In the final days of December, amidst festive lights and in anticipation of a new year, we often take a moment to look back on the past year.
At least three creators who will be joining the Oerol Festival next year understand the value of these moments of reflection. They are currently working on creating meditative performances, inviting the audience to pause and reflect on where they are.
Alexandra Broeder/Tijd van de Wolf is creating ‘The Temple’ for Oerol Festival 2024. They will lead their visitors into a ‘dream temple’ inspired by ancient Greek sleep rituals. People came from afar to these temples to seek healing. Through rituals and theater, they were brought into the right state of receptivity until they were ready to enter the sleeping chamber: a womb-like space where they stayed to receive messages through dreams.
Another example is Boogaerdt/VanderSchoot’s ‘Echo’s Chamber,’ where modern humans and nature come together in a meditative video installation. It promises to be a theatrical sleep ritual inspired by ancient European nature religions, such as the myth of Pan. After encountering large avatars, acting as gatekeepers of the natural elements (fire, water, wood, metal, and earth), you are invited to a sleep ceremony with singing bowls, gongs, and scents.
Finally, ‘ZUAM’ by the Futurists brings a location-bound ritual with opera singers, a deaf dancer, electronics, and video. They tell the story of an ancient futuristic tribe floating between prehistoric times and the distant future. ‘ZUAM’ is an attempt to reconnect with our inner selves. Expect a meditative experience, tailored for the human of the 21st century, constantly overwhelmed and lost in a rapidly changing world.
We still need six months of patience until the time comes. But perhaps it’s not such a bad idea to schedule a ‘check-up appointment’ then to reflect on how the New Year’s resolutions for 2024 are coming along.
