Kick off #WIPCOOP Mechelen

News, Work in Progress

WIPCOOP MECHELEN
PLAN B(ehinddoors)

20 and 22 April 2021 WIPCOOP launches its first edition at CC Mechelen with Work In Progress by Vianney Adriaens, Caja Manga Collectief and Anke Somers & Mélissa Diarra. During WIPCOOP Mechelen they will show a maximum of 30 minutes of their Work In Progress. This edition – which was originally planned for December 2020 – will also switch to PLAN B(ehinddoors) despite the postponement. The discussion of the Work In Progress, interesting contacts and possibilities for further development and support will take place in an adjusted manner and in accordance with the guidelines.

1 x Work In Progress – 20.04

Vianney Adriaens – LAST WORDS is a theatre monologue that brings together the meaningful last words of ‘death row criminal’ Napoleon Beazley, Burkinese president Thomas Sankara and Afro-American hiphopper XXXTencacion. All three felt their end was surely near. All three wanted to leave the world with a message in the last moments of their fiercely discussed lives.

Vianney Adriaens mixes the last words of these three iconic African men into a raw, intense monologue about society and power, ambitions and illusions, love and hate. The lost African dream is central and Adriaens masterfully switches between three charismatic characters. Directed by Tom Kestens / Acting: Vianney Adriaens / Coaching: Junior Mthombeni / Text & translation: Vianney Adriaens & Tom Kestens / Music: Vianney Adriaens & Tom Kestens / A production of Socha vzw / With the support of WIPCOOP/Mestizo Arts Platform

2 x Work In Progress – 22.04

Caja Manga Collectief – IN BETWEEN A world two hundred years in the future. Two sisters try find a solution for their existence in a polluted world. The apocalypse & paradise meet each other in a compelling futuristic performance with cinematographic touch. What does the world look like after/during an apocalypse? What has changed? And: what helps to see light in the darkness?

Collectief Caja Manga is a company of young makers. With In Between, their second performance, they explore the crossover between theatre & cinema. Actor: Charlotte Verdick, Jilly Lukkesen / Director: Lorena Pires / Technical director: Bernard Peeters / Film for the WIP: Aron Quadu / Costume & scenography: Caja Manga Collective / With the support of RADAR Mechelen, WIPCOOP/Mestizo Arts Platform

Anke Somers & Mélissa Diarra – PARASITE PARADISE The Earthly Paradise. White beaches, swaying palm trees, sweet fruits in abundance.  It is quite possible that these images come to mind. But does such a perfect, untroubeled place (still) exist? And where exactly can you find it? Two completely different women find each other along the way. Both are looking for the earthly paradise. But their journey comes to an end when they fall into a deep pit. It is cold, empty and the water has a strange taste. With a memorecorder as a handhold, they try to get a grip on what happens to them. Until the bubbling world that has been present all this time turns out to tell its own stories. It demands its role and authority and is not content with merely acting as a backdrop for humans.
Parasite Paradise arose from the fascination for landscapes, first affected by man and then abandoned as empty ruins. Landscapes that subsequently revive in an extraordinary way and form new ecologies. Parasite Paradise asks hopefully whether the relationship between man and nature can be restored. Text and concept: Anke Somers / Acting: Mélissa Diarra, Anke Somers / Coaching: Wanda Eyckerman / Scenography advice: Timme Afschrift / Images: Naser Kianersi / Sound: Laurens Mannaerts / Technique: Zita Windey & Lore Verhoeven / Thanks to Artenova Mechelen, RADAR Mechelen / With the support of WIPCOOP/Mestizo Arts Platform

The Work In Progress will be performed during the day B(ehinddoors). Given the measures in place, we focus on professionals and keep the curious public informed online. For questions, please contact us at mulanga@mestizoartsplatform.be.