WIPCOOP: WORK IN PROGRESS 2024

Join the ride: on 16 October artists from the Brussels scene will show a mixed audience of professionals and curious viewers where they stand with the development of their new stage creations. Each of them will perform 30 minutes of their Work in Progress. They then have a one-hour conversation with a collective of dramaturges, workshops, producers and programmers about their creation and about possible support. During these breaks, other artists talk about new work, new initiatives or projects, in artist talks with the audience.

WIPCOOP – the Work In Progress Cooperative of Mestizo Arts Platform – is a year-round development track in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Mechelen and Leuven. The main purpose? Using the power of the cooperative to make new artistic work visible, to set up a dialogue, and to match artists with organisations to help them further develop and perform their work.

The Works In Progress take place during the day and are free to attend. An overview of creations that have blossomed from previous WIPCOOP-editions and their play dates in various theatres can be found at www.mestizoartsplatform.be.

This year, these artists will showcase a sample of their work: 

PROGRAM

• 09:30 > 10:00: Welcome with coffee and tea
  
  
• 10:00 > 10:30: SOBRAN (Leftover. Surplus. Plenty) by Julia Färber Data
  A performance rooted in movement and composition research, exploring the Sonidero — a self-organized space for cumbia street dancing in Mexico City. How can we, through this culture, explore new methods of creating shared stories that connect us across new geographic areas.
• 10:30 > 11:30: Break with roundtable discussions and pitches
  
  
• 11:30 > 12:00: Celles qui manquent is a performance that delves into a spiritual quest for resilience and connection with the past. Milka Mbunga Kongi brings poetic scenes to life, guided by divine spirits and ancestral wisdom. It’s an invitation to pause and reflect on our existence and uncover the timeless power of our roots.
  
  
• 12:00 > 13:30: Break with roundtable discussions and lunch
  
  
• 13:30 > 14:00: restes is a performance by Alphonse Eklou Uwantege, where dance, words, and whispers create a dialogue with the spirits that haunt us. The piece is a ritual tribute to their uncle, Alphonse Kanimba, who was murdered during the Tutsi genocide in 1994. restes explores the legacy of trauma and stories we carry unwillingly, questioning which remnants we embrace and which we leave behind.
  
  
• 14u00 > 15u00: Break with rountable discussions and lunch
  
  
• 15:00 > 15:30: Histoires et Histoire (working title) highlights forgotten stories. Inspired by her family history, Souhaïla Amri explores how we remember those who came before us. Through tales, proverbs, and symbolic objects, this performance invites us to reflect on our own history and our place in the greater human narrative.
  
  
• 15:30 > 16:30: Break with roundtable discussions and pitches
  
  
• 16:30 > 16:50: Monologue of Anger is a text by Nastasya Kharitonova, centered on pain, anger, and the horror she has witnessed firsthand. Each word is infused with emotion. The performance consists of one text, read in both English and Ukrainian. Due to the vulnerability of this work, this Work In Progress is presented in an intimate setting and is accessible by invitation only.