WORK IN PROGRESS: WIPCOOP 2024 – Antwerp

Also this Antwerp WIPCOOP edition, you can come to Kambala to peek at what new creations artists are brooding on. Ever since 2009, WIPCOOP has been a prime opportunity for the arts sector and the public to get a glimpse of what is developing in new artistic creations in the performing arts.

Get ready for a 2-day with as many as 6 new Work In Progress. Thursday, Nov. 28, and Friday, Nov. 29, 3 artists each show where they stand with the development of their new creations. They will each present a maximum of 30 minutes from their Work In Progress. Afterwards, they will spend 1 hour in conversation with a company of dramaturgs, workshops, producers and programmers about the work shown and possible support.

On the program Thursday, 28.11:

Welcome from 11am ! The final lineup will be announced soon. Below is a list of the Work In Progress – performances that will be presented.

“Is één leven genoeg om weer heel te zijn?” is an interdisciplinary performance by Aya Sabi. Sensory experience plays with the paradox between rationality and irrationality, and cooking takes center stage as a language of intergenerational comfort. Through main character Shams, the connections between the body, trauma and healing are explored. How can we promote healing and happiness from physical actions such as cooking?

“Textile Tales” is the result of Joana Rossi‘s research into the social fabric and our interconnectedness. The project explores the invisible threads between individual and society, and how textiles, deeply embedded in human history, help us make those connections visible. Textiles create space for other languages to be addressed, and the slow nature makes room for reflection in the action.

In “Hottentottententententoonstelling” Ayoub Sadik takes the audience on a journey that goes beyond the playful tongue twister and exposes the painful history of discrimination and colonialism. The show explores the origins of the term “Hottentotten,” which refers to the indigenous Khoikhoi people of South Africa, and offers not only a critical look at the past, but also shows how such terms still live on in our language today and the impact they have on a society that strives for inclusiveness and respect for all cultures.

On the program Friday, 29.11:

Welcome from 11am ! The final lineup will be announced soon. Below is a list of the Work In Progress – performances that will be presented.

“OUT LOUD” is a musical theater performance by Reinier den Hoed that reflects on vibration as a source of creation and emergence. From a soundscape with a recognizable rhythm, each member of the crew adds their own sound and embodies that sound together with fellow players. This transformation blurs the boundaries between musicians, dancers and performers, creating an interplay of sound and movement.

“Semiotics of the Household” is a performance by Annastassya Savitsky, stemming from her life as a young woman and former refugee. Born in Belarus and raised in Israel, her experience reveals a bizarre duality between her safe life in Belgium and the chaos of war. As a young mother, she explores the tension between domesticity and the reality of a world at war, challenging viewers to question the obviousness of everyday life.

“The Ethereal Paradox” is a three-part dance solo by Zoë Chungong that explores the influence of appearance on how we experience the world. In this performance, she highlights the dynamics of beauty and the phenomenon of “pretty privilege,” which has both advantages and disadvantages. Zoë sketches three characters who each present their bodies in unique ways, with different dance styles and in diverse eras, from the Roaring Twenties and contemporary pop culture to a future where virtual beauties may be the norm.

WIPCOOP – the Work In Progress Cooperative of MESTIZO ARTS PLATFORM – is an all-year round development track in Leuven, Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent. The main goal? Making new artistic work visible from the strength of the cooperative, creating dialogue around it and matching artists and organizations to further develop and perform this work.

Antwerp is the third stop in a series of WIPCOOP events across several cities. Also explore Work In Progress in Leuven: OPEK Thursday, Sept. 26 – in Brussels: KVS Wednesday, Oct. 16 and Thursday, Oct. 17 – in Antwerp: Kambala (Toneelhuis) Thursday, Nov. 28 and Friday, Nov. 29 – in Ghent: De Kazematten Thursday, Dec. 5.
Find out what sprouts from previous editions via the updates HERE.

WIPCOOP = making space for new voices, stories, forms and languages in the performing arts. An inter-city co-production, in which the arts sector keeps its finger on the pulse of what is developing in the rich breeding ground of our cities as well as a network in which artists find support in developing their work. So a win-win.

Curious about the previous Antwerp edition? – Check out Victoriano Moreno’s photo report HERE.

Work In Progress takes place during the day and is free of charge.

WIPCOOP = MESTIZO ARTS PLATFORM + ARENBERG, KVS, KUNSTZ, CAMPO, KAAITHEATER, TONEELHUIS, RATAPLAN, MARTHA!TENTATIEF, DE CENTRALE, DETHEATERMAKER, MADAM FORTUNA, NTGENT, KOPERGIETERY, FAMEUS, LARF! KAZEMATTEN, 0090, WPZIMMER, ARSENAAL/LAZARUS, OC NOVA, BE HUMAN, PIANOFABRIEK/CITYLAB, VICTORIA DELUXE, THEATERFESTIVAL, GLOBE AROMA, THEATER AAN ZEE, LEZARTS URBAINS, FABULEUS, WORKSPACEBRUSSELS, TRANSFOCOLLECT, VIERNULVIER, BIJ DE VIEZE GASTEN, ZINNEMA, MOUSSEM, DANSPUNT, THASSOS, SOCHA, KC NONA, DE SINGEL, DE MAAN, ZOMER VAN ANTWERPEN, WALPURGIS, HETPALEIS, RAS EL HANOUT, ULTIMA VEZ, BRONKS, DE KOER, CC JACQUES FRANCK, IMPULSION DANCE, MONTY, DE STUDIO, STORM OP KOMST, STUK, VINCENT COMPANY, LE BAMP, GOUVERNEMENT, TATWERK, RIGHT ABOUT NOW, NAU IVANOW, ATELIER 210, GET DOWN AGENCY, LA BALSAMINE, LE RIDEAU, CORSO, 30 CC, TRILL, BURN, HET BOS, CIE TARTAREN, BATARD, DE NIEUWE SPELERS, KAAP / WITH SUPPORT FROM: FLEMISH COMMUNITY CAN PORTICUS