art creates future

An International Youth Art Project

Eine große Grupppe von verschiedenen Menschen liegt im Kreis auf dem Boden.

Eine Gruppe verschiedener Menschen in hauptsächlich weißer Kleidung sitzt im Kreis.

Einundzwanzig Jugendliche befinden sich in einem Videoanruf. Alle strecken ihre Arme in verschiedene Richtung und blicken woanders hin.

Five theatres for young audiences from the Ruhr Area have connected with five partner theatres from Hungary, France, Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands. Young people from 16 to 23 years of age come together in the europefiction groups in their cities, experiment with different theatre approaches and art forms and create theatre performances and exchange about the questions: "What kind of world do you want to live in? And what are you willing to do for it?"

Since 2018, HELIOS Theater has worked together with Kolibri Theatre from Budapst. The Hungarian young people are students of Ágnes Nemes Nagy School, a high school for performing arts. Theatre and dance are on the daily schedule. In their exchange, the groups from Hamm and Budapest did workshops together, live and digitally, and built up a connection and ongoing exchange.

From 2022, there are summer camps again: The possibility for all the groups to meet, get to know each other, do workshops together, discuss current topics and be creative in many ways. The camp 2022 takes place from July 9th-16th at Consol Theater in Gelsenkirchen.

Performance: Me. You. Us.

Who am I? What makes me "me"? Which part does family play? When do we feel connected? And does Guido the dog really own a dog's passport? Many questions, vague answers. On the quest to find their identity, the performers of the europefiction group Hamm go through old family albums for a start. Who are these people that I love so much? They indulge themselves in past times - and create new memories here and now. With improvisation and in self created scenes they question identity and family. They dsare to ask the big questions, develop weird stories and try the limits of the "Me" and the "Us".

Direction: Shabana Saya

europefiction Academy

In 2021, a new project started within the europefiction framework: The europefiction Academy - an exchange between the ten theatres about the work with young people concerning different topics. Together with La Transplanisphère (Paris, FR) and ExQuorum (Evora, PT), the HELIOS Theater develops a digital workshop for young people from different continents on the topic "migration". A test run with young people from India, Nigeria and Germany took place on March 6th. After the evaluation of the workshop, the concept will be published and presented to interested pedagogues from schools, arts & culture and (international) youth work. The europefiction Academy ins funded by the European Union.

Our partner La Transplanisphère described the workshop and context very well on their website.

Impressions from the Workshop

Works of the europefiction group

The europefiction groups Hamm and Budapest created a live performance and two films together:

Solidarity (2019)

Die Darsteller*Innen der Europefiction Gruppe sind in schwarz und weiß gekleidet und stehen auf der Bühne. Alle tragen Sonnenbrillen und schauen nach vorne ins Publikum. Im Vordergrund ist einer der Darsteller, der sich den Jugendlichen zugewendet hat. Im Hintergrund steht ein Betrachter.

What is solidarity? What does it mean to us? When – and how? – does it occur? The performers interrogated the concept “solidarity” in everyday life and world affairs. They examined it from different perspectives, from loud protesting against injustice to missing solidarity, tough anti- and shrill pseudo-solidarity on to silent standby. On the europefiction camp in Gelsenkirchen, the groups from Hamm and Budapest presented their performances together.

Sharing (2020)

Sechs Darsteller*innen befinden sich in einem Videoanruf. Jeder ist in einem futuristischem Kostüm verkleidet und sie unterhalten sich.

In the film "Shared Distance", the europefiction groups Hamm and Budapest tell in a mix of fiction and documentation how you can still be together despite social distancing, how you can share emotions and things. In the digital rehearsals, the young people have worked on bringing their thoughts, ideas and visions into an artistic form. "Shared Distance" is still online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCmVi9vlKPc

Simplicity (2021)

What is Simplicity? Where do we find it in our everydday life? When laughing? In front of the mirror? On the loo? What does she look like, Simplicity? The performers created a performance film together, with creative writing, movement and video art. The film "Simplicity" is still on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhnkagg1gmA

is a cooperation of:

Junges Schauspielhaus Bochum, Theater Rotterdam, KJT Dortmund, La Transplanisphère Paris, Consol Theater Gelsenkirchen, AGORA Theater St. Vith, HELIOS Theater Hamm, Kolibri Theatre Budapest, theaterkohlenpott Herne, ExQuorum Evora.

More information can be found on the project website www.europefiction.org.