An Invitation by the KULA Compagnie
Opening up Spaces together and creating Chances
Dear colleagues and dear friends of the European Theatre,
what can emerge when we set our theatres, our languages, our experiences and our visions in motion together? We would like to invite you to seek for an answer to this together. We aim to open up a new European space of exchange: between artists, theatres, initiatives, cities and regions—a space driven by curiosity, cheerfulness and enthusiasm, and a desire to visit one another, to learn from each other, and start something together.
Europe - a Space full of Possibilities
Europe offers a rich array of experiences, languages, stories and perspectives. Political forces within European countries, cities and rural regions are articulating themselves in increasingly diverse ways, and consequently, new forms of public spheres are emerging. The understanding of culture is becoming more nuanced—and therein lies a great opportunity: the appeal of cultures, as well as the potential for encounters, for giving and exchanging, and for discovery and experience, can be enhanced through the accumulation of concepts, ideas, and the potential of imagination.
To experience within an expanded horizon the joyful practice of connecting and the sharing of affiliations. We aim to counter the most diverse fears regarding the future and the longings for the past with a European dramaturgy. To make these movements tangible and give them a presence that inspires enthusiasm for the freedom of movement. The Comédie Européenne envisions a pre-political space that does not perpetuate the heat of battle but dissolves it in the laughter of the many. Not laughing about one another—but with one another.
Culture as Wealth
Culture is about interaction—about the joy of mutual inspiration and learning from one another. We want to make this richness visible and impactful.
The European dramaturgy is structured around temporary working groups that explore and connect spaces—as a practice that sets things in motion.
In this situation, there is a need for stronger networking among local actors in the regions. Theatre grows out of the regions. It emerges locally in the respective language from the encounter with a specific audience. Therein lies its unique power: theatre brings together people who would otherwise never meet. Affirming one’s own identity is becoming increasingly important and the multiplicity of voices in these quests can inspire. Journeying together develops the sense of belonging.
How can we Strengthen this Ability?
How can we foster a desire for connection and a sense of togetherness with our European neighbours at the local level? How can Europe be experienced in its various languages as a tangible encounter?
A European dramaturgy as a practice that multiplies the interplay.
The initiation of Culture Consulates, forming a connective tissue among various initiatives, not as embassies of a Union, but as havens for the transmission of initiatives.
Polyphony is the value and the driving force of a vibrant Europe. Every voice can make itself heard, secure in the knowledge of its equal worth. Individual value arises from relationship and exchange. The regions constitute the orchestra of Europe; the European agora is a space where these voices are not reduced to mere echoes that are simply bounced back, but are instead transmitted through a network of membranes that amplify connections.
The KULA Compagnie – a Laboratoire of Encounter
For ten years, the KULA Compagnie has been working with actresses, actors and artists from various countries. Our creativity arises from the meeting of different languages, experiences, and cultural backgrounds. The starting point for this work is our Laboratoire: a space with an open outcome where differences become productive and new forms of collaboration emerge.
Our Invitation to You
We warmly invite you to share this Laboratoire with others who are interested and to join us in testing initial forms of a Comédie Européenne—a European comedy that fosters connection, places conflicts in a new atmosphere, and brings processes of national self-reflection into a European exchange.
We invite individuals, theatre initiatives, and a wide range of institutions to come together in various working groups to develop a European dramaturgy and to work on forging new partnerships and linking existing ones between institutions and regions.
The aim is to explore together the opportunities presented by the current situation: what can strengthen us mutually, what helps at the local level, and how can culture be experienced as a unifying European practice?
KULA Compagnie invites you.