Migration: latest PUSH lab in Dublin

In February, we sent performing artists Tony Tran and Mine Nilay Yalcin to Dublin, where they worked with other performing artists on the theme of "Migration" for eight days. The ArkDublin's theater house for children and young people.

PUSH; To initiate new ideas for theatre and dance for young audiences

PUSH is an EU project that has brought together Imaginate in Scotland, The Ark in Ireland, Krokusfestivalen in Belgium, Åben Dans in Denmark and Scenekunstbruket to create three artist laboratories around the themes of "Gender and Identity", "(Over-)Protection" and "Migration", as well as festival visits in all the respective countries. Scenekunstbruket and Showbox have hosted the PUSH project at the two previous festivals; first the kick-off in 2016 and last year with a festival visit.

PUSH will stimulate European dialogue around these topics that get to the core of who we are, how we choose to live, what stories we tell each other and how we honestly, yet safely, represent the reality of life to children and young people.

Artist lab at The Ark

In Dublin, 14 performing artists and laboratory managers gathered for a week of intense work. The Ark is a cultural center for children and young people located in the middle of the city's famous Temple Bar district, and houses both a stage and various rehearsal rooms.

They've been going since 1995 and have, among other things, a "Children's Council" consisting of fifth and sixth graders who work with a performing artist throughout the school year. They watch performances, work-in-progress, discuss and act as a focus group. Halfway through this lab, the performing artists got to meet them and work with them all day.

 

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Lunch at the Norwegian Embassy

They were intense days, but a nice break was lunch at the Norwegian Embassy. Tony and Mine brought Aideen and Sarah from The Ark, and met an interested ambassador Else Berit Eikeland and her staff.

The partner organizations in the lab

On the last three days of the lab, the project's partner organizations arrived in Dublin. We were included in the lab's warm-up exercises, and were given half an hour to work out a little character story before we wandered around The Ark and saw small works created by the artists.

 

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Imaginate - Edinburgh International Children's Festival

At the end of May, we will meet for the last time in this EU project, for a summary and celebration at Edinburgh Children's Festival. Scenekunstbruket will be there from May 30 to June 3.

All photos: Geraldine Heaney