An EU-funded project on sustainable and inclusive coexistence in the city

VIABLE UNKNOWNS: Sustainable and inclusive coexistence in the city

Viable Unknowns is designed to explore and manifest the concept of sustainable coexistence in European urban settings through participatory theatre, inspired by Paulo Freire’s “viable unknowns” – a philosophical idea advocating for untried but achievable transformative futures.

Objectives

This project aims to bridge the worlds of theatre, research, activism, and advocacy to project, on stage, feasible and desirable futures. It assembles a diverse group of individuals – theatre professionals, researchers, activists, and advocates – to co-create and envision sustainable urban living alternatives, and the complex social interactions that derive from them. The project will utilize a variety of theatrical methods from different organizations, blending traditional and contemporary forms to foster community and audience engagement throughout the creative process.

By bridging scientific, social, and cultural perspectives on sustainable urban coexistence and, the project ensures that the theatrical productions are not only artistically compelling but also scientifically sound and socially relevant. It aims to transcend the often catastrophic narrative associated with climate change, proposing instead a narrative of hope, possibility, and proactive engagement.

It assembles a diverse group – theatre professionals, researchers, and minority/marginalized community groups across 4 European cities (Barcelona, Bologna, Leipzig, Wrocław) – blending contemporary, community-centric, and eco-conscious theatrical forms to:

  • Strengthen cross-border collaborative skills for inclusive and sustainable artistic creation through a staff training and co-mentoring program
  • Foster local engagement through the creation, virtual testing, and face-to-face presentations of 4 theatrical productions exploring “viable unknowns,” involving diverse minority and/or marginalized groups
  • Advance cultural integration and circulation with a 19-day transnational tour, showcasing 22 theatre performances in an eco-friendly framework
  • Expand the reach of sustainable urban living concepts and alternatives resulting from the theatrical processes through a documentary, website, scientific paper, and final transdisciplinary international conference.

Through this collaborative effort, “Viable Unknowns” seeks to leverage the power of theatre as a tool for social transformation, while disseminating scientific knowledge, providing transdisciplinary experiences for knowledge creation, enhancing scientific literacy among theatre professionals, and creating transnational cross-synergies to produce socially relevant artistic products. The project underscores the importance of transnational co-creation and circulation, bringing together different perspectives and expertise to imagine and work towards a collective vision of sustainable – hence inclusive – coexistence, not just as a concept, but as lived – on stage – reality.

Research partners:
Artistic project partners:
  • La Xixa Teatre
  • VoiceLAB – Instytut Im.Jerzego Grotowskiego
  • gruppe tag
  • Cantieri Meticci

© Photos by La Xixa Teatre

This project is funded by the Creative Europe Programme (CREA) of the European Commission.