Press Release 03.04.2024
Boris Charmatz, director of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch + Terrain, named “Artiste Complice” of the Festival d´Avignon 2024
Today, the Festival d`Avignon announced the programme for the festival’s 78th edition, under the direction of Tiago Rodrigues. It will run from 29 June to 21 July, with performances taking place in more than 20 indoor and outdoor venues in and around Avignon. Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, the festival is now one of the most important annual events for contemporary theatre, dance and performance art in the world. Featuring numerous performances, exhibitions, readings, films, discursive and participatory projects, debates and more, it enjoys enormous public support and attracts media attention at home and abroad.
This year, Boris Charmatz – the director of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch and artistic director of Terrain – will be the festival’s “Artiste Complice”. The festival programme will focus particularly on the choreographer’s work with the ensemble of the Tanztheater Wuppertal, as well as his work with his French structure Terrain.
“Every year, we want an artist to participate alongside us in shaping the festival, to let us discover their world view and affinities, to contribute their thoughts to the programme selection and to present their new creations. And every year this complicity is conceived of and realised differently,” explains Tiago Rodrigues. “The Artiste Complice of the 78th edition of the Festival d'Avignon is Boris Charmatz. He has a long history with the Festival d'Avignon, where he was an associate artist in 2011 and presented several projects, including his piece enfant in the Cour d'honneur of the Palais des Papes. He has been the director of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch since 2022.”
CERCLES – a participatory project in two countries
Creation as part of the Festival d´Avignon
Concept by Boris Charmatz
29, 30 June and 1 July 2024, Stade de Bagatelle (football pitch)
With CERCLES, Boris Charmatz is creating a large-scale participatory project in Avignon and then again in Wuppertal as part of the preparatory phase of the Pina Bausch Centre, using the same choreographic material. During a three-day open-air workshop, which is open to the public, he will develop a score of circular dances with a group of 200 dance enthusiasts and other invited participants from different social contexts in Avignon. The premiere with the Wuppertal group of participants will take place in Wuppertal on 22 September 2024.
Liberté Cathédrale – Creation 2023 Boris Charmatz with the ensemble of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch + Guests
5, 6, 8, 9 July 2024, Stade de Bagatelle (football pitch)
A choreographic storm, danced and sung by performers of the Tanztheater Wuppertal and Terrain, pervaded by the powerful sounds of the organ, bells and silence.
World premiere 8 September 2023, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Neviges
Forever
(Immersion dans Café Müller de Pina Bausch)
14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21 July 2024 La FabricA
13:00–20:00, we recommend staying for around two hours
Experience time and space differently as you immerse yourself in one of Pina Bausch’s most famous works: The performance becomes a laboratory, in which we develop pluralistic interpretations of Café Müller.
In addition, there will be film screenings, discursive formats and more
3 July 2024 Territoires cinématographiques, Kino Utopia; screening of two films by Boris Charmatz and César Vayssié: Les Disparates & Transept
7 July 2024 Café des idées (public debate) with Emma Bigé, Emanuele Coccia and Elizabeth Diller
9 July 2024 Boris Charmatz joins Rencontres (Encounters) on Research and Creation with the Agence Nationale pour la Recherche
16 July Ciné-Marathon Pina Bausch, Kino Utopia
Courtesy of the Pina Bausch Foundation
More to be announced soon
The Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch has performed at the Festival d'Avignon in the past, including in 1981 with Carnations and Kontakthof in the Cour d'honneur du Palais de Papes, in 1993 with Walzer, in 1995 with Café Müller and The Rite of Spring and in 2000 with The Window Washer. Boris Charmatz, then director of the Musée de la danse in Rennes (2009-2018), presented Flip book and La danseuse malade in 2010, enfant, Improvisation, Levée des conflits, Petit projet de la matière and Session poster as associate artist of the festival in 2011, and étrangler le temps and Partita 2 (a piece by Rosas/Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker) in 2013.
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