About Us
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
to increase the environmental awareness of the public and to stimulate its active stance in issues related with climate change.
to transfer at a European level a successful approach on how theatre can be used against climate change.
to promote the intercultural awareness and exchange on issues related with climate change.
INDICATOR
Participation of at least 5.000 people in the performances (both at the local level and in the international festivals). 80% of the respondents in post-performance surveys to declare the increase of their environmental awareness and their willingness to take action.
Creation of 6 new theatre performances based on the “Dancing Trees” model. Participation of 120 artists from all over Europe in the activities related with the transfer of the approach (through the seminars, webinars, training activities etc).
Organisation of 3 international festivals each one including 7 theatre performances from 7 countries. 80% of the audience of the international festivals in postperformance surveys to declare that they have increased awareness of environmental issues of another country.
TARGET GROUPS
Artists and organisations that are working with theatre and performance arts: This target group is going to be targeted in the framework of the training activities both the face to face and the online upscaling and mainstreaming trainings.
Environmental organisations/ Environmental scientists: This group is going to be involved through the cooperation of artists and art organisations.
As an audience the project is going to target: General public. The main aim of the project is to raise the environmental awareness of the general public and empower them to take a more active stance for the defense of the environment.
MEMBERS
DAH Theatre (Serbia)
Smashing Times (Ireland)
Protagon (Germany)
Zid Theatre (Netherlands)
Action Synergy (Greece)
Grenland Friteater (Norway)
TNT (Spain)
Aeropilo – Topos Allou Theatre (Greece)
The project is based on the experience that the coordinator, DAH theatre, had with the creation of a sitespecific performance which aimed to raise awareness on the importance of trees in our life and to encourage urban initiatives in defence against excessive tree felling in the city of Belgrade. This performance uses dance, theatre, video projections, original music, poetry and facts to speak about the life of the trees. The actors share specific information about the trees’ importance for the planetary ecosystem together with data related to local ecological situation and stories about civic actions in tree defense.
The text of the performance includes local stories about the different civic actions against tree felling, like the one when citizens defended their local park and tied themselves to the trees. In that way it was intended to create a bridge to the community and also inspire the further actions. At the end of performance, the spectators are always invited to come closer to the trees, where the performers played until that point, and thus to become part of the event and have opportunity to express their own feelings. Without exception, the audience spontaneously started to hug the trees, most of them very moved and some in tears!
After the performances, there were invited members of the community to speak about their thoughts, emotions and doubts in relation with global climate changes and tree protection in their own city [using after show talks, surveys or video interviews]. Dancing Trees included also a webinar CREATE YOUR ACTION, with an aim to provide support, creative instruments and guidance in the articulation of civic initiatives in order to raise environmental awareness at the local level.
A documentary video for the dancing trees performance.
The project is based on the transfer of experience from one country (Serbia) to 6 more countries (Greece, Spain, Norway, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands) and therefore it creates a European added value. The exchange of viewpoints, experiences and expertise between the stakeholders in the sector is a very valuable issue because in this way people from each country can learn from the experiences of the other and can benefit from each other’s expertise. The implementation of the same concept and approach in various countries will help also to make conclusions and have comparable data of the implementation of the methodology between the different countries.
The project will contribute to learning about the environmental situations in other countries (of partners) and about interconnections and interdependence between all European countries in resolving the climate change issues. Additionally, the partners will exchange the proposals for possible strategies to involve more citizens in the fight for Europe as climate-neutral continent.
The project is going also to increase environmental intercultural awareness especially during the festivals where each country is going to present their own performance based on the specific issues that each country is facing. The project main results (performances, documentary, methodology, trainings) are going to be available in English and translated in all the languages of the partnership in order to ensure the wider reach of the project results. Three international festivals are also going to bring all the artists together in order to see the work of each other and present it to local audiences. The festivals are also going to be live-streamed in order to reach an international audience as well.
The training/ capacity building part of the project is not going to be limited in the partner countries. Through the use of (synchronous and asynchronous) online learning methods and the organisation of training in English, professionals from all over Europe are going to be invited to participate. This will allow the increase of the impact of the project beyond the partnership countries where the project activities are going to be implemented (Greece, Spain, Norway, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Serbia).
“Theater has an incredible capacity to move people to social change, to address issues, to inspire social revolution.”