about PLATFORM 11+
On April 2nd 2009 the EU-Commission announced the jury’s decision concerning the grants programme „Culture 2007”: Chosen from a large number of applications PLATFORM 11+ Artistic Discoveries on European Schoolyards was financed over four years, starting on May 1st 2009. The leading organisation of that artistic network was Brageteatret in Drammen/Norway, which collaborated with the initiator of the project, Dirk Neldner/Germany.
In cooperation with ATINA Argentina, PLATFORM 11+ continued in several countries of South America.
In PLATFORM 11+ 11-15 year old young people were put at the centre of diverse artistic activities. The partners were curious to learn more about this generation, which will make its mark on the Europe of the future. They wanted to know what goes on in this group’s daily life, what moves them emotionally, what they think about themselves and their environment.
The schoolyard was the inspiring location for the artists because it is the meeting place in which first identity-forming-experiences take place. The social behavior of young people in their school grounds mirrors the society in which they are growing into. The schoolyard provides a very important Stop-over in life for many people regardless of their social and cultural backgrounds and even their age.
On the basis of this the partners mount a many-layered project. The prospects of the biggest possible EU subsidy increased the motivation to formulate unusual terms and conditions. These conditions were to be different from the daily theatre work and should be marked by the exchange of the differing skills. It was clear, that it’s difficult to get this heterogeneous age group, located between the end of childhood and the beginning of puberty, interested in culture.
That’s why In PLATFORM 11+ partners joined who could deal with the interdisciplinary approach (Performing and Visual Arts) and who were willing to enter into an artistic dialogue with young people. Young people were actively involved in every stage of the project, they could playfully change the perspective from receiver to communicator.
The project began with the work of the authors: they conducted thematic research in the European schoolyards; their new plays were converted for the professional theatre. Simultaneously new plays from young people evolved.
Visual artists operated in a similar way, many of them accompanied the performances: They too stimulated the young people to be visually active. Along with the three major international Youth Encounters (Tallinn/ EE 2011, York/GB 2012, Dresden/DE 2012) the most obvious example of this interchangeable communication was in the final P11+ production FACE ME.
The dialogue between professional artists and amateurs was rarely a one-way street in which only the young people benefitted. Many artists described that they were surprised how much benefit they had derived from the artistic exchange with the target group.
The over 50 plays, which were written and performed for this age group during the last four years in the framework of P11+, show the seriousness and depth of this dialogue between professional artists and young Europeans.
PLATFORM 11+ has thus achieved its main goal: the creation of a new, up-to-date repertoire for young people aged between 11 and 15. Many of these tried and tested plays will be performed in the future too, making the performances for P11+ only a stop-over.
There were lots of artists, educators, teachers and young people who were actively involved in P11+ over the last four years. For all of these people, we have built up a platform enabling encounters, intense exchange and mutual stimulation which, without doubt, will continue to function long after the period of the EU project.
EVALUATION
PLATFORM 11+ has been quite a complex project involving several different institutions and very diverse activities. Although it has been demanding for others than those most intensely involved in the project to foresee all of its parts, the project has for the most part been capably managed, and as a result it has held together well.
Achieving the basic goals
The basic goals for Platform 11+ have been: - the authorship of new theatre plays, theatre and visual arts productions, the artistic exchange and dissemination of artistic products, and finally the activities together with the target group. All the theatres are positive to the achievement of these goals. Here follows some quotations from the theatres’ answer to our evaluation questions:
“A wonderful idea and target. The evaluation of outcomes depends on everyone’s individual attitude, responsibility and ability for international co-operation and work with young people. A great idea and great people – great meals all over Europe – could there have been more time to work together? Crazy, innovative and invigorating.”
János Novák (Kolibri Theatre, HU)
“The project, which gives another dimension to the puppet theatre and provides endless opportunities for cooperation and networking cultures, competence and allows younger people through the purest form of art to express themselves and share the multicultural nature of Europe.” Tomáš Froyda
(Alfa Theatre, CZ)
“Every theatre brings different view, ideas. This diversity gave us even better understanding for each other.” Vladislava Fekete (Theatre Institute Bratislava, SK)
-“An important occasion for Europe, a very good way of working and cooperating for the companies involved, an opportunity for all the kids reached by the activities.”
Stefano Braschi (Theatre Elsinor)
“One of the best international project that combines an atmosphere of hospitality with professional exchange. Growing working relationships allow in-depth discussions, intensive continuous dialogue and a productive culture of debate. Especially valuable is its consistent focus on an age group that is usually forgotten by society.”
Felicitas Loewe ( tjg.Theater Junge Generation, DE)
What is high quality youth theatre?
The various participating institutions’ structures, materials and artistic visions differ from one another, a fact that has come to light during our discussions regarding organizational and not least artistic decisions with respect to co-productions, Annual Meetings and final production work. The theatres’ consistently have differing interpretations of what the definition of high-quality youth theatre should be; however, in the course of this project, we have had the possibility of watching one another’s work as well as working together, so there is good reason to believe that overall consciousness with respect to what good theatre for 11+ is has increased.
“It clarified – or brought into discussion the differences between what adults consider good topics for theatre for young people and what young people themselves want to see – the role of comedy for example –
The conflict between getting young people to attend theatre as independent audience members and programming work, which will be attractive to schools, gatekeepers.”
Marcus Rohmer (Pilot Theatre, GB)
“I have confirmed for myself that young people are young people wherever they live, and they find answers in spite of differences. Young people in Europe have in many ways the same base, but they need to get the opportunity to discover this themselves. They don’t like to be told by adults what is right or wrong. Therefore Platform 11+ is a fantastic opportunity for them, and for the theatres.”
Terje Hartvixen (Brageteatret, NO)
“Awareness of, and engagement with other people’s approach to engaging the age-group offered the opportunity and increased ability to reflect on our own methodology.”
Deb Mullins (Emergency Exit Arts, GB)
“It was interesting to see how perceptions of what constitutes work for this target age group is different country by country and the discussion and exploration of the cultural differences therein. This was particularly apparent watching the co-productions in Dresden and the final 3 productions in Pilsen.”
Marcus Rohmer (Pilot theatre, GB)
Across Europe – the meeting place
The artists have expressed that their encounters with other artists from other countries have been positive. It has also been inspiring to speak with young actors who have worked in co-productions or final production phases, as they have stated that this work has been both exciting and educational, and that they have made many new contacts and gotten insight into how to work in other countries and cultures.
“The opportunities offered to both professional theatre workers and young people and teachers to meet new people, experience and learn from others and re evaluate one’s work are significant and unique.”
Marcus Rohmer (Pilot theatre, GB)
“The project also it helped some of the theatre staff to get international work experience that will give added value to the theatre also later. Finding out and learning about other theatres will also benefit the theatre in many ways.”
(Oulu City Theatre, FI)
“Working together, that was the most important thing.”
Stefano Braschi (Theatre Elsinor)
“The Platform11+ ideas are wonderful, but it is the purely concrete that really matters. The outcomes have not always been of the highest artistic standard”.
(Oulu City Theatre, FI)
Working together
The performances have spanned over a broad range of genres, from performances with incredibly realistic dialogues to mime, comedy and musical theatre. The relationship between stage and audience has also been an object for experimentation. Some theatres have worked together with children, while others have chosen interactive forms and still others have caused their audiences to stop and pause awhile in public places. All this is connected with among other things views regarding young people’s theatre, aesthetic choices as well as practical and cultural ones. Some performances have been given in the school arena - in corridors, classrooms or schoolyards, while others have been given in theatres. These choices have to a large degree been a result of and influenced both content and form.
“And the cooperation (--) learned us a lot about our theatre and about dealing with different cultures and methods even if we from outside look very common. This project changed in many ways also the way we produce performances.”
Terje Hartvixen (Brageteatret, NO)
“very positive personal artistic experiences of actors, writer, visual artist and teacher”
Raul Atalaia (Teatro OBando, PT)
Textual production has been a central element in the project, and it is obvious that some texts have enjoyed greater success than others. A certain number have had a strong literary foundation, while others have had a stronger visual or mimetic basis. Some texts have already been widely dispersed and are being performed by other theatres, including ones outside of Platform 11+.
“We aimed to create a platform for (--) writers participating in the creation of youth plays; where we could help their work, and thus enhance their international introduction as well as their professional/artistic success. With Platform 11+ we finally received a chance to realize this aim. Publication and translations played a major part in calling international attention to the work”.
János Novák ( Kolibri Theatre, HU)
Many theatres emphasize the good and important collaboration with the partner schools.
“The most important value of the project is that this is a dedicated project to the young people: To listen to them, to see them and to give them a voice.”
Terje Hartvixen (Brageteatret, NO)
Meetings between equals
Youth Encounters has been a great experience for the young people who have had the chance to participate in them, and is by some considered one of the most fruitful parts of the project. While the selection of participants has taken place along different criteria, all the participants have been motivated young people, and both teachers and the young people themselves have expressed that their participation gave them a great experience.
“The Youth Exchanges were a highlight of the activity of Platform 11+ – as was the installation of the performances and the visual artists on the hill in Palmela”.
Marcus Rohmer (Pilot theatre, GB)
“Bringing together facilitators, teachers and artists to work together with young people across Europe has had direct impact on the work we produce in our own communities.”
Deb Mullins (Emergency Exit Arts, GB)
The collaboration with visual artists within the project has opened up new ideas, and new aesthetic insight. Some of the visual artists have been directly connected to the theatre as scenographers and the like, while others have had a looser connection. This may have influenced the degree to which these individuals have become integrated in the project.
And in the end….
It was certainly an easier challenge to co-produce with another theatre than it was to collaborate with four different theatres for the final production, but the collaboration and the artistic meetings has been highlighted by many as the main outcome of the project. The final production also had more of a mark of being a workshop, and as such it must be said that the results were varied and exciting. These results also led to a significant discussion, which is in and of itself exciting and productive. Important discussions regarding artistic content, form and target groups were held.
“Now I see that we probably could have discussed and arranged seminars about our results, methods, quality and “is there a common theatre expression in Europe”. We have discussed this a lot, but maybe we should have lifted these discussions up in a common level. Not to find THE RIGHT ANSWER, but to give us all a deeper understanding of our different choices. To make theatre is to choose.”
Terje Hartvixen (Brageteatret, NO)
“ We need to be more rigorous with our own self-evaluation of the work, both as individuals and maybe as a group.”
Marcus Rohmer (Pilot theatre, GB)
Gunnar Horn
Professor
University of Agder
Head of Centre for Teaching and Learning
