The planning for the Tomorrowland event in June 2023 is well underway, with ideas on both specific content and overarching concept having been developed by the co-artistic directors Andrew Siddall and Chloe Osborne in conversation with the Connect-Up production team over a period of several months. But the real planning and development took place over a weekend in March with the involvement of the learners from the Theatre Mediation Programme.
At the beginning of June, 65 young people from 8 European centres arrive in the beautiful countryside outside of Palmela, to be hosted by the very wonderful team at Teatro O Bando – and in 8 days will create a unique theatrical response to the landscape around the theme of Tomorrowland. This is a feat of preparation, planning and logistics, of thinking big and dealing with detail – our task is to create a framework in which everyone feels safe and valued, where each has a creative freedom to find the best version of themselves, and to work individually and collectively towards a common vision.
A second central topic were the considerations for the second connect up co-production (#4): a bi-national production with a theatre outside the project. The majority of theatres are already in close contact with their respective partners, interesting and leading international companies, and very different artistic concepts and Theatre Mediation projects are being developed.
To enable that, the artistic directors came together with the TMP learners to outline the basic structure, to explore the site, to listen to fresh perspectives and to celebrate the skills within the group. This team is now back at home creating resources, imagery and stories which will feed into the meeting in June.
Teatro O Bando in Palmela
Tomorrowland imagines an International Summit where Profits and their delegates gather to discuss a vision for our future – but it is one based on past and present ideals of profit and greed, of consumerism and consumption, of taking and not giving. They will be usurped – but by who and by what?
This is not a question we can answer just now – but our hope is that in June, 65 young people can, and will, and we will see a vision of their future.
Andrew Siddall (lead organiser)
