European apotheosis at Theatre Festival Boulevard: Two international networks celebrate highlight during festival

In recent years, Boulevard within two networks with twenty European partner institutions intensive to international cooperation within the performing arts, supported by 'Creative Europe'. Both projects are during this edition of Theatre festival Boulevard guest and that can be called unique!

Performing Gender - Dancing in Your Shoes celebrates its finale with the presentation of a number of community projects and a scientific study, and the travelling apap–programme Feminist Futures also lands in 's–Hertogenbosch with performances and a context programme.

Dancing in your shoes

Within the project Dancing in your shoes (2021–2023) choreographers collaborate with local communities. Boulevard draws on this with Dutch partner DansBrabant.

The project is a follow-up to the European project Performing Gender. Dance makes differences, where Boulevard in 2017–2019 participated in.

Showcasing the stories of people who are not usually heard is one of the themes. The conclusion of the project will take place plaats in 's–Hertogenbosch, with 16 European artists and the partners and representatives and productions of their communities from 11 European cities. During the Closing Lab on 8 and 9 August there are presentations, performances and workshops. The University of Bologna presents first results of their research to forms of capacity building, co–creation and choreography practices with choreographer, cultural institution and various community groups.

In 's–Hertogenbosch works choreographer Jija Sohn has been working with people with Indian and Moluccan roots from 's–Hertogenbosch and environs.

More info: https://www.festivalboulevard.nl/performing–gender–dancing–at–your–shoes

The project is very valuable to Boulevard as it strives to achieve equal methods of collaboration between dance makers and groups not–professional dancers through the body and movement.

Cooperation partners Performing Gender 3 -Dancing in your shoes: Gender Bender Festival and Il Cassero LGBTI Center and Alma Mater University of Bologna [ITA], City of Women [SVN], Paso a 2 [ESP], Yorkshire Dance and British Council [GBR], KLAP Maison pour la Danse [FRA], SÍN Cultural Center [HON], Norrlandsoperan [SWE].

Feminist Futures

The second project that 's–Hertogenbosch visits this year (van 6 to 10 August) is that from the oldest European creative partnership: apap (advancing performing doctor project). With Boulevard, a Dutch partner is part of this for the first time. Under the name Feminist Futures (2020–2024) performances come about and are Working towards a new, sustainable and inclusive performing arts practice. Theatremaker Naomi Velissariou, working from Theatre Utrecht, will be in this network for four years recorded.

Several works from this collaboration have already been shown in recent years at Theatre Festival Boulevard. And this year there is a full Feminist Futures programme to follow, as part of a two-year journey of performances and context programmes through different parts of Europe - Norway, Italy, Poland, France, Iceland, Serbia, Germany and Portugal - and those in summer 2023 Belgia (BUDA arts centre in Kortrijk) and visit the Netherlands.

Both the festival programme and the performances are generally designed in line with feminist principles. This Also reflects the idea of cultural institutions and their way of wrecognise critically decision-making processes, traditional hierarchies and power structures.

The result of inspiring collaborations between several European partners is a programme on four days of our festival. At Boulevard His artistic contributions can be seen From: Chiara Bersani (IT), Buren (BE), Anna Gaïotti and Tatiana Julien (FR), Noemie Lakmaier (GB) and Selma Selman (NL).

Parallel to the performance programme, Boulevard the Feminist School location, an extensive programme of workshops, discussions, lectures and film screenings. The aim is to create a hands-on exchange and discussion between the participants and artists of the apap–network possible. 

More information: https://www.festivalboulevard.nl/apap

Collaborative partners apap, Feminist Futures: Tanzfabrik Berlin [GER], Maison de la Culture d'Amiens [FRA], BIT Teatergarasjen Bergand [NOR], Arts Centre BUDA [BEL], Centrale Fies [ITA], Reykjavik Dance Festival [ICE], Teatro Nacional D.Maria Il [POR], SZENE Salzburg [AUT], The Performing Arts Institute in Warsaw [POL], STATION - Service for contemporary dance