There is a Distinct Possibility that We Were not All Going to Come Back – Lab 3, Belgium Bound Part 1: Ghent
Déjà vu – that is not quite the phrase I need but all through lab 3, I had the same kind of feeling. Maybe more like stepping into a mirror and looking back, or a shiver I couldn’t shake. Like the society you left behind (in this case, for 4 days) seemed to have everything backwards or upside down – we spend so much time working out which way is up, everything seems to continue to look down, (or more importantly) there is so little left to support the community who need it the most. ‘The grass is always greener’ effect was strong and I am totally aware of it, Belgium has significant social and political turmoil, but culture and community is robust and well invested in, the discord seems to bring individuals and community with it…. In the UK, I feel like the art sector is fighting alone, individuals and organisations are so exhausted just trying to ‘prove’ we are vital, that making work and engaging audiences is whittled down to the last penny even though there is an ever-pressing need for the public seek out the culture we produce – in Belgium artists are valued throughout society, essential workers, carrying out essential work!
I absolutely loved this adventure! The theatre was my kind of s***, the culture was rich, lots of chocolate and waffles, meeting amazing artists, lack of cars in the city centre and public transport affordable (10 euro, unlimited travel all day), soaking in all the wisdom and of the Another Route gang and much more beside. Being introduced to the idea that there could and should be a social security net for artists, (will go into this a bit further as it is not perfect but at least a solid start for society to value what we do) was empowering too. Thank you again to Dan and Nene, supported by the wider Another Route team, for organising a rich, fruitful and stress-free few days!
After a stay in London, for an early start to board the euro star, we were ushered into business lounge and then leisurely, with a stomach full of freshly baked croissants, escorted onto a first-class carriage, (where we were served more croissants). This is because first class is the only compartment big enough for wheelchairs and access brings on a different level of conversation…That will teach you capitalism to neglect disabled communities when designing new trains to maximise profit! We were literally forced to undermine the idea of first and second class on public transport. A principle brought in by Victorian England to mimic an old horse and carriage stagecoach (when buying a ‘first-class’ ticket got you a roof over your head in the carriage, compared to sitting up front, sitting on that roof, or even hanging on to the back for grim life). They took this principal of necessity to make profit on the railways.
However, first class is the only compartment big enough for wheelchairs and access, which brings on a different level of conversation…That will teach you capitalism to neglect disabled communities when designing new trains to maximise profit! We were literally forced to undermine the idea of first and second class on public transport, and there were three of us.
No, I don’t want to participate in this toxic class entitlement thing…….. pay more for a little bit of leg room when lots won’t get a chance to …., plastic wasted with fancy pathetic trades…., Yeah, takeaway our care plans, but at least we get a complimentary biscuit with our tea…..rant, rant, rant!
And breathe, that’s probably not helping, nor why I guess your reading this blog, if indeed you still are………. From the train, ready to experience rich Belgium hospitality, we are confronted with a Dunkin’ Doughnuts and Pret a Manger….. we have just travelled under the sea, across three countries and 250 odd miles…the world is indeed shrinking… or in the word of Captain Jack Sparrow, na mate, the world is not shrinking, ‘there is just less in it’. No, sorry, did it again – I’ll get back to useful reflection.
Out of the train station and on to our first cobbled street – ahhhhhh (you have to make this sound whilst bouncing up and down randomly – it’s the wheelchair code), we are in Belgium now! A trip across the motorway and into Ghent. My heart landed in Belgium after crossing this quaint bridge over the canal. A picture-perfect scene and we all took full advantage.
We have a packed day, even after a morning of travel and it starts off with an amazing artist doing amazing work in a pop-up tent. Hosting about 50, our large group would have taken up most of that space, so some of the Another Route gang went on a further exploration of one of the many performance spaces, whilst those of us left snuggled in the tent space. It was wet and windy outside which added to the magical transformation we were about to witness!
A workshop began – Bodies of Knowledge with Sarah Vanhee and Co. started by welcoming us all into the space with coffee and biscuits. About 15 local people joined us and the atmosphere warmed considerably. They began with an introduction to the space. We were about to learn from experts by experience, knowledge that isn’t normally taught in schools or institutions. Questions and debate were encouraged and a sense of understanding beyond words was established. So, in a DIY tent with kids playing football in the community park outside, this radical applied theatre was in motion…
Our lesson, yet it felt like so much more, was on the idea of shared housing and how we need to think differently about how we live with each other in order to make sure we all have a warm place to rest our heads. The focus was on the local community, so of course the session was in Flemish. With plenty of artists/students as part of the ensemble, who were very happy to translate, that wasn’t a problem at all. I was amazed by how many people were involved on the creative side. Maybe it was because this project was very much community led and as such, more hands were needed to support, guide and create a flexible and non-hierarchical space. I was to learn that things in Belgium were geared up so progressively towards cultural and the arts as a vital tool for social mobility/engagement/understanding, that having multiple creators in space to help the conversation move forward was just standard practice.
Ok, I am drifting into memoir writing and this blog can’t be as long as all that. I think I want to match the Egypt write up and focus on the powerful work we saw and all the awesome people we encountered. I will share this funny moment though, with loss in translation at the heart of this incident, one of our group started talking about how their grandparents care-home has the same name as one of the initiatives which is building more social space housing in Belgium. The group as a whole thought she was describing a wonderful new way of living where everyone takes care of each other and one would only have to ring the bell for help once in a while. In fact, the reality was a rundown institution where bridge club happened once a week, if you were lucky, the food is usually served cold, horrible wallpaper lined the corridors and the garden is soon to be demolished for parking. The utopian future of social living was far from the mind of a profiting private health care owner when they picked that name. Yet for a good five minutes, she had the group on tenterhooks!
I hope the irony comes across as I was laughing so much at this memory, it took me and a support worker hours to write it!
Image source: https://www.sarahvanhee.com/bodies-of-knowledge
After the humbling yurt experience, we gathered in Vier Nul Vier, an inspiring building with multiple stages and a vibrant productive atmosphere. The outdoor and festival producer Marieke De Munck, who was just as excited to hear about us and our practises as we were to hear about this power-house of performance, made us feel at ease. There was a festival taking place in and around the venue which was focusing on modern day myth and legend:
Marieke was the main organiser for this magical yet demystifying festival. She works closely with a range of producers and programmers to bring meaningful and extraordinary art to Ghent. We were later to learn that a socialist structure shapes this venue (a workers revolt, which saw them dump the traditional management hierarchy at the door (probably not as dramatic as this, but I like to picture a year-long occupation of the building until the rich give into the workers demands – but no guillotine involved in my fantasy)). Not at all perfect of course as decisions are slow and a certain kind of ableism is allowed to creep in, if you can’t keep up with the demands of a co-operative organisation, which is automatically trapped in a capitalist system, you could become humiliated or left behind… balance is needed for everything, but it was definitely inspiring compared to the UKs infuriating obsession on narrow minded management systems who are often so distant from the grass routes….
In my blog sharing the Egyptian epic was lab2, I had so much to reflect and learn from, I brushed over the delicious food we were spoilt too. Not possible with this though as food and taste was essential to many performances! Tea, coffee and biscuits were important building blocks to build a safe and friendly feel in the yurt with Body Knowledge and the first ticketed performance we saw took food and preparations to a new level.
Image Source: https://www.viernulvier.gent/en/agenda/5739/%27BALSAM%27/Laika_Zefiro_Torna
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BALSAM, a collaboration between Laika and Zefiro Torna: The audience seated in a 3-row hexagon, looking into a laboratory kitchen with colourful ingredients, test tubes, vessels bubbling over and delicate instruments. There are 3 chefs/performers in black who make and create throughout the show. Around this and then around us, music is played, rich, powerful, emotional, energetic and everything in between. A very loose narrative of the different geological epochs, a visual deep dive into earths long-time. Through our senses we travel from a fiery, molten rock existence, to green life, photosynthesis and lushness. Throughout the performance, we are offered (or more like somewhere between dared or even tricked) tastings of unusual, extreme and abhorrent concoctions. The textures and visuals of these brews and blends were just as challenging as the flavours. I sensed a deep feeling, maybe full of loss, that the ‘West’ misses much of what taste and food is all about. Sometimes the taste experience was uncomfortable, yucky and made me pull some interesting faces but they were all beautiful moments in time.
…..At least that was my experience and not shared by all (not shared by many would be more accurate). A significant number secretly stopped tasting, and more than one outright refused to take the next recipe. I checked on the makers website and dug a bit deeper, but there is no warning of allergies, nor that at least one of the tastings would lead individuals to gag. In the show, we were given a recipe book which did have ingredients, but with small print and dark, theatre lighting conditions, it was impossible to see what we were putting in our mouths. There might well have been info as you walked into the space that we didn’t take time to translate, but there definitely needed to be more information about the food being consumed. At best, not all would have been able to experience the rich music or atmosphere, at worst, someone might have consumed something with devastating allergic reactions being the result. This piece was amazing, offering multiple ways to engage, going from a mesmerising blanket of awe, which had everyone transfixed, to a live gig feel with laughter and chatting, but more info is definitely needed please so we can all enjoy when it tours again!
With my tummy bubbling away and making interesting popping sounds, it was time to head for a bed! Along with fruitful and joyful conversations with Another Route artists, punctuated by the two performances above, this was a very satisfying day indeed!
The second day
It was another whirlwind day in Ghent. Not literally, as the winds have died down a little – it was very stormy and wet yesterday. We strolled to … well, it definitely began like that but then things got difficult as memories from Egypt high curb syndrome was apparent here and a large detour commenced. We had to pretend to be very heavy bicycles and meander through the streets. This was not ideal and not expected in a modern European city, but we just made it to S.M.A.K. in time. On entering the building we were met with a welcoming large open space with benches and a stunning little, very tempting gift shop area. A tardis feel as I peeked around corners and around bends, where we were led to the performance area.
Image Source: https://www.viernulvier.gent/nl/agenda/5817/%27The_Crip_Academy%27/laGeste_wit_h
Two people in white t shirts look up with smiles at a painting being held by two children wearing brown tops. Behind them is a brown brick wall and a portrait painting leaning up against the background.
laGeste & wit.h’s The Crip Academy: in a white wall art gallery space, there were benches for audience to sit. All around, paintings and drawings lean against walls. Some realism, some abstract, drawn and painted. Near one corner, a musician played a soundscape throughout. The subtle changes in rhythm were like cues to the intergenerational cast, who were between around 40 and 5? The 5–7-year-olds were definitely the choral leads and were so in the zone. It was a joy to be a part of this live gallery. Now and then, the ensemble would pick up paintings and ‘assertively held them’ in your face – which was a great feat given that some of the master pieces were bigger than the little ones trying to carry them. Some controversial/problematic moments (which I didn’t feel at the time) when the performers were mimicking some of the paintings. The most vital part of this performance is the knowledge that the artworks have been created by a group of learning-disabled artists. When the group of able-bodied dancers* began distorting their features, a sense of ‘this is not ok’ was felt by some. On reflection, the moment when they were holding their hands in front of each other’s eyes….was this a defence mechanism symbolising the need to hide away from the harsh reality, from the outside world or an unsavoury attempt to say that we are all blind now and look how we get it.
About halfway, I fell into a deep, emotional state. A memory of a story, now more like a legend, of how Unlimited (biggest funders of disabled artist in the UK) curated an art exhibition in the Tate. Opening night was carefully planned next to a press event for some famous artist, I forget who. According to a senior producer at Unlimited, who I spoke to directly, not a single press member bothered to literally step 10 paces that way, go through a door and see the high-quality work that disabled artist have created…. Although I have forgotten much of the detail, this account still makes me very angry, emotional and generally melancholy. When watching The Crip Academy, I felt like the performance was speaking directly to this event. I experienced the uncomfortable feeling that the deliberate oppression of disabled work had been seen here in Belgium, to fuel this performance – the way they were putting the painting front and centre, literally demanding a response, was powerful to me indeed.
As I said, I was totally into the work and loved the workshop techniques and the young and older working together to celebrate each other. The movement was both beautifully choreographed and perfectly improvised. There were no boundaries or demands to step into a perfect dance routine, and at the same time all the performers were connected in some way. I was so spellbound by this, I forgot all my knowledge and grounding in disabled politics. On the one hand, that is what good art can do, right?... allow you forget ‘worries’ and sync into a deep level of being…but reflecting with fellow Another Route-ers after the show, more than one of them were severely uncomfortable with the whole aesthetics/optics of this experience. Cultural appropriation is both rife and extremely damaging to oppressed communities and the fact that disabled people were not centre to this performance probably tipped the balance towards the work being toxic….
Tram tracks on cobbled quiet street. Grey and cream buildings match the cloudy sky.
A trip to wonderland, (aka Campo) to mull over what we had just experienced. Campo was quite extraordinary from the moment we set our eyes on it. A cobbled pathway underneath a bridge building into a courtyard/green space. There is a real feel of ‘DIY’, creativity, community and make-shift about the place and everyone is so smiley. There were three or four artists who we had met already from the yurt workshop performance and it was very pleasing to say hello again and to deepen our friendships. We were welcomed into their bar-space with bubbling homemade soup and fresh bread. This great hospitality strengthened the aura of the space. Kristof Blom, artistic director gave a brief introduction to the organisations extraordinary work, from nurturing early career/developing artists, producing work, co-collaborating on new ideas, platforming international work to providing a ‘post production support package’ for individuals who are ready for further adventures. Elegantly put by Kristof, they support creative individuals from the moment they find their performance voice to touring a fully realised piece of work – a metaphorical backpack, full of supporting networks and contacts with artists and venues and all the tools needed to reach that next level.
…the grass is always greener, the grass is always greener, the grass is always greener…
“And to touch upon our funding structure” explains Kristof, “our core funding is a nine year…”. Holy Sh!t Theatre!! Yep, turns out nine year core funding cycles are commonplace in Belgium.
Next speaker is an artist who has trained with Campo and now has a nine-year (yes 9 year!) bursary of their own. They say they have been able to pay most of a mortgage whilst making original, experimental and politically charged work with their partner. Wow, there is definitely something in the soup!
Seriously though, the cultural capital and the social mobility that is present throughout Ghent (alongside the extraordinary high-quality art) is palpable! My main reflection is that Doorstep does a similar role for Torbay’s community but with far less funding, even as an NPO. They create nurturing spaces for young people to find their artistic feet, build platforms for those artists to experiment and showcase their ideas/talents, showcase national work to inspire local communities who would not get the opportunity to see performance otherwise and support artists on their next step, whether that be cementing their journey as a teaching artist or developing their creative talents elsewhere. Doorstep are battling against an enormous tide of a shrinking creative curriculum for schools, general underappreciation of artists and a non-stop barrage of application writing to ensure they can give what local families rely on. The disparity is huge in the ways of funding but the outcome and obvious benefits are familiar throughout.
You got the feel that creativity was alive in Campo. Every window looked like it led to a studio or workshop space. After savouring both the soups and conversation, I glanced out over to see a group of AR marching away with Kristof. It turns out they were just interested in seeing a certain space, but I had the joyful notion that they were signing up to Campo, arranging flights for co-collaborators to join them and disappearing for nine years with the freedom and support to continue their already brilliant practise. A mix of relief and slight disappointment when they left with us to carry on our adventure.
The inkling that live art and theatre was being made all around us was realised when we were invited to a work-in-process performance. Echoing feelings of yesterday, it felt like a real privilege to be in that space and to see four nervous devisors excel themselves on stage.
Three people in white padded coats interact with different objects on a white, messy stage.
Image source: https://www.campo.nu/index.php/en/production/24087/l_i_a_r_
L.I.A.R. Frankie / CAMPO: The stage was a mess. Handcrafted projects everywhere, making up loads of experiments – a duck endlessly rotating on the floor, a robotic dog that could talk, a mini model set up of the entire stage, including the duck. There were cameras everywhere, with one live-filming a handmade logo of ‘L.I.A.R’ which was then projected onto a wall (which turned into an experimental chamber/laboratory/prison cell), this was live-mixed to create a sort of trailer for the show as it was being ‘unravelled’. Very meta, sarcastic, cynical, self-aware, surreal and awkward. The dog took centre stage most of the time, a sort of narrator as well as test subject There were also live scoring and soundscape creation with a drummer and DJ booth. They found that balance between holding a narrative and deconstructing perceptions of theatre at the same time. The jokes were turned back on themselves and at times you felt like they were just as alienated from the content as the audience. The climax of the robotic dog, having its lifetime wish of watching a human in a shower, only to be critical of their washing technique, gives you an idea of how meta the performance was.
It was a beautiful space to be welcomed into – that delicate balance of material, almost ‘audiences ready’, but still needing tweaks and adjustments to truly justify the original concepts, is a sacred part of the making process. One that I relish in my own practise on top of all the other epiphanies moments!
A group photo to prolong our stay at Campo and then we journey back to mighty VIERNULVIER as we wander through the heart of an European market, with towering medieval castle structures, gothic architecture and weaving in and out of shoppers/local people chilling out, we were able to get an authentic sense of Ghent. Better get some food quickly before the night’s performances, not quite enough time for Jen and I to get enough nutrients, unfortunate, we’re not going to enjoy tonight as much as we should.
The Holy Cow and the Pomegranate: Two long tables set up with chairs, plates, and napkins. We really must read the blurb properly!!; the show is essentially a five-course meal. The offer to lay the table as our host and presenter explains that new research shows that the more we participate in meal preparations, the better our emotions are throughout the day. The first course is served and we are instructed on how to use the seeds, oil and bread to make a delicious seasoning. I felt slight discomfort when the performer began to downplay the efforts of Europe locking down during the first waves of Covid, but I think it was balanced enough so began to settle into the lecture/performance. We were taken on a journey through mythology and migration, from the spices of India through to the Mediterranean and throughout western culture. How the deities of ancient culture informed the food we eat today, the journey recipes and people take every day and the devastation of the gulf war, invasion of Afghanistan and Iran had (and continues to have) devastating impact on local communities and wildlife. She explains how over a million palm trees were lost forever during this time.
She turns to the heavens and explains how Mars and Pluto aligned during the end of 2019. The energetic, restless, need-for-change entity which is Pluto, collided with the steadfast, stubborn, rooted-in-routine giant that is Mars – and then lockdown happened. You could argue this moment in our shared history was the ultimate new and same-old experience! Next the performance took a sour turn and not in the food (it was delicious throughout). Antisemitism was there with the performer suggesting, with research to back it up that one group of people fitted a stereotype with has/and continued to fuel violence, unrest, genocide, war. Audience members looked uncomfortable, sharing glances, gentle shaking of the head and muttering. Maybe a thing to look into the mirror afterwards and decide what we as individuals are comfortable supporting??
To say this ‘ruined the night’ would be both untrue and defeatist.
Transported by many lifts now – some feeling more safe than others – and we are on stage in an auditorium with thousands of seats! Not as grand as that sentence might imply, as the seating was covered by a long curtain, but still very cool indeed. The stage was turned into a black box with the new seating on the edge of the space. Blimey this must be a big stage. What an awesome use of space – and a meaningful message that no stage is off limits, even for more intimate, fringe work. Yes, this work would have landed in front of the whole house but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t belong there… it just needed a new way of thinking. Let’s get You, Me and My Voice on at the Lyric then at Theatre Royal Plymouth!
SERAFINE1369 (Jamila Johnson-Small): A real sense of excitement like a celebrity is about to walk on stage. My ignorance of contemporary dance/community dance world made me go red a little as the audience, now filtering onto the floor space as every seat was taken, stared intently, soaking it all in. Their eyes are fixated, wide, like children on bonfire night. The mechanics, aesthetics, physicality and poetry of movement were palpable in this makeshift theatre space. The artwork as a whole didn’t quite land with me, but that’s OK, as I could tell many had a real connection and there weren’t any problematic or discriminating undertones… always appreciated!
As much as we would have liked to stay up and reflect on another epic day, an earlyish night meant more energy for the next, so we wandered back to the hotel. The next day check out, a reflection session on the theatre we had experienced which was totally needed and then we are ready to begin our Brussels adventure…
Ghent left me with a mixture of mostly excitement and optimism but some unsavoury tastes too. It was amazing to see quality investment in culture and the arts transform a city. At each venue/organisation, we were lucky enough to visit, artistic directors/leaders had time and energy to meet and greet us. There were quality staffing levels, each having a defined role, not running around like crazy cats (although the swan metaphor, calm and serene above the surface, but furiously kicking to stay afloat, might be apt to some degree).
Yet, a nagging thought of – when companies are allowed to push the boundaries of what performance is, might they have less of a grasp on audience contract, cultural appropriation and toxic dialogue?
If you get this far, well done, I’m reading at over 4700 words! This was a truly transformative journey and one that made internationalising practice feel relevant, doable and important. I’m going to lean into the north-south/Flemish-French divide (with plenty of other rich communities and the artists trying to bridge bonds) and complete my reflection of Lab 3 with a separate blog.
* footnote, one of the unique things about disabled politics is the soft tension between someone identifying as disabled (having impairments which are cool things, and being excluded in an ableist society which is not cool) or pushing back against it. You can probably tell from my site and works what angle I go for… the statement in this blog ‘able-bodied dancers’ is not backed up by any capital-T-truth, just by pre-conceptions of what disabled bodies should look like. There could have been invisible impairments in the group of performers, Individuals might identify as Autistic, Aspergers, etc. On the face of it, this performance looks like cultural appropriations 101 and I think to the general audience discourse, if you’re going to call your work ‘Crip Academy’ you probably need to be upfront on whether the people involved are disabled.