Dear SPIELART guests,

“Everyone cares about something”: the artist Nástio Mosquito, who was born in Angola and now lives in Ghent and Lisbon, strongly believes this. Many of the artists participating in this year’s SPIELART programme derive structural analyses from personal experiences by transferring these into political contexts. Such experiences might be illness or the death of a close relative. The artists tell stories of war, flight and migration, but also of the will and struggle of women to live without external or internalised oppression. What unites many of the works is an indisposition towards the neoliberal western structures that are increasingly dominating everyday life and art here, as well as an awareness of the interconnectedness of the world.
 
We are amongst others featuring productions from Southafrica Mozambique, Nigeria, Namibia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cameroon. A further focus of the programme is the Middle East. In the final two days we are presenting, under the title NEW FREQUENCIES, 17 positions by younger artists.
A series of discussions running through the festival adds thematic depth to the theatre productions. This is further enriched by the program SPIELART: PARTICIPATE and, for the first time, a schools’ programme. And of course, once again, we have a festival centre, open daily, where visitors can get together to talk, socialise and make merry.
 
“Our visions begin with our desires”, said the writer and activist Audre Lorde. A desire for intellectual richness and complexity. For community and communities. For encounters which change things. For pausing and engrossing ourselves, for generosity and respect. For pleasure.  
 
On behalf of the SPIELART-Team
 
Sophie Becker
Artistic Director

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