From 30th July to 2nd August, TIDAL ArtS was at Sommerwerft festival in Frankfurt!
Sommerwerft is a major international theatre and performance festival that attracts 100,000+ visitors each summer. This year, TIDAL ArtS coordinated the creation of the Blue Lab – a space dedicated to learning and engaging with the ocean and waters through arts and cultural means.
The initiative brings together science, art, culture, and education to strengthen public awareness of the ocean and promote community-based approaches to marine and climate protection. Through international collaborations, the Blue Lab develops participatory methods that connect scientific knowledge, local and community knowledge, and creative practices, contributing to a more sustainable and equitable relationship between people and the ocean.
This is part of TIDAL ArtS work to bring the EU’s Mission: Restore our Ocean & Waters by 2030 to new audiences and through new means.
Three of our artists’ projects received funding to show their work, perform, and take part in panel discussions during the Blue Lab:
Baltic Code of Signals by Isabella Martin
Audience members listened to Isabella discussing her project and her wider practice.
Fish in a Kettle invited the audience to participate in an immersive theatre experience – this was no small challenge for Lab Rat Collective, who had to reimagine their performance for an outdoor space, and an audience that included children and non-english speakers!
Echoes of the Deep by Neonature | Kassandra Huynh & Johannes Fuchs
Finally, the queue for Neonatures virtual reality experience from Echoes of the Deep didn’t die down all weekend.
All in all, TIDAL ArtS’ collaboration with Protagon, Escunia Criativa, and ACTeon brought the Mission to a new audience, solidifying the role of arts and cultural sectors in supporting it, and provided our artists’s projects with more exposure, plenty of challenge, but also food for thought for future exhibitions, performances, and more.
Check out the Blue Lab programme here.