Seminars

The rehearsal process of internationally mixed crossover 55/2 was framed by several reflective and theoretical interventions. First, a series of seminars introduced relevant issues of the artistic work and the overall project. Three seminars (one in each of the participating countries) has taken place at the beginning of the project, as scheduled:

With scholars Yvonne Hardt, Markha Valenta, Fransien van der Putt and José Enrique Lopez as well as choreographer Sara Wookey, students participated in seminars exploring modes of artistic production and their wider social implication. Gender was chosen as a guiding category for this theoretical framing. Gender – understood as a model for thinking about the power of forming the body along certain aesthetic, social and cultural blueprints – shapes performances as well as dialogical settings such as rehearsals or trainings. The seminars presented methods in order to integrate the divers cultural and the specific artistic backgrounds of the participating students both practically and theoretically in the production process while they were simultaneously encouraged to take on an outside perspective from where to give constructive feedback. In order to encourage students to creatively engage with the process, they were asked to submit responses both artistic and theoretical to the different phases of the project.

The frame further provided discussion rounds, lectures and seminars on topics pertinent to the process to encourage the students to exchange their experiences and reflect on the process. In addition, students had the opportunity to view performances, musical rehearsals and visit important cultural institutions to widen their perspectives and share their observations.