PERFORMANCE WATER: The first premiere of Green E.Th.I.Cs project

PERFORMANCE WATER: This is the title of the show that Zid Theater presented for the Green E.Th.I.Cs Project. It’s the first premiere of one of the shows being created by each of our artistic partners.

"Performance WATER" directed by Karolina Spaic - Artistic Director of Explorez Festival and founder of ZID Theatre Amsterdam, highlights the universal power of water through mythology, facts, predictions, and conspiracy theories related to climate change.

It’s a multidisciplinary event, consisting of three parts: a performance, an installation, and an interactive section on climate change.

The first part is The Game (directed by Daan Bosch), where the audience is immersed in different aspects of climate change and can actively participate if desired. Through collective game experiences, the aim is to raise awareness about climate change and its impact on individuals, communities, societies, and the world as a whole.

This part takes place in a foyer or outside grounds close to the theatre/stage and is continuous.

The second part is the actual performance about WATER (directed by Karolina Spaic).

This part takes place in the theatre hall or on stage, either inside or outside.

This performance is an organic response to the ongoing challenges of climate change and the daily stream of news about it. To truly grasp the complexity of these developments, the artists immerse the audience in the world of water—an element that plays a crucial role in environmental impacts both symbolically and literally.

It allows for deep and personal experiences with water. The performance is both physical and symbolic, taking attendees through different worlds. The text, in the form of storytelling and spoken word, highlights various perspectives through personal experiences with water. An international team of performers brings their personal experiences and relationships with water, deeply rooted in their cultural backgrounds and personal experiences. All this results in a mosaic performance that challenges the audience to think: How does this theme affect me? And what can I do about it? Emotionally powerful, symbolic, visual, and inspiring.

“We are water,” they say, “water is a world unto itself, parallel to our own—a world full of mythologies, fairy tales, stories, and personal experiences of the performers and people we interviewed.”

As anthropologist and environmentalist Jane Goodall says, "Every individual can do something for our planet."

It is important to Zid Theater that the audience leaves the performance with a sense of dedication and reflection. They said, “We don't have all the answers, but together we can look for ways and step-by-step solutions.”

The third part is the finale, where everyone is invited to "The Last Drink."

Here, the audience must answer this question, "What will you do tomorrow to slow down climate change?" (Directed by Igor Alvarez Corgut).

This part takes place in the foyer.

Credits:
Concept & artistic direction: Karolina Spaic
Directing: part 1 Daan Bosch; part 2 Karolina Spaic, part 3 Igor Alvarez Cugat
Co - creation, texts and performance: Sebo Bakker, Naima Baraka, Nivin Baranbo, Daan Bosch, Jos Daamen, Dora Draghi, Issam Zemmouri
Costume: Maya Atelier, Belgrade
Photography: Maria Morales
Courtesy of: Jat Theatre, Lisbon