Crossing borders between acting and dance: author Falk Richter (»Two o'clock at night«, 2015) together with Dutch choreographer Anouk van Dijk develops theatre projects based on his own texts with an internationally mixed dance and acting ensemble. Against the backdrop of contemporary crises, »SAFE PLACES« personal stories meet societal issues, private as well as political strategies are explored in dealing with the challenges of an open society in Europe. Europe is in many ways a hybrid: a tense mixture of contradictions. How is this lived out? How do we react to outbreaks of xenophobia and nationalist self-assertion? Is the search for a common European cultural identity the right answer or a trap that only postpones the question of border demarcations? Where are we heading with Europe and what living conditions are we creating for ourselves?
The collaboration between Falk Richter and Anouk van Dijk began in 1998 with the production »Nothing Hurts«, which received an invitation to the Berlin Theatertreffen. This special dialogue between author and choreographer has continued in five further productions to date. Dutch-born Anouk van Dijk has been artistic director of the renowned contemporary dance company »Chunky Move« in Australia since 2012. Their unusual productions are shown at festivals around the globe. Falk Richter's plays, which testify to a high degree of topicality, are performed worldwide. Since 1994 he has been working as a freelance director at renowned stages in Germany and abroad.
(Source: Schauspiel Frankfurt)
