A festival for children in which they are fully involved: welcome to the BIG BANG! Launched in Belgium in 1995 under the name Oorsmeer (Dutch for “oil for the ears”), the project has since been picked up by several European cities. The National Arts Centre (NAC) adopted the concept in…
Thanks to generous donors like you, thousands of children from across the country were transported on a magical, musical adventure from the comfort of their homes the weekend of February 13 and 14 during the BIG BANG festival. This year BIG BANG’s Artistic Director and Associate Artistic…
Dear You, I’ve been thinking about the last time we saw each other at the theatre. When was that, do you remember? Do you remember the show you came to see that day? Perhaps you’ve carefully preserved an image or sound from that experience in your memory. Close your eyes and…
In February 2020, excitement was in the air as the BIG BANG Festival returned to the NAC, taking over the building with children and families exploring the fascinating world of music, sound and the arts. This one-of-a-kind festival included imaginative installations, workshops and…
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As you know, the performing arts sector will probably be the last to reopen. We don’t yet know under what conditions. This is of particular concern to us because we cannot yet count on an exact timeline. We’re told that nothing will ever be the same again. But for now, the future is hazy,…
Q. Coming up on May 19 is De plain-pied, an annual event that you launched in 2015. What’s it all about? A. De plain-pied (which translates roughly as “Come on in”) is created with input from teenagers. For each edition, I work with young people to envision the form the event will take.…
Gerda and Kay. Téqui and Téoù. Brévalaire and Lénaïque. Brice and Katia. A demiurge surrounded by his colourful creatures. Adolescents hanging out with none other than Antigone. And so on … On the French Theatre stage this season, the Other is never far away. We sense it, we bump into it…
Children sometimes mix up theatre and cinema, particularly those attending a stage play for the first time. There is a chance that their little brows will furrow in confusion when they hear this strange announcement: “No, there will be no popcorn during the performance.” But children's eyes…