Performance
Pleasant Island
Wed 18 Mar 2020A post-apocalyptic parable about our time by Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere (POSTPONED/CANCELLED)
Nauru is a small island-state in the Pacific. Once it was called ‘Pleasant Island’ by British whalers. The history of this island can be read as a parable of our modern age. After the discovery of a vast reserve of phosphate in its soil, the island became one of the world’s richest countries. Each plot of land, each garden, each corner of the island was dug up and mined – until nothing remained and all its natural resources had been depleted.
In their second performance, Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere travel to this place which, groaning under a longing for growth, has been completely stripped of its resources and dug up until literally nothing remained. The island is now one of the world’s poorest countries and so, in order to be able to survive, it now receives refugees from Australia in exchange for a substantial compensation. What future remains after such ecological and economic ruin?
Bea Borgers
After Mining Stories (ZKB Patronage Price 2018), the two theatre-makers travel to the island of Nauru, which recently celebrated 50 years of independence. With Pleasant Island they continue their research into the consequences of extreme mining via documentary material and field recordings obtained through interviews and conversations.
About Silke Huysmans & Hannes Dereere
Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere took their first steps at Kunstenwerkplaats Pianofabriek (Brussels) and Bâtard Festival. In their acclaimed “Mining Stories” (2016) they explored the impact of a recent mining disaster in the south of Brazil. In the future, they will create their works under the wings of CAMPO, with the support of Pianofabriek , KAAP Bruges, Kunstenfestivaldesarts and Beursschouwburg Brussels.
Bart Dewaele
Credits
By & with: Silke Huysmans & Hannes Dereere - Dramaturge: Dries Douibi -Sound mixing: Lieven Dousselaere - Technica:l Anne Meeussen & Piet Depoortere - Production: CAMPO - Coproduction: Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Spring Festival Utrecht, Beursschouwburg, Kunstenwerkplaats Pianofabriek, Veem House For Performance, Spielart & De Brakke Grond - Residencies: Beursschouwburg, De Grote Post, KAAP, Kunstencentrum Buda, Kunstenwerkplaats Pianofabriek, STUK & Veem House for Performance, LOD With the support of: Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie & KAAP - Many thanks to all collocutors in Nauru
Vlad Sokhin