Start: 2016
End: 2018
Partner: IMAGINATE (UK) Non-governmental organisation/association/social enterprise
NORSK SCENEKUNSTBRUK AS (Norway) Non-governmental organisation/association/social enterprise
CULTUURCENTRUM HASSELT (Belgium) Non-governmental organisation/association/social enterprise
ABEN DANS PRODUCTIONS (Denmark) Non-governmental organisation/association/social enterprise
THE ARK CHILDREN’S CULTURAL CENTRE COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE (Ireland) Non-governmental organisation/association/social enterprise
Programme: Creative Europe
Action: Cooperation projects
Summary:
PUSH was a 2-year Creative Europe co-operation project involving five partners from Scotland (UK), Belgium, Ireland, Norway and Denmark to ‘push’ and develop thinking, ideas and the artforms within theatre and dance for children and young people in Europe. It focussed on the three themes of Gender and Sexual Identity, (over)protection, and Migration. PUSH centred on the collective thinking of Imaginate (Scotland, UK), Aaben Dans (Denmark), Cultuurcentrum Hassalt (Belgium), Scenekunstbruket (Norway) and The Ark (Ireland).
In order to progress thinking around the three topics, and push the young audiences sector to consider the need to programme, make and support performances that explore them – we delivered the following:
Artistic Labs – PUSH offered three Labs attended by 41 artists from across the 5 partner countries – Imaginate (Edinburgh, Scotland) hosted the Gender & Sexual Identity Lab, Krokusfestival (Hasselt, Belgium) hosted (over)protection, and The Ark (Dublin, Ireland) the Migration one. Each Lab was connected to a local school or other group of children/young people as well as a team of artistic leaders and non-arts professionals with a programme of events for sector peers and the general public.
Those who
participated in the Labs expressed that their thinking in relation to the three
themes had been significantly enhanced, with exposure to a broad range of new
ideas, biases and heightened awareness of the challenges still to be overcome
in delivering work around gender and sexual identity, (over)protection and
migration for young audiences. Over half of the participating artists had not
attended an international residency or lab before.
Festival Visits – PUSH offered five festival visits with a total of 56 artists
participating. At each festival, the PUSH group of artists and partners saw
world class theatre and dance for young audiences together, presented the
project to national and international festival delegates, took part in
discussion and networking events and enjoyed social events. 97% of artists
attending a Festival Visit said they met new contacts and working
relationships.
“I met some people that I could potentially collaborate with and it is also
good to meet producers from around the world as this is very helpful for a
freelance artist.”
Dissemination – we created a bespoke project website at
http://www.pushproject.eu/ allowing us to share information about the project,
the partners, the three topics, artists, project events and results with links
to the PUSH social media pages and Newsletter sign-up. We also commissioned a
series of professional films made by the PUSH Filmmaker including a project
trailer and documentary film. They can be viewed on our Vimeo page –
https://vimeo.com/pusheu.
Towards the
end of the PUSH project, funding was secured for PUSH+, a three-year
international project which seeks to stimulate European dialogue and initiate
new artistic ideas and performances around the topics of Home, Failure and
Different Bodies.
“Being part of PUSH has been really integral to my life since participating in
the (over)protection Lab in Belgium. In ways that are hard to quantify and
write down on a form. Meeting the diverse range of artists from different
countries and disciplines has changed my outlook on my work and life in ways I
couldn’t have foreseen at the outset. I feel connected to a new International
community of practice and practitioners who share similar intentions and
interests in their work as I do, whose commitment skill and openness has
broadened my artistic and humanistic horizons. Not only from participation on
the Lab itself, but through the ongoing events and exchanges since then which
have allowed the PUSH community to continue to grow into itself and expand. It
doesn’t feel like any of the connection, solidarity or challenge of PUSH has
ended, it feels like the beginning, again.” PUSH artists, final evaluation.
Results:
Website: http://www.pushproject.eu