International Easter Workshop 2019: “Tales of Transformation”

International Easter Workshop
Sun 14th – Mon 22nd of April (Easter Monday) 2019 at wannseeFORUM, Berlin

This year over Easter we are inviting around 40 young people between the ages of 16 and 22 from Germany, Belgium, Turkey, Italy, and Bulgaria to our International Easter Workshop “Tales of Transformation” at wannseeFORUM in Berlin. In collaboration with our local partners Circus Schatzinsel and Komische Oper Berlin our programme consists of nine days of international youth exchange through artistic workshops and group activities about the topic of transformation(s), based on the double-feature production “Petrushka / L’Enfant et les Sortilèges” at Komische Oper.

At a glance:

International Easter Workshop means …

• • meeting youths from all over Europe
  • exploring the world of musical theatre and opera
  • working with professional artists and participate in small groups of intense artistic workshops
  • developing a final public presentation with your group
  • initiating group activities
  • enjoying our beautiful lakeside premises and delicious cuisine
  • (re)discovering Berlin
  • experiencing a live performance of “Petrushka / L’Enfant” at Komische Oper Berlin

More about the topic – programme – participating.

What is it about?

Following the title “Tales of Transformation” this year’s project is all about the topic of transformation(s). In European fairy-tales and legends transformations of things and beings have played a major role, whether through magic and witchcraft or through growth, change or the influence of violence. The idea of transformation also makes up the core of both Igor Stravinsky’s ballet “Petrushka” as well as of Maurice Ravel’s opera “L’Enfant et les Sortilèges”: puppets turning into real humans and developing true emotions; toys coming alive to take revenge for the bad way they were treated.

In our project we take both the double-feature production “Petrushka / L’Enfant” at Komische Oper as well as traditional myths and legends from the participating countries as a starting point. We will investigate into the question what transformation means or can mean – that is: for us today, right here and now and in our partner countries, for example: the striving for emancipation of minorities, generational conflicts, or the effects of political and social change as we are currently experiencing it. We will also focus on personal transformation(s): What do we need to become the persons that we want to be? And which role can the arts play in this process? 

Our programme

We will be spending nine days in our international group together at wannseeFORUM. Every day we will delve deeper into the topic of our project, both with the whole group and in four parallel artistic workshops of 8 to 10 participants. Under the guidance of professional artists participants will explore the overall topic as well as the story and music of “Petrushka / L’Enfant”. They will search for their own “Tales of Transformation” and develop their own interpretations and artistic creations, which will be publicly presented at the circus tent of our partner Circus Schatzinsel in central Berlin at the end of the seminar. At the last night of the exchange we will go to Komische Oper to see a live performance of “Petrushka / L’Enfant”.
Building the artistic groups will take place on the second day of the exchange in the entire group. For every participating country we have reserved about two places in each workshop group.
Apart from the daily workshop programm there will also be shared activities and excursions to the Berlin center. At wannseeFORUM we have a theatre hall, some musical intruments, different studios, and beautiful lakeside grounds at our disposal.

Planned artistic workshops:
Music, dance/performance, film, circus theatre

Our partner organisations:
Berlin: Circus Schatzinsel and Komische Oper Berlin
Turkey: Burhaniye Basketbol Spor Kulübü Derneği
Bulgaria: Youth Center Haskovo
Italy: P.E.CO. – Progetti Europei di Cooperazione
Belgium: Destelheide

Languages:
mainly English (on an everyday level), in addition to any other languages which help us communicate

Participating

Participants from Turkey, Bulgaria, Belgium, and Italy are asked to apply through our partner organisations (see above). Participants from Berlin need to get in touch with the project leader at wannseeFORUM, Lukas Macher (email contact).

At a glance: our most important terms and conditions of participation:

• you are between the ages of 16 to 22 during the time period of the seminar (exceptions possible according to prior agreement)
• you are interested in our topic for this year’s seminar
• you would like to develop or discover artistic skills
• you are interested in working artistically, learning and living with a diverse group
• you understand and speak some English (enough to order a meal)

• you are interested in developing the communal living of the group
• No previous artistic skills necessary.

Costs: 100 €, incl. programme costs, tickets (e.g. Komische Oper), full-board accommodation (4 meals per day) und overnight stay in mostly 2- to 3-bed-rooms with personal bathrooms.
Thanks to our funding through the “Erasmus+ / YOUTH IN ACTION” EU-programme we can reimburse travel costs between 70-100 %.
wannseeFORUM aims to support the participation of refugees with a reduced participation fee. Please contact the project leader for further information.

Contact: Lukas Macher, Email contact , Tel.: +49 /(0)30 – 806 80 21

The project “Tales of Transformation” is supported through the European Union, „Erasmus+/ YOUTH IN ACTION“ programme

the German-Turkish Youth Bridge

as well as the Berlin Senate department of Education, Youth, and Families.