“Everlasting Youth & Life Without End” is a theatre show with giant puppets and live music, which will premiere between July 23-25, 2021, in the Liberty Square of Timișoara. From Friday to Sunday, starting at 9 pm, the square will be transformed into a world of fantasy, in which each present element has a special connotation. From the mythological characters specific to Romanian fairy tales, to the arrangement of the audience, in a spiral, a form that has multiple spiritual meanings, the show promises to highlight the fairy tale with all its meanings, but also to bring to the fore the importance of its interpretation today.
The show is the result of a collaboration between the artists Ciprian Tauciuc (scenographer at the Romanian Opera Timișoara), Conny Zenk (Austria – Festival der Regionen/RAD Performance), Lia Pfeiffer (artistic director of Prin Banat), Livia Coloji (illustrator), Ovidiu Mihăiță (Auăleu) and Xiri Tara Noir (Denmark – Dansehallerne), along with actors and musicians from Timișoara and the country, and volunteers from the local community. Inspired by the eponymous story collected by Petre Ispirescu in 1862, the show “Everlasting Youth & Life Without End” tells a story of Romanian supernatural folklore, about mythological philosophy, immortality, happiness, life and death.
The preparations for the show started in June and involve artistic residencies, but also thematic workshops (props, poster art, contemporary dance or sound) coordinated by international and local artists, in order to activate the local community of Timișoara. Citizens have the opportunity to get actively involved and be part of the process of building the theater show, for which 14 large puppets and other sets are made from recycled materials, as well as to be part of it.
The direction belongs to Ovidiu Mihăiță and the scenography to Ciprian Tauciuc. Conny Zenk took care of the sound, music – Sol Faur, choreography – Xiri Tara Noir, costumes – Lia Pfeiffer, and lights – Călin Cernescu; puppet master – Cuța Gornic, choir master – Beatrix Imre Leila. The graphic design is made by Livia Coloji, and the production by Bogdan Cotîrță. The cast consists of 60 professional actors and musicians from Timișoara and the country, along with art lovers volunteers from the local community.
Tickets can be purchased on https://www.iabilet.ro/bilete-tinerete/ or from the iabilet/retea network. The revenues generated by ticket sales are fully reallocated within the project.
Access to the show is based on a ticket. Children under age of 10 have free access and the recommended age to participate is 6. Participation is allowed only for people who are vaccinated, for whom 10 days have passed since the completion of the vaccination scheme; people whose RT-PCR test not older than 72 hours is negative or have a rapid antigen not older than 24 hours. Minors under the age of 16 are exempt from presenting the medical evidence required to participate in the show. Wearing a mask on the perimeter of the show is mandatory.
The show is part of the first stage of the Moving Fireplaces: Centriphery project, which includes other related events, held between July 17-25, 2021.
Minor Gestures Into Dance – July 10, 14 and 17, between 10:00 and 13:00, at the Timiș County Foundation for Youth (FITT)
The choreographic workshop is about the power and politics of small gestures. It contains a part of the exercise in the studio at Casa Tineretului and a part where the participants will go to the local market, to be inspired by smells and gestures. The workshop is part of the artistic research for the theater show “Everlasting Youth & Life Without End”.
SoundRIDE – July 14, 20:00, Liberty Square
The event brought together in a unique format the music of artists from Timisoara and Vienna. On bicycles, equipped with speakers, for three hours, the city streets became the scene of sound universe on the move. The event was attended by over 100 people. SoundRIDE was organized by RAD Performance, Pedallez, Prin Banat Association, Masa Critică and Ciclocurier.
Centriphery Transformation Incubator – from July 16 to 25, between 18:00 and 21:00, at the Garrison Command in Liberty Square
The installation in continuous development shows the evolution of the Centriphery project from 2018 to the present and the artistic interventions in each host country. So far, the exhibition has been presented in Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark, and at the end of the project, it will be exhibited at Centriphery Bulgaria (September 2021).
Centriphery Artist Talks – July 24, 10:00 AM, AMBASADA
The artists of the project will be invited to share the experiences of organizing Centriphery in the context of the pandemic. The event will also be attended by representatives of Centriphery’s international partners.
In 2021, the European project Centriphery is organized in Romania by the Prin Banat Association and carried out within the cultural program Moving Fireplaces.
Local partners: Timișoara 2023 – European Capital of Culture, Auăleu independent theater, Timiș County Directorate for Culture, AMBASADA and the Timiș County Foundation for Youth.The project is co-financed by the European Union’s Creative Europe Program.
Moving Fireplaces: Centriphery is included in the priority cultural program TM2023 RESTART of the Center of Projects of the Municipality of Timișoara, carried out with the support of the City Hall of Timișoara and Timişoara Local Council. The cultural project does not necessarily represent the position of the City Hall Timişoara Municipality and Timişoara Local Council. The content of the cultural project and how its results can be used are the sole responsibility of the authors and the beneficiary of the funding. Timişoara City Hall and Timişoara Local Council are not responsible for the content of the material and how it could be used.
More details and news about the project, on: prinbanat.ong, camineinmiscare.ro and centriphery.eu.
About Centriphery
Because each periphery has its own center, Centriphery gives citizens a so-called “periphery”, a central voice in exploring and transforming local narratives and myths and encourages them to participate in recreating local identities and European narratives. Co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe Program and led by Festival der Regionen (Austria), Centriphery runs from 2018-2022 and brings together 8 European partners: New Culture Foundation (Bulgaria), Dansehallerne (Denmark), Espoo City Theater (Finland), La Manufacture Collectif Contemporain (France), Rijeka 2020 – European Capital of Culture (Croatia), Cultura Nova Festival (Netherlands), Walk & Talk (Azores, Portugal) and Association Prin Banat (Romania).