What's left of the May '68 legacy? Choreographer Michiel Vandevelde, together with 13 young people aged between 14 and 23, examines what happened to the values and ideals of the 1960s. How do young people see history and their future? The starting point is the legendary performance Paradise Now (1968) by the New York theatre group The Living Theatre. This piece, premiered in 1968 in Avignon, probably stands like no other performance for the spirit of that time and for the belief that art as a "Trojan horse" can conquer society. The anarchic-pacifist collective dispersed after this production because of opposing political ideas and life plans. Paradise Now (1968 - 2018), Michiel Vandevelde's version of the historical piece, covers the range of content from then to the present: iconic images that have burned themselves into the collective memory over the past 50 years are recalled in fast motion. What undermined the dreams of that time? Do the old demands still have relevance or must they be reformulated? What perspectives do we have today?
fABULEUS (Leuven) is a unique production house for dance and theatre. The focus lies on the artistic collaboration between young talent and experienced makers. fABULEUS offers them the necessary framework to develop their talent as a player, dancer or creator, and also serves as an international example. fABULEUS reaches a broad audience of all ages with its productions, with special attention for young people and children. In addition to theatre, fABULEUS has consistently put dance on the agenda for young audiences from the very beginning. Gradually, the house took on a pioneering role in this respect. In the 15-16 season, fABULEUS became the house company for the Werking Jong Publiek at STUK and has been presenting all its dance performances there ever since.
Michiel Vandevelde studied dance and choreography at P.A.R.T.S. in Brussels. He is active as a choreographer, curator, writer and editor. As a freelance curator he worked or works for: Extra City Kunsthal, Het Bos, Bâtard festival, Precarious Pavilions. From 2017 to 2021 Michiel Vandevelde is artist in residence at Kaaitheater (Brussels). In his work he investigates the elements that constitute or obstruct the contemporary public sphere. He explores which other social, economic and cultural alternatives we can imagine in order to question, challenge and transform dominant logics and ways of organizing. He has been developing a variety of projects both in public space and in (performing) arts institutions.
