The Village Oostende

Interactive theatrical exhibition stretching over a couple of kilometers about inequality

The Village Oostende was open for visitors between 31/07/2019 and 10/08/2019 at Theater aan Zee. For more information, please check www.ocharme.nl  (Dutch only).

Research

Since the beginning of 2018, we investigated the theme poverty/inequality. This research consisted of the reading of books from Harari (2015),  Philip Blom (2017) to Sendhil Mullainathan, we watched documentaries such as ‘Take Good Care of my Baby’, about a single mother in the suburbs of Oostende by Klein Verhaal. But above all, we interviewed over 70 people in the Netherlands and Belgium, from social workers to scientist, from politicians to philosophers.

Our goal with The Village (Oostende) is to share our analyses about the increasing inequality in a way that is both intense and interactive, to create a theatrical and iconographic route during which you (as a visitor) inevitably has to question your own position and choices. 

We do not possess The Truth or The Solution. We only reveal what we see, both positive and negative. We lead the audience through rooms with observations, experiences and installations about humanity, systems, the future etc. From this palette, every visitor can and will draw their own conclusions.

App 


We are using our self developed smartphone application to guide people from one place to the other, but also to pose questions and let them make choices. The surroundings are responding to the app, and the app responds to its surroundings. Through scenography, stories, drawing, information and questions we try to stimulate people on different levels and to encourage self-reflection and determine one’s space.

Project Credits

Created by | Lucas De Man, Bas van Rijnsoever, Isil Vos, Pascal Leboucq, Mariëlla van Apeldoorn, Anne Caesar, Emiel Rietveld, Hanne Ghekiere, Simon Neels, Maarten Snoeck, Pascal Lervant, Wouter Goedheer, Jip Verwiel, Amber Bloos, Moqod, Naomi Jansen, de studenten van de opleiding Sociaal Werk van HoGent en een heleboel lieve kinderen. 

Produced by | Stichting Nieuwe Helden en KAAP 

With the cooperation of | Theater Aan Zee en HoGent

Made possible by | BankGiro Loterij Fonds, het Fonds Podiumkunsten, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunsten 

Special thank you to | Hans Dewitte en zijn Klein Verhaal, Joost Bonte, Sociaal Huis Oostende, CKG Kapoentje, Antenne, Pascale Cockhuyt, Buurtwerk ‘t Lampeke, De Wissel, FMDO, Decenniumdoelen.be, VZW Samen DiVers, Tineke Decroos, VLIZ en vele anderen die hun tijd, ervaring en kennis met ons wilden delen.