LA GRANDE MIGRATION is a five-day poetic journey through the vast heart of the Hérault region (FR) where the company, with the collaboration of more than fifty local residents who participated in an intensive workshop and with the punctual intervention of various groups from the region, has created numerous theatrical moments in public space (both announced and improvised), evoking the sensation of a great wave of migration and human movement sweeping through the landscapes and villages of the area.
Project description
A flow, a stream of people who meet and continue together…The Great Migration.
Who are these men, women and children passing through with suitcases? When did they arrive? Did they arrive yesterday? last night? or have they always been here? where are they going? or are they staying?
During the project, the company was present in the countries of Lodéve & Larzac, Clermont, Vallée de l`Hérault, a wide and diverse geographical territory, for 8 days.
During these days, with the collaboration of more than 50 local residents of all ages, who participated in a 3-day intensive workshop and then performed with members of the company in different places and settings, and with the collaboration of numerous local groups (from a local vintage car association and local sports groups to a herd of local sheep and goats with their shepherdess) the company generated a series of 'independent' theatrical moments throughout the territory; spectacular and intimate moments, announced and unannounced, and above all human moments that together, like pieces of a puzzle, drew a universal yet affectionate sketch of human migratory movements, both in this area and in Europe as a whole.
The 5 days of performances and unannounced appearances in the territory ended in a grand and emotional finale where during the show the actors were joined by all the workshop participants, with more than 300 spectators dancing to the music of the local fanfare and following the actors and workshop participants performing and improvising in the streets of Clermont l'Herault.
Recap of the Project
Title: LA GRANDE MIGRATION
Commissioned by: Téâtre Le Sillon
Format: Numerous performances + numerous unannounced appearances in the public space with the participation of local residents + 3-day workshop with local residents + coordinated interventions by local groups and associations.
Dates: 14-22 April 2023
Place: Lodéve & Larzac, Clermont, Vallée de l`Hérault (FRANCE)
Kamchàtka is an artist collective of diverse nationalities and disciplines who’s members first met in Barcelona in 2006. Driven by the same interests and concerns and under the artistic direction of Adrian Schvarzstein, they started training intensely in group improvisation on the streets of Barcelona and researched the subject of immigration. Barcelona… an ideal city for confronting a society laden with contradictions and immersed in profound problems of integration.
Since 2007, they have created their own poetic language around a trilogy on human migration - Kamchàtka (2007), Habitaculum (2010) and Fugit (2014) and have been performing in more than 30 different countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Their latest creation Alter (2021) is a site specific performance which is intimately linked to the landscape and to interaction with the audience.
In 2023 and 2024 Kamchàtka is working on two special site specific projects which take place in the South of France.
The company also offers the Migrar workshop, a unique human experience around the Kamchàtka performance, for the inhabitants of your city, as well as an indoor production with a Symphony Orchestra of your choice - Music for wild beasts - an approach to classical music for all audiences.
Actors
Cristina Aguirre, Maïka Eggericx, Claudio Levati, Andrea Lorenzetti, Lluís Petit, Edu Rodilla, Amaya Minguez, Gary Shochat, Prisca Villa
Artistic coordination
Gary Shochat, Andrea Lorenzetti
Production
Rita Stivala
Special thanks to
To each of the workshop participants who performed with us for their dedication and humanity.
To all the groups who collaborated with us at different times in this madness.
To all the teams of the project partners in the three counties: Lodéve & Larzac, Clermont, Vallée de l`Hérault and especially the fantastic teams of 'Theatre Le Sillon', 'Résurgence' and Marie Cristiani for their warm welcome.
To Alice Lang and Nico, our guardian angels on the ground.
