Collaborating with various communities is an art in itself
- Theatre
- Education in Art
Coen Wigbold is a third-year student of Artisteducator in Theatre & Media in Zwolle. In this bachelor's course, you work in the theatre and outside of it on location. Coen chose to spend two months in Belfast, collaborating with different communities there.
Connecting through art
"Meeting new people in a different environment and experiencing how art can influence people - that's important to me as an artisteducator", says Coen. "Within this project, which originated from the artisteducator courses at ArtEZ in Arnhem with partners from Belfast, the focus is on gaining more understanding and growing closer to each other in the Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods in the city."
In Belfast, the division between faiths is still evident, and in this project, art is a means to approach such a conflict differently."
This division of faith has been present in Ireland's history for decades. In the 1920s, Catholic Ireland became independent from the United Kingdom, except for Northern Ireland. Further Catholic oppression followed, culminating in The Troubles (1968-1998), a civil war between Protestants and Catholics.
Finding meaning in Belfast
Why did Coen choose to go to Belfast? "It seemed at place to step out of my own context here in Zwolle, to discover what I can contribute and do elsewhere; conducting my own research within the existing project there", he explains.
"In the first few weeks, we mainly explored the neighbourhoods and Belfast itself, to see what stands out artistically and what communities exist. I collaborated with several organizations that aim to reduce that division through art. For example, with Oasis, an organization that guides young people who are unemployed and not attending school back into society", says Coen.
Collaborating with youth
"I worked with these young people for about seven weeks, conducted various workshops, and talked to them about their lives. One of the boys told me afterwards that he had really benefited from an assignment I had given during that period. I found that so valuable."
What was that assignment about? "High status/low status; in many theatre productions, these ranks are noticeable," explains Coen. "The king with a high rank, the servant with a low one. I worked with the young people to develop these roles. How does a king walk? How do you move? And how does that manifest in your body when you're a servant? That awareness of status came back to one of those boys in his daily life. He had a part-time job, and his boss had gotten angry with the whole team. He noticed that he went into servant mode but later regained his composure and adopted a neutral attitude. That's so special, that he picked that up from my workshop and applied it in his life."
If you only focus on the end product - which is also there, of course - you miss out on a lot of people. The process is an art in itself."
More than just a good end result
For Coen, the process that unfolded there is much more important than the end result. "If you only focus on the end product - which is also there, of course - you miss out on a lot of people. The process is an art in itself."
Beyond Skin
The value of the process was also evident in another sub-project Coen joined in Belfast. "It was a collaboration with Beyond Skin and two Indian dancers who had emigrated to Belfast. Together with a filmmaker from Belfast, we made a music video in one day about and with them. I talked to them about their lives, where they came from, and what drives them. It turned out that through dancing, they felt like themselves again," he says. "I noticed that they wanted to hear from me what they should do, but I gave them the stage to create themselves. They had brought a traditional ghungroo, and we used it in the dance because it fits so well with their culture and identity."
Watch the video:
Unforgettable reactions
"Afterwards, the dancers wrote about the project. One of them said, 'It was an incredible experience to work with the Beyond Skin team and ArtEZ. It wasn't just about making a music video; it was a journey that brought me back to my roots and allowed me to express my personal story through their artistic vision.' The openness of the team to integrate my ideas into the project was particularly powerful and made it a very unique collaboration," says Coen. "I think that's so special, it's something that resonates with me as well. I'll carry that with me in my future work."
- Want to know more? Finding Roots & Happiness In New contexts - Beyond Skin
Artist education goes beyond teaching. It can also be about socio-artistic work and truly creating with people, as a leading learner."
Coen on his course
"I always dreamt of acting. I looked for the right course for me. After studying ICT, art and technology, and industrial product design, I did a vocational (mbo in Dutch) acting course. After that, I wanted to explore the broader aspects of theatre; discover multiple facets of theatre. I wanted to go beyond acting and experience the joy of creating", says Coen. "Art education goes beyond teaching. It can also be about socio-artistic work and truly creating with people, as a leading learner. We study project-based and conduct our own research and receive guidance from teachers. I seek broad experimentation; what tools can I learn? Who am I as an artisteducator? And as a creator? I think that continues to change throughout your life."
