1. Sibiu, June 2012
Christel Simons/ Cultural Manager
Chrisim@skynet.be +32 495 124 822

2.  Currently freelancer/ Projectweeks
 Culture & Development
 Visional Art and the Politics of Remembering
 Needcompany
 1993 – 2012 (19 years)
 general manager and business manager of
this international theatre company
 production work film & theatre
 Kaaitheater
 1992 – 1993 (1 year)

4.  Build around Jan Lauwers & Grace Ellen
Barkey, main artists
 International
 Multidisciplinary
 Ensemble
 Factory à la Warhol
 Flexible small structure
 Flemish
 www.needcompany.org

6.  AT De Keersmaeker
 Jan Fabre
 Jan Lauwers
 Wim Vandekeybus
 Alain Platel
 (Meg Stuart)?
 (Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui?)

13.  http://www.flanderstoday.eu/content/riding-
wave
 We take it for granted, this avant-garde art, this
strange and challenging work of Flanders. But it
was not always so.
 The rapid growth of festivals and networks
facilitated the cross-fertilisation of new work.
 While home-grown talent was being
nurtured, touring circuits and festivals were also
bringing the international avant-garde to Belgian
cities. Young dancers were influenced by the
German neo-expressionists (such as Pina
Bausch), American postmodern dance and
Japanese butoh.

14.  The success of the Flemish Wave is due to
talent, vision and Belgian's visual arts
culture, not to mention its surreal humour.
But, equally, it owes its existence to the
growth of a Flemish Wave of alternative
management and production. A supportive
infrastructure facilitated marginal
works, while decentralisation of theatre
spaces enhanced touring, dissemination and
collaboration.

15.  Distribution has a Crucial effect on
reputations.What is not distributed is not
known and can not be well thought of or have
historical Importance. The process is circular:
what does not have good reputation will not
be distributed. "

16.  sociologists Pascal Gielen and Rudi Laermans
 Reading
 http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_ons003199801_01/_ons0
03199801_01_0071.php

17.  ‘Identity’/ ‘New’
 Aura contamination, both artistic as
production wise
 International distribution
 Started in the fringe, to go to the center

18.  Off center (did not become an institution)
 Flemish but very international
 Aim: long term international coproduction
with a ‘fixed’ group of coproducers
 But still dependent on flexible partners
 Festivals give new imput
◦ Festival d’Avignon France
◦ Salzburger Festspiele Austria
◦ Rührtriennale Germany

19.  The coproducers: Festival d’Avignon, Théâtre
de la Ville/ Paris, Théâtre Garonne/
Toulouse, La Rose des Vents / Scène
Nationale de Villeneuve d'Ascq, Brooklyn
Academy of Music/ New York and welt in
basel theaterfestival. With the cooperation of
the Kaaitheater/ Brussels and the Flemish
Community Commission of the Brussels
Capital Region.

20.  Coproduced by Festival d’Avignon, Théâtre de
la Ville (Paris), Théâtre
Garonne (Toulouse), PACT
Zollverein (Essen), Cankarjev
Dom(Ljubljana) La Rose des Vents (Scène
Nationale de Villeneuve d’Ascq), Automne en
Normandie, La Filature (Scène Nationale de
Mulhouse), Kaaitheater (Brussels), deSingel (A
ntwerp).

21.  A Production by Needcompany and
Salzburger Festspiele.
Coproduction: Schauspielhaus Zurich, PACT
Zollverein (Essen).
With the collaboration of deSingel (Antwerp),
La Rose des vents (Scène national de
Villeneuve d’Ascq), Kaaitheater (Brussels).

22.  A Needcompany production.
Coproduction: ImPulsTanz (Vienna), PACT
Zollverein (Essen), künstlerhaus mousonturm
(Frankfurt).
With the collaboration of Kaaitheater
(Brussels)
With the support of the Flemish authorities.

23.  coproduction BIT Teatergarasjen (Bergen), in
association with kunstencentrum BUDA
(Kortrijk), 3D Square / HOWEST
(Kortrijk), Syntra Hasselt, Kaaitheater
(Brussels), with residencies in ImPulsTanz
(Vienna), PACT Zollverein (Essen)

24.  Artist in residence Burgtheater Vienna
 -Art of Entertainment
 -Caligula
 -Market Place: in coproduction
Burgtheater, Rührtriennale and Holland
Festival
 (Maybe Sibiu would join, or Poznan/ Malta
Festival)

25.  Balance between coproduction money and the
touring possibilities
 Good mix between fixed partnerships and
flexible ones
 Artistic freedom is important!

26.  Glocalised world: international/ regional
 Identity or Culture as part of tourism
strategies?
 Ecology & sustainability
 Ethics & Politics
Low & High Culture mix

27.  Everything is possible/fast: communication/
travel/…
 More international? /Or regional?
◦ Exemple:
◦ Singapore Arts Festival: no more money if it does
not relate more to the Singapore audiences!
◦ Effect: international artists join local communities
◦ More exchanges?

28.  Flemish wave= identity
 Now Culture is more and more part of
tourism strategies
◦ -City Marketing/Region Marketing:
-Story of ‘Visit Flanders’: Newtopia/ Beaufort
Biennale/ Manifesta/ TRACK
-speech Ritsaert ten Cate 1997

29.  Can we permit ourselves to be so
international?
◦ What is sustainable in the world of culture

30.  KunstenFestivaldesArts, Berlin
Biennale, Newtopia
 What about Greece, Italy, Spain/ crisis?
 What about Europe & culture?
 What about theatre/ dance production in
other parts of the world?

31.  Culture barbarians are the new elite
◦ Refering to a book of Alessandro Baricco: The
Barbarians
◦ Triomph of the market? No funding for art any
more? Only succes as proof for quality?
◦ Beware of neoliberal tendencies

32.  Flemish Wave model is still to consider, as the
‘aura contamination’, still works, both
artistically as professionally
 Exchange aspect gives new energy to cultural
scenes, to ideas, but also brings production
value
 Consider ecology, politics, sustainability, and
the fact that we are part of the tourist &
heritage industy