, family workshops on upcycling were held, drawing attention to the importance of caring for the natural environment.
Another event was a street campaign in Gdańsk, which took place on March 17, as part of which a professional music video was recorded promoting the idea of combating excessive plastic consumption. Through various artistic, educational and social activities, we aimed to promote ecology, art and active social participation, engaging both the local community and artists and activists from various backgrounds. Both the workshops and the music video were accompanied by educational activities aimed at increasing ecological awareness. The aim was not only to create a unique spectacle and artistic events, but also to inspire positive social change and protection of the natural environment.
The project has achieved:
Number of artistic events resulting from cooperation between the leader and project partners - 31
Number of recipients of cultural and artistic events - 1300
Number of people (artists, specialists) involved in the project implementation - 46
Number of trained professionals - 17
Promotional materials circulation - 2700
Summary of bilateral results
January-April 2023The project partners came to Gdańsk for a study visit carried out on 8-11 January 2023, got to know the theatre and its team, planned in detail the activities leading to the presentation of the play "Petals and Tales in Gdańsk in June. May-August 2023The project partner Panta Rei Danseteater prepared and presented the performance "Płatki i Baśnie" at the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre, along with activities expanding the audience and involving the audience in the creative process. The director of the Panta Rei Theatre conducted a seminar on the topic of audience development addressed to employees of cultural institutions. The management and artists of the theatre conducted a casting for professional dancers and, in cooperation with GTS, selected artists for the joint final production. September - December 2023The project partner took an active part in the implementation of the activities. He organized the partner visit of GTS representatives to Oslo, their stay, participation in an artistic event in Halden and an organizational meeting regarding the planned co-production. He organized residencies of Polish dancers in Oslo and provided artistic supervision of the creative process.January-April 2024The partners played a key role in every stage of the implementation of the "SOLO" project. Since January, when the residency of the Polish dancer in Oslo took place, the partners from Panta Rei Dansetheater actively supported the artistic process by providing appropriate conditions and logistical support. Intensive meetings in February regarding the production of the "SOLO" performance were held in cooperation with PRD, who contributed valuable ideas and suggestions regarding both the content and the form of the performance.