PURPLE Dance Festival for Young Audiences
Together we can move more
Interview with Canan Erek
Since the founding of PURPLE at the latest, Canan Erek's aim has been to promote dance for young audiences. When Theater o.N. 2018 asked Erek whether a funding application could not be submitted together to the TANZPAKT Stadt-Land-Bund, she brought Theater Strahl and TANZKOMPLIZEN on board without further ado. Together, they launched ‘Offensive Dance for Young Audiences’. The funding application to the TANZPAKT was approved and co-financed by the Berlin Senate for Culture and Europe. Erek is the coordinating project manager and talked to PURPLE about it.
Canan, what is offensive dance for young audiences?
Together with TANZKOMPLIZEN, Theater o.N. and Theater Strahl, PURPLE founded ‘Offensive Dance for Young Audiences’. The cooperation project runs until October 2021. Our goal is to make dance visible to young audiences and to create sustainable structures. Within the project period, we produce six dance pieces, conduct three symposia, organize specialist days, develop innovative mediation formats. We also offer workshops for teachers inside and educators inside.‘Can Touch This’, the first dance production of the offensive, will be premiered as part of this year’s PURPLE. In April, the first symposium on ‘Internationality and Diversity in Dance’ will take place as part of the Fratz Festival.
Are the dance productions similar in content?
On the contrary, they are very diverse. And not only because the institutions are aimed at different age groups, but also because each project partner decides for himself which choreographer he works with. Dance pieces for children between the ages of 0 and 18 are created. Theater o.N. is aimed at the youngest, dance accomplices is aimed at children of primary school age and Theater Strahl has young people (from 12 years) as a target group.
It is important to us that there are also synergy effects
What is the role of PURPLE?
PURPLE is dedicated to audience research, so we have put a visitor survey online that explicitly addresses parents, teachers and educators. In 2021, PURPLE will co-produce an international production and present the German premiere as part of PURPLE.
How do the different houses work together?
It is important to us that there are also synergy effects. Together we can move more. We want to create something that has its own presence in the city. I want ‘Offensive Tanz’ to know immediately what it is about and who is involved. How do we want to learn from each other and benefit from experience? Each institution has a different expertise and sits in a different district. In the name of dance, we explore together how to interest students inside and teachers inside for dance and make it easier for them to access dance. We want to promote their openness and curiosity about dance.
Should the offensive be extended after two years?
Of course, you can plan. TANZPAKT has been extended as a nationwide funding programme. In principle, there is therefore the possibility that we will prepare the next application for a possible extension at the end of 2020. The funding runs through the city, the state and the federal government. This means that we would have to get co-financing from Berlin again, then we would have more years to pursue our goals.
Are nationwide cooperations planned?
The TANZPAKT project ‘Explore dance’ also focuses on dance for young audiences. We exchange ideas and consider whether to strengthen our composition and cooperate with the project partners in Munich, Hamburg and Potsdam. We want to send a signal out of the capital.
