Hans Van den Broeck
Choreographers' Venture: settlement
Choreographers'Venture
Week 1, 14.7.–18.7.2008
11:00–18:00
Gr.Saal
"Settlement"
a place where humans live
"Settlement " is a performance created in 2 weeks with a local group of professional performers.
We construct from day one a temporary village/settlement with material found or collected. It is
important that the participants differ in age and background; it makes the settlement more
enriching and more realistic.
We associate around the notion of "settlement", a concept with many different interpretations and
subjective outlooks.
A performance (or -s) will be shown for an audience at the end of the workshop-period. It is no
work-in-progress, we aim for a finished result. We try to perform the constructed outline 3 times in
a row in one evening, to create the sensation of duration and real life feeling.
The first settlement took place in may 2007 in Sydney, in an immense old railway station
transformed in a contemporary art venue (Carriageworks), and was produced by the
Performance Space and subventioned by the Australia Council for the Arts. Audience and
participants had a sense of sharing the same, raw reality, 'loss' being a theme several times
mentioned by the watchers.
Part of the research is to know how other participants in other cultures/settings react on the notion
of "settlement".
We work with a mini-team of artists/performers from Belgium and we collaborate with 15 local
artists minimum. These artists participate in a learning process/workshop where the outcome is
essential and is shown to an audience. To work, create and come to a final result in this short
intense period of 2 weeks, is possible because a detailed work plan/scenario is constructed
beforehand. The interesting aspect of this way of working is that the process will each time take
another form, depending on the city and the different participants.
The intention is to explore and to create this performance in other cities.
There is a "settlement" taking place in Harare (Zimbabwe) from 14th of April until 5th of May at
the HIFA-festival. Followed by the "settlement" in Bastia (Corsica) from 9th until the 21st of June
together with Artmouv.
More "settlements" are planned in Berlin, France and Norway.
Our goal is to create a new settlement wherever we go
_ _ _
We built our temporary camp far away from the rest of the world, across the Black Leaky River,
that no-one else could cross, unless for a 'yes' from the majority of voters.
We built a film-set, constructed a pre-fab make-believe with cardboard, plastic, wood and
branches from the trees outside. It would not withstand real raindrops falling on our walls and
roofs.
We acted in discontinuity. We spoke with no words and screamed with understanding.
We decided to drink the water of our own river.
We made our own rules and started defying them from the onset.
One by one we will abandon our settlement. We might, sometimes, want to return.
The Rules:
= Report anything unusual to the others
= We must not lie for the sake of others
= We must respect the loneliness of others
= We must combine our thoughts
= We only take as much as we can use at any one time
= We must look people in the eye at least once every day
= We must try to laugh at least once a day
= We must say audible things to one that all may share
= We can contest a rule if it interferes with our sense of liberty
= We should try to wear our pants inside out and back to front
= We can take a nap in somebody else’s tent if the tent flap is open
= We must be at first considerate
= You must have your brush in hand before entering the kitchen area
= Do not enter another’s shelter without permission of two
= A line must be drawn before crossing this point
= No one can make a decision without a group meeting of at least 6
= No exceptions to the no exceptions rule
= Section heads must be obeyed in all things
= We must work together to maintain the best shelter possible
= We must make sure our food tastes good
= We should never eat alone
= We must never lose our skills
= We should not complain about the weather
= We should always fold our washing
= We must eat with our eyes open
= We must lie on the ground facing east
= We must wait for the sun before bathing
= We must not cross the river alone
= We can talk to the world on a Tuesday
= We must be aware of material emotional and practical boundaries
= We must allow others to offer
= We must learn to accept
= Roles must be clear
= We should circulate our tools
= We must offer body warmth after 6pm
= Initiate dialogue
= Consider privacy
= We must accept the collective decision of the settlement
for further information see: www.soit.info
Hans Van Den Broeck
Hans studied Psychology at the K.U.Leuven and later Film at the City University of New York.
He was one of the cofounders of Les Ballets C. de la B.(Gent, Belgium) with their support he has created several pieces that undertook international tours in Europe and abroad.
In the past he was a performer in different productions of les Ballets C. de la B., directed by Alain Platel: “Alchemie”(1988), “O Boom”(1990), “Mussen”(1991), and “Bonjour Madame” (1994) that made an international tour.
In 1992 he directed his first piece, “How to approach a dog”, based on the novel "In Cold Blood” from Truman Capote. More production include: “Dick, Ruth & Perry” a sound-performance (1992), ”Everyman” (1994), “(They feed we) Eat, Eat, Eat” (1996), "Au progrès" (1998), "La Sortie" (1999), the shortfilm “Our circumscribed days”, "Induced sleep" (2000), ”Lac des Singes “ (2001),
In summer 2002 choreographer Hans Van den Broeck sat up a new company SOIT (STAY ONLY IF TEMPORARY) based in Brussels; in this new context he wants to develop his choreographic and directing work such as “Deed of arrangement” (2003), the shortfilm “Odeur de sainteté” (2003), “Almost Dark” (2004) and "En Servicio" (2006).
During May 2007 SETTLEMENT was created in Carriageworks, an old railway factory with huge spaces located in Sydney/Australia.
Hans collaborated with Kaffe Mathews for “Breakfast" (1995), with Annis Joslin and Mark Jeffery for the video “In Case” (1995), with Yves Opstaele to make the short film “Eyes on the back”, with Sikay Tang for "Ways of watching“ (1998) a video-installation, for the piece "Durchgang" (2005) together with Ellen Meijer, and for the fiction-video “Alive Too” (2006) with Abdel Noukrati.
Hans Van den Broeck