No Water

PERFORMANCE CLIPS

An interdisciplinary theatre production for residential tower blocks

1. A project in the European series "Sanctuary/Schutzraum"

Dancers, actors, musicians, visual artists, singers and residents are the performers in a project that actually turns the environment in which people live, the squares, streets, pavements, balconies, porches, living and other rooms, doorways and window ledges into the stage. The audience stands on the street and observes "everyday life" in and around several buildings. What is truth, what is fiction? By integrating the home environment, spectators are led into a world that they seem to know, but which creates uncertainties and discomfort that excites their curiosity as they surrender to it.

The setting for people's lives is integrated into the artistic considerations, but only as it is seen from the outside. The specific situation of the audience - they are not "voyeurs" looking into people's rooms, as it were, rather their view is restricted to what is on the outside; at the same time, scenes and texts carry what is on the inside to the outside, people with visible problems disappear behind the facades, windows are opened or closed without any precise connections emerging; instead, these links are developed or interpreted associatively by the audience based on their own experience. The fact that as many cliches are confirmed as are destroyed in the process is, of course, intentional.

By manipulating and integrating real life settings, they become different to the experiences of everyday life for all those involved, especially for those who participate in the production and the residents who put up with them.

Location in Essen-Steele

The location in the centre of Essen-Steele, a square of owner-occupied and rented housing and shops based around Kaiser Wilhelm Platz, offers a wide range of opportunities to stage scenes and integrate authentic aspects of life. The audience can move from place to place, past various architectural forms. Large flat first-floor roofs that are easily visible, balconies and terraces built like steps, small balconies, various entrances and exits, large and small windows, a wide range of shops, etc.

Which themes, subjects or forms move people to actively participate?
What happens when art and culture penetrate private and public spaces? How do the residents react? Are private spaces also sanctuaries? Is art ultimately anything more than an unusual experience?
The international dance, theatre and music project is attempting to answer these and other questions

The project is being presented as part of the "Local Hero" Capital of Culture programme in Essen:
From 1st-3rd October 2010, the Center-Carrée in Steele will become the stage for the project, which brings together the cultural associations engaged in the STEELE.2010 consortium, local actors, artists and private individuals with an interest in the project, in cooperation with artscenico e.V.

The Center-Carrée used to be a public market place and changed when the area was renovated in the 1970s into a residential and business quarter - now it is undergoing a new transformation into the location for an exciting artistic and cultural project!

The idea comes from the Dortmund theatre director and performing artist Rolf
Dennemann (artscenico), who is also the project's artistic director.

The Steele Consortium is an amalgamation of: Steeler Archiv e.V.
Kulturzentrum Grend, ICS-Initiativkreis City Steele, Steeler Bürgerschaft e.V., Studio-Bühne Essen e.V., together with individuals who wish to take part.