We're dealing with interesting art history there. We're facing a generation of internationally significant artist and companies, and their offspring. We'll experioence works from a social, cultural and artistic context, ehere theatre and art have become socially reveland, have become sites for exchange and experience. We'll witness a firm focus on the urge to change, develop and share, and we'll watch it articulate reasons for the need to redefine theatre venues as well as art itself. Glimpses of an ongoing flux. In its midst are the artist and their structural collaborators (venues and institutions), and the urge to always look twice, to initiate change and to challenge. But it's also worth dwelling on the state of art and politics in Flanders. What many people don't know is that the 80s generation worked for years to before they were acknowledeged at home. Actually, the rest of the world saw and appreciated their innovative work long before it triggered any substantial input from their home-base, their country. Strange, after all we are talking about the internationally renowned Flemish Wave here. In other words; it was not a large amount of cash and state support that made this wace start and become a reality. Substantial support didn't arrive until almost 10 years later. And let's face it; it's not enormous amount of cash that keep them rocking today either. These facts introduce some pretty interesting questions. Are we finally facing a system of trust? Are we seeing an amazing structure feeding artist with lots of work possibilities? Or are we simply witnessing another way of understanding art and artist, and their function in society? Dealing with Flemish theatre life also means focusing on a field of art where theatre, dance and another live art, visual art, music, poetry, dialogue, fighting, traditional and new technologies all become logical and natural playmates. Dealing and collaborating an international dimension that is well established and developed. Artist from all over the world are based and work from Belgium, and they do create and present work in collaboration with their new countrymen, as well as their home countries and other activists on the international art scene. Afraid of new invention, new territories, open space, awkward silence or noise? Absolutely not! Maybe that's the highest quality of Flemish theatre life. It becomes relevant by being here now, challenging daily life as well as large universal questions. Sometimes stupid, sometimes brillant, but always close to something we can rely on and trust in. Sometimes, the stuff we didn't know that we needed or existed comes in handy.
In Malta, we could have created a 24/7-program for a month without lowering the level of artistic quality and relevance. Due to some very logical reasons, we're stuck with 9 days of good artwork, and let me be clean on this; the Flemish program offered this summer at the Malta Festival is as wide as it's sharp, as provocative as it's pleasant and hilarious. An artistic reflection on this level says a lot about being a human being in 2010, by telling stories of different levels, from diferrent perspectives, by diverse means and with different goals. We sincerely hope it will entertain, intrigue and engage you. After all, we're facing art that insist on being here for you. The program will certainly offer you some splenid evenings. It may even change you.
May the force be with you!
SVEN BIRKELAND
IDIOM CURATOR