Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium has invited artists from all over the country to Holstebro to raise awareness for climate and sustainability through artistic experiences.
In August, Holstebro welcomes the nomadic artists community Performing Landscapes, who will be travelling around the country during August and September to introduce Denmark to experimental and inclusive performance arts, focusing on humans, nature, and climate.
The community consists of a total of 30 artists who will be visiting various towns to explore how art and climate, alongside our local surroundings, can influence our views on nature, people, and society.
Not a typical theatre experience
Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium presents Performing Landscapes in Holstebro, contributing to our lab-inspired approach and our desire to offer more diverse artistic experiences in West Jutland:
"We hope that by inviting Performing Landscapes to Holstebro, we'll be able to introduce the town to new and exciting forms of performances that are unlike what we normally think of as theatre. Here, there is no stage, no audience seats, no sets and no costumes. It is simply the people and our surroundings at its core," says Simon Beyer-Pedersen, national producer at Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium.
The various festival artists invite the audience to join both performances, workshops, rituals, and hikes. The artistic experience is thus created with the people who show up.
Unlike classical theatre, many of the Performing Landscapes artists encourage the audience to actively participate in the experience – to sense, walk and feel together.
A Unique setting for the arts in the middle of town
The festival will take place at the hospital grounds (DA: sygehusgrunden) in the middle of town, where the various artists will use the old hospital buildings to create connections and open up for thoughts about the relationship between these surroundings, art, and nature.
“It's a fantastic opportunity to once again explore what the old hospital buildings can be used for – both artistically and as part of the conversation about urban development and the relationship between human and nature,” says Simon Beyer-Pedersen.
Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium has opened the old regional hospital for artistic purposes on several occasions, and given these large blocks of concrete a dose of culture.
“This time we'll be using the part of the buildings where the old emergency room was (today, it is the entrance to Prana University). Right where the lush greens meet the heavy grey of hospital buildings – the perfect location when you want to examine the interplay between natural and man-made,” concludes Simon.
Climate reflections through art
A total of 7 artists (and groups) will participate in the festival in Holstebro, and each of them focuses on themes related to sustainability and climate. Some look at ecological values and the values of natural materials. Some focus on life in nature and man's place in it – and others examine what goes beyond us humans: the spiritual, the unsaid, that lies between us.
The festival aims to get visitors to wonder, examine, and reflect on our existence in relation to nature and each other.
In addition to Holstebro, Performing Landscapes will also visit 10 other cities to create artistic voices in local buildings and areas in each.
The project is facilitated by Metropolis and supported by the Danish Arts Foundation.
Tickets can be purchased here
