Arka Agathe was a series of performative, workshop, educational, integration, theatrical and musical activities as well as interventions in urban space. The final theatrical and musical performance honored the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the symbolic „birthday” of the Gdynia Maritime Station building.
Artists from Germany (Stefanie Oberhoff, Anne Brüssau, Johannes Werner), Australia (Andy Freer), Congo (Christian Kipoke) and Poland (Patryk Pufelski) and an international team of volunteers were invited to participate in the project. During the project, they were directly involved in cooperation with the inhabitants of Gdynia, with particular emphasis on immigrant and refugee communities.
Stages of the „Arka Agathe” project:
1/ Workshops on creating large-format puppets, costumes and scenography elements, preparation of performative and theatrical activities in urban space.
22/11 – 02/12/2023 (building of the Emigration Museum in Gdynia, ul. Polska 1)
The workshops were attended by an international and intergenerational team of volunteers from the Emigration Museum and participants of the European Solidarity Corps as part of a project coordinated by the Youth Cooperation Center in Gdynia. The project was supported by students of the Theater Academy. A. Zelwerowicz in Warsaw (Branch in Białystok), coming from Poland, Belarus and Ukraine.
Gdynia residents of all age groups also took part in the workshops, especially people with immigrant and refugee experience.
Another element of the workshops was collecting the stories and experiences of both immigrants living in Gdynia and reemigrants who returned from emigration to Gdynia. The collected stories served as an inspiration to create a scenario for the final activity, i.e. the performance that ended the project.
Workshops: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0QysARIUKY/
2/ Urban performance and Agathe’s diary on Facebook and Instagram @MuzeumEmigreacji
3/12-7/12/2023 (Tricity space and social media)
The ready-made puppet characters created during the workshops went into public space to interact with the inhabitants of Gdynia.
Performance: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0ZOqiZIQhk/
3/ Final theater and music performance at the Emigration Museum in Gdynia with the participation of artists and workshop participants, open to the public as part of the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the opening of the Gdynia Maritime Station
9/12/2023 (6:00 p.m., building of the Emigration Museum in Gdynia, ul. Polska 1)
The finale of the project was a theatrical and musical performance with the participation of all invited artists, workshop participants – immigrants (including children and teenagers) and local musicians. It took place in the building of the Maritime Station and in its immediate vicinity. The space of the station celebrating its symbolic „birthday” with its extremely interesting history and architecture was an important inspiration for the creators and an equal „actor” of the show.
Grand Final: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0pQyKyoMA3/
Agathe’s diaries:
As part of the „Arka Agathe” project, we also published Agathe’s travel diaries. Subsequent episodes appeared daily until the Grand Finale, December 9, 2023.
Project partners:
KITEV (Kultur im Turm e.V.), Oberhausen, Niemcy
Gdynia Community Centre
Centrum Współpracy Młodzieży
Przystań Gdynia
Laboratorium Innowacji Społecznych
FairPlay TOWAGE Polska
Wymiennikownia
European Solidarity Corps
Financial assistance:
Fundacja Współpracy Polsko-Niemieckiej
Media Partners:
Radio Gdańsk
Trójmiasto.pl
Magazyn SZUM
Magazyn Prestiż
Created and directed by: Stefanie Oberhoff (GÜTESIEGEL KULTUR* STUTTGART) & Andy Freer (Snuff Puppets)
Puppets & Performance by:
Sounds and music arranged by Johannes Werner, performed by:
Sound: FS Audio
Lights: Antoni Proch
Agathe’s story written down by: Patryk Pufelski
Graphic design: Patryk Hardziej
Coordination: Agata Kościołowska, Paweł Kowalewski, Maksymilian Bochenek Coordination of the European Solidarity Corps Volunteers: Marta Otrębska
Public relations | promotion: Agnieszka Długosz – Trąbińska, Justyna Sienkiewicz – Baraniak, Weronika Rudzińska, Marta Otrębska
Special thanks: