“Life must be lived forward, but can only be understood backward” – Kierkegaard
Are we not drawn onward to new erA is one of Ontroerend Goed’s purest theatrical works. In the concept, form and content come together perfectly. At the center of the performance is a fictional, albeit scientifically claimed, described and predicted catastrophic “point zero.” It is the moment when humanity has done so much damage to the planet that it has become uninhabitable for our species. From that point in time, the show goes back and forth, creating a palindrome of inevitability and melancholy contemplation.
So like its title, this performance is a palindrome. You will be able to see it forwards and backwards. Because some people believe humanity is moving forward, while others believe the opposite. Some say the world is coming to an end, others call them doomsayers. No matter who’s right, in our quest for progress we have dramatically changed the world we live in. Are our actions irreversible or can we undo them? It is up to the audience to decide this for themselves. What is certain is that we are at a social pivotal moment that will determine what our future history will look like.
Are we not drawn onward to new erA is a visually metaphorical, yet socially relevant and highly topical performance that addresses major issues of our time such as climate change and political unrest.
The performance won the 2019 Fringe First Award and was nominated for the Total Theatre Award in Edinburgh. It features a live performance William Basinski’s ‘Disintegration Loops’. Brought to you by Spectra Ensemble, in collaboration with the composer.
Knack - Els Van Steenberghe ****
Director: Alexander Devriendt
With: Angelo Tijssens, Charlotte De Bruyne, Jonas Vermeulen, Karolien De Bleser, Maria Dafneros and Vincent Dunoyer
Musicians: Spectra Ensemble: Tille Van Gastel/Katrien Gaelens (flute), Pieter Jansen/Wilbert Aerts (violin), Bram Bossier (tenor violin), Peter Devos (cello), Frank Van Eycken (percussion) and Rik Vercruysse/Simon Haspeslagh (horn)Dramaturgy: Jan Martens
Scenography: Philip Aguirre
Light, video & Sound: Jeroen Wuyts and Seppe Brouckaert
Lighting Design: Babette Poncelet
Technical assistance: Brecht, David and Pepijn
Costumes: Charlotte Goethals
Composition: William Basinski
Arrangements: Joris Blanckaert
Finishing off statue: Daan Verzele, Jelmer Delbecque and Jesse Frans
Photography: Mirjam Devriendt
Internships: Morgan Eglin and Tim De Paepe
Co-production: Spectra, Kunstencentrum Vooruit Gent, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Adelaide Festival & Richard Jordan Productions Ltd.
Many thanks to: Ilona Lodewijckx, Luc De Bruyne, Matthieu Goeury, Simon Stokes, Björn Doumen, Les Ballets C de la B, everybody involved in the pre-study ‘koortsmeetsysteemstrook’ @ Toneelacademie Maastricht and our fantastic test-audiences
Diffusion: ART HAPPENS
| Date | Performance | City Country | Organisation/Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17.02.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (Cancelled) | Kingston (ca) | Kingston Grand Theater |
| 15.02.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (Cancelled) | St. Catharines (ca) | First Ontario Performing Arts Center |
| 11.02.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Toronto (ca) | Canadian Stage |
| 10.02.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Toronto (ca) | Canadian Stage |
| 09.02.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Toronto (ca) | Canadian Stage |
| 04.02.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Vancouver (ca) | PuSh Festival |
| 03.02.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Vancouver (ca) | PuSh Festival |
| 02.02.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Vancouver (ca) | PuSh Festival |
| 01.02.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Vancouver (ca) | PuSh Festival |
| 26.01.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Columbus (us) | Wexner Center for the Arts |
| 25.01.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Columbus (us) | Wexner Center for the Arts |
| 21.01.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Ann Arbor (us) | UMS |
| 20.01.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Ann Arbor (us) | UMS |
| 14.01.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Minneapolis (us) | Walker Art Center |
| 13.01.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Minneapolis (us) | Walker Art Center |
| 12.01.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Minneapolis (us) | Walker Art Center |
| 08.01.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | New York (us) | BAM |
| 07.01.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | New York (us) | BAM |
| 06.01.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | New York (us) | BAM |
| 05.01.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | New York (us) | BAM |
| 04.01.2023 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | New York (us) | BAM |
| 14.10.2022 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Alsemberg (be) | CC De Meent |
| 14.05.2022 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Evreux (fr) | Le Tangram |
| 13.05.2022 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Evreux (fr) | Le Tangram |
| 16.04.2022 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Zaventem (be) | CC De Factorij |
| 09.04.2022 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Amsterdam (nl) | De Brakke Grond |
| 08.04.2022 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Groningen (nl) | SPOT / Stadsschouwburg |
| 07.04.2022 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Delft (nl) | Theater de Veste |
| 02.02.2022 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Hamburg (de) | Thalia Theater |
| 01.02.2022 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Hamburg (de) | Thalia Theater |
| 12.06.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Deinze (be) | Leietheater |
| 29.05.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Aarhus (dk) | ILT Internationalt Levende Teater |
| 28.05.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Aarhus (dk) | ILT Internationalt Levende Teater |
| 19.05.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Maubeuge (fr) | Le Manège |
| 12.05.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Milan (it) | Triennale Milano |
| 11.05.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Milan (it) | Triennale Milano |
| 06.05.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Zug (ch) | Theater Casino Zug |
| 05.05.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Zug (ch) | Theater Casino Zug |
| 04.05.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Schaffhausen (ch) | Stadttheater Schaffhausen |
| 10.04.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Evreux (fr) | Le Tangram |
| 09.04.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Evreux (fr) | Le Tangram |
| 02.04.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Deinze (be) | Leietheater |
| 20.03.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Villeneuve d'Ascq (fr) | La rose des vents Scène nationale Lille Métropole |
| 19.03.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Villeneuve d'Ascq (fr) | La rose des vents Scène nationale Lille Métropole |
| 18.03.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Villeneuve d'Ascq (fr) | La rose des vents Scène nationale Lille Métropole |
| 27.01.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Hamburg (de) | Thalia Theater |
| 26.01.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Hamburg (de) | Thalia Theater |
| 04.01.2021 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Utrecht (nl) | Stadsschouwburg Utrecht |
| 01.12.2020 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Choisy-le-Roi (fr) | Festival Les Théâtrales Charles Dullin / Théâtre Cinéma de Choisy-le-Roi |
| 27.10.2020 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Turnhout (be) | De Warande |
| 02.09.2020 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Weimar (de) | Kunstfest Weimar |
| 01.09.2020 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Weimar (de) | Kunstfest Weimar |
| 23.05.2020 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Brighton (gb) | Brighton Festival |
| 22.05.2020 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Brighton (gb) | Brighton Festival |
| 21.05.2020 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Brighton (gb) | Brighton Festival |
| 14.05.2020 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Milan (it) | Triennale Milano |
| 13.05.2020 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Milan (it) | Triennale Milano |
| 09.05.2020 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Ghent (be) | LOD Studio |
| 08.05.2020 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA (CANCELLED - Covid-19) | Ghent (be) | LOD Studio |
| 19.12.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Oosterzele (be) | GC De Kluize |
| 11.12.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Tunis (tn) | Les Journées Théâtrales de Carthage |
| 10.12.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Tunis (tn) | Les Journées Théâtrales de Carthage |
| 09.12.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Tunis (tn) | Les Journées Théâtrales de Carthage |
| 15.11.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Rennes (fr) | Théâtre National de Brétagne |
| 14.11.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Rennes (fr) | Théâtre National de Brétagne |
| 27.09.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Waregem (be) | CC De Schakel |
| 25.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 24.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 23.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 22.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 21.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 20.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 18.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 17.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 16.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 15.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 14.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 13.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 11.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 10.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 09.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 08.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 07.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 06.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 04.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 03.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 02.08.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Edinburgh (gb) | Fringe Festival/ZOO Southside |
| 15.06.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Ghent (be) | LOD Studio |
| 14.06.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Ghent (be) | LOD Studio |
| 02.04.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Leuven (be) | 30 CC |
| 02.02.2019 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | The Hague (nl) | Het Nationale Theater |
| 05.04.2018 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Eindhoven (nl) | Parktheater Eindhoven |
| 13.08.2017 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | 's-Hertogenbosch (nl) | Theaterfestival Boulevard |
| 12.08.2017 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | 's-Hertogenbosch (nl) | Theaterfestival Boulevard |
| 25.04.2017 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Sint-Niklaas (be) | CC Stadsschouwburg Sint-Niklaas |
| 24.03.2017 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Roeselare (be) | CC De Spil |
| 23.03.2017 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Brussels (be) | KVS |
| 28.02.2017 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Bruges (be) | CC Brugge |
| 21.01.2017 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Charleroi (be) | PBA |
| 14.01.2017 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Aalst (be) | CC De Werf |
| 12.01.2017 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Kortrijk (be) | Schouwburg Kortrijk |
| 11.01.2017 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Schoten (be) | CC Schoten |
| 23.12.2016 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Ghent (be) | VIERNULVIER/Vooruit |
| 22.12.2016 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Ghent (be) | VIERNULVIER/Vooruit |
| 21.12.2016 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Ghent (be) | VIERNULVIER/Vooruit |
| 17.12.2016 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Berchem (be) | c o r s o |
| 19.11.2015 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 18.11.2015 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 17.11.2015 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Plymouth (gb) | Theatre Royal Plymouth |
| 14.11.2015 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Ostend (be) | CC De Grote Post |
| 04.11.2015 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Berchem (be) | c o r s o |
| 26.09.2015 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Ghent (be) | VIERNULVIER/Vooruit |
| 25.09.2015 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Ghent (be) | VIERNULVIER/Vooruit |
| 24.09.2015 | Are we not drawn onward to new erA | Ghent (be) | VIERNULVIER/Vooruit |