URBANATIX
Street Art & World Artistic
Eike von Stukenbrok in the Marienkirche / Photo: WAZ FotoPool, Ingo Otto
People can achieve a lot if they move themselves! Indeed, 50 young people from 21 towns and cities of the Ruhr have, since the castings in May 2009, proven that this is true. They were all involved in the URBANATIX project, part of the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010. It was designed to counter the starkly urban structures of the Ruhr with a colourful dose of creativity.
The project gave the young people the chance to demonstrate their huge aesthetic potential - as traceurs, free-runners, trickers, break-dancers and bikers - at abandoned spoil tips, in U-Bahn shafts and public spaces and around projecting walls, advertising columns and scaffolding. Indeed, URBANATIX offered support to talented young street artists from all over the Ruhr Metropolis.
The goal of the project was "URBANATIX - The show", where the young people performed together with eight top international artists at Bochum's Jahrhunderthalle during Whitsun 2010. Preparations for the show called for intensive practice from the 40 or so participants aged between 16 and 25, who were selected via several rounds of castings.
An ideal rehearsal venue for URBANATIX was the deconsecrated Marienkirche at the periphery of Bochum's "Bermuda Triangle", which was fitted with the necessary ramps and tracks. Behind the scenes, a creative team of around ten people - including choreographers, two directors and a sound specialist - ensured that everything went exactly to plan during the 70-minute show.
URBANATIX was designed to foster the motivation, energy, imagination and resourcefulness that can be seen in young people in the area of street culture - and raise it to a new level. In order to offer the youngsters development prospects into the future, URBANATIX also pursues a long-term objective, namely, to establish an integrated performing school in the Ruhr Metropolis inspired by the renowned National Circus School in Canada.
URBANATIX - The show
Jahrhunderthalle Bochum
Dates: 21 / 22 / 23 May 2010 (Whitsun)
Show starts: 21.30 p.m. and midnight / Doors open: 20.30 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Ticket hotline: +49 (0)1805 234 400
URBANATIX was initiated and realised by the Bochum events agency DACAPO Kultur Offensiv under the direction of Christian Eggert.
For further information, please visit:
www.urbanatix.de