SPACE (NL):
The Place Where We Belong

The Amsterdam-based SPACE is a theatre collective founded by the Hungarian Petra Ardai and the Dutch Luc van Loo.
SPACE produces ‘exploratory operations': interdisciplinary theatrical documentaries in which social topics are dissected and the political becomes personal. SPACE takes social development and taboos out of their unambiguous context and in this way uncovers the world that lies behind the facts. The overarching question asked with all productions is what is identity and by what is this determined.
In the past couple of years SPACE has presented work on several occasions in Budapest and has toured its production ‘Holland Tsunami' around Hungary, as well as in The Netherlands and across Europe.

The Place Where We Belong is the performance that brought SPACE international acclaim and that Petra and Luc have decided to re-visit in order to create a new version which will premiere in Budapest at PLACCC Festival.
It is a performance about shifting identity and integration, beyond media and politics. Petra - a migrant in Holland - comes back to the place where she was born after twenty years. She wonders what still connects her to the country she used to live in. Is she really coming HOME?
She decides, together with her husband Luc, to enter into public conversation and ask passers-by in the streets for advice.
The provocative questions are about national identity and the right to stick to it for decades. The audience is a witness to these enquiries. Looking out of the windows of Hotel Mercure Budapest Korona's glass bridge in Kecskeméti street they see everything from a bird's eye view. In the meantime they can also spy and eavesdrop on every single word with the help of a camera and microphone used by the actress.
Everyone becomes a voyeur of the soul, tapping into other people's thoughts and feelings.

Performances in Hungarian with English translation

Premiere: 2 October (Fri) at 7.30 pm
Further performances: 3-6 October, every day at 5 and 7.30 pm
Performances with English translation: 3 and 4 October at 7.30 pm
New date with English translation: 6 October at 7.30 pm 

Location:
Hotel Mercure Budapest Korona, Bridge Bar - 1053 Budapest, Kecskeméti u. 14.

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Concept: Space
Text: Petra Ardai
Sound: Luc van Loo, Guy Amitai
Dramaturgy consultant: Edit Kaldor, Chris Keulemans
Video design: Marloeke van der Vlught
Realization of audiovisual system: Luc van Loo
Performed by: Petra Ardai, Luc van Loo and the passers-by on the streets.
Technique: Bokor Péter

The initial version of The Pace Where We Belong was produced in 2005 and it was the final project of Petra Ardai at DASARTS (Amsterdam School of Advanced Theatre Studies). The performance was realized with the support of Dasarts, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Productiehuis Frascati and Lira Fonds.