Ensemble Festival: Bench Invasion (by Compagnie Krak)

Hailing from Belgium, these wanderers go with a bench underarm, actively inviting people to come and sit next to them. At the end of the afternoon, participants are invited to meet each other and celebrate a magical moment together! In the pop-up performance Bench Invasion, artist Dieter Peter Raphaël Missiaen moves into public space with ten local people, each with a bench under their arm, looking for contact!

At an unannounced moment, they set up the benches and actively invite people to sit next to them. They are present, they listen. At the end, they come together: the bearers of the benches and the sitters. Bystanders are also invited.

“We convert the benches into one long table in the public space. With words and music, we toast to the beauty of small encounters and life. In this way, we (re)connect people, be present and pay tribute to everything that happens in public space.”

Ensemble Festival 2023 is part of At the Docks 2023 – a brand-new summer season of arts, culture, and events at the Royal Docks.

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