Help citizens reconnect with nature and make its benefits accessible to all

PLACE is a European project in which Hiatus partners up with Bethlen Theatre (Hungary) and Norwegian Landscape Theatre. We seek to develop 3 local projects for green spaces in 3 different locations in Europe and develop tools and networks for artists to work hands-on with nature in a sustainable way. We will help develop artistic interventions that shift the notion of nature as a space (generic, disengaged) and foster a notion of nature as a PLACE (specific, meaningful and emotionally infused).

PLACE seeks to engage in a core driver of the climate crisis; the alienation of citizens from nature. Research has shown that insufficient access to green spaces (nature deprivation), especially in urban areas, is important in health and mental health issues. It also contributes to the inaction on environmental protection as people do not feel motivated to protect what they are not personally connected to. In other words: climate awareness alone is insufficient to create wide scale climate action. We need to (re)engage with nature on an emotional and practical level through establishing personal connections to green spaces and non-human lifeforms.

PLACE believes the arts can play a key role in fostering such connections to nature. With this project we seek to foster, gather and share ideas and humans who are interested in exploring how this might happen.

We invite creative minds to share, explore and develop artistic practices that connect human activity nature world in a direct and sustainable way.

Through three pilot sites, one in Budapest (HU), one in Brussels (BE) and one that can be anywhere in Europe – we seek to test out some of these ideas and practices.

Are you a creative mind and interested in contributing to an urban green space in Europe with your practice?

We are looking for people with creative ideas, a hands on attitude and experience in ecological and social projects. We will invite 12 people to our 10 day creative retreat this summer in Piemonte, Italy. 3 projects will be developed and realized in one of the ‘gardens’ in Europe.

Read all about the OPEN CALL by clicking this link.

We invite you to our ONLINE OPEN HOUSE on 10th of March at 18h00 GMT. We can meet virtually, tell you more about the project and answer your questions. Click here to join via zoom.

To apply online click on this link. Proposals are due 23th of March 2025.

BETHLEN THEATRE Bethlen Square Theater, with a 95-year legacy, has operated in its current form since 2012, supporting contemporary performing arts and local artists. Through programs, workshops, and collaborations, it engages the community and fosters cross-border artistic connections. Committed to regional performers, it aims to be a multidisciplinary hub for contemporary arts.

NORWEGIAN LANDSCAPE THEATRE is a creative production company of theatre maker, gardener and researcher Tormod Carlsen. The organisation works across Europe on a variety of projects with a belief in connecting humans to places. With roots in the field of performing arts they employ notions, tools and wisdom from this field to investigate how such practices might take form.

HIATUS is a Brussels based contemporary dance company of choreographer Daniel Linehan. Hiatus creates dance productions and participative projects fostering connections in the here and now and bringing attention to the urgent concerns of today. The word “hiatus” implies a space of possibility, an opening.