International
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in cooperation with DIK Dancetheater- Jordy Dik
www.dikdanstheater.nl |
Dreamcatcher is an educational and community arts project by the Art for Peace Foundation and DIK Danstheater, designed to reconnect young people with their dreams. Not the dreams that society constantly presents to us, dreams of money, success, status or possessions, but the dreams that lie beneath them. Dreams about who you want to become. About love and relationships. About the kind of world you wish to live in. About freedom, happiness, and perhaps the small, seemingly ordinary things that give life its deepest meaning. In a world increasingly driven by speed, performance pressure and individualism, the space to dream freely is steadily disappearing. According to the 2024 Young Adults Health Monitor, more than half of young adults regularly experience performance pressure, while fewer than half feel confident about their future. Dreamcatcher invites young people to choose a different path: to pause and listen again, to themselves, to one another, and to what truly matters to them. Not only to imagine their dreams, but to see them, feel them, and ultimately bring them into movement. Through dance and theatre, young people give shape to these “Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly.”- Langston Hughes dreams while bringing together people from different backgrounds and life experiences. The aim is not to find one single answer to what the world should look like, but to explore together what remains when we let go of the expectations imposed by the outside world.
CONTENT
For Dreamcatcher, we draw our artistic inspiration from The Conference of the Birds, the renowned 12th-century Persian epic poem by the poet Farid ud-Din Attar. The story tells of a great flock of birds who set out in search of Simurgh, the legendary and wise king of all birds. Driven by their longing for something greater than themselves, they embark on a shared journey through seven valleys: The Valley of Quest, Love, Insight, Independence, Unity, Wonder, and Letting Go. Along the way they encounter fear, longing and countless trials. Some birds turn back, while others continue their flight. Eventually, only thirty birds reach the place where Simurgh is said to dwell. There, however, they find not a king but a mirror. It is here that the true meaning of the story unfolds: in Persian, “Si Murgh” literally means “thirty birds.” The birds discover that they themselves are the Simurgh they had been searching for all along. What they sought outside themselves had always been present within them, and within their shared journey. This insight forms the artistic heart of Dreamcatcher. We, too, invite young people to embark on such a journey, not to tell them what their dreams should be, but to explore together what lies beneath expectations, fears and images imposed by the outside world. The seven valleys become a poetic source of inspiration for dance, theatre, dialogue and meaningful encounters. At the end of this journey, there may not be one great dream waiting to be fulfilled. Instead, there may be the realization that the capacity to dream has always been there, within each of us, and perhaps even more powerfully when we dare to connect our dreams with those of others.
For Dreamcatcher, we draw our artistic inspiration from The Conference of the Birds, the renowned 12th-century Persian epic poem by the poet Farid ud-Din Attar. The story tells of a great flock of birds who set out in search of Simurgh, the legendary and wise king of all birds. Driven by their longing for something greater than themselves, they embark on a shared journey through seven valleys: The Valley of Quest, Love, Insight, Independence, Unity, Wonder, and Letting Go. Along the way they encounter fear, longing and countless trials. Some birds turn back, while others continue their flight. Eventually, only thirty birds reach the place where Simurgh is said to dwell. There, however, they find not a king but a mirror. It is here that the true meaning of the story unfolds: in Persian, “Si Murgh” literally means “thirty birds.” The birds discover that they themselves are the Simurgh they had been searching for all along. What they sought outside themselves had always been present within them, and within their shared journey. This insight forms the artistic heart of Dreamcatcher. We, too, invite young people to embark on such a journey, not to tell them what their dreams should be, but to explore together what lies beneath expectations, fears and images imposed by the outside world. The seven valleys become a poetic source of inspiration for dance, theatre, dialogue and meaningful encounters. At the end of this journey, there may not be one great dream waiting to be fulfilled. Instead, there may be the realization that the capacity to dream has always been there, within each of us, and perhaps even more powerfully when we dare to connect our dreams with those of others.
FIVE DAYS TO DANCE
Our projects are built around one intensive week, during which we work together with a community of young people to create a Dreamcatcher performance. The group usually begins on Monday and presents the performance on Friday evening or Saturday afternoon. Five days to meet, explore, create, and ultimately share the stage together. The artistic team of the Art for Peace Foundation and DIK Danstheater brings a creative framework for the performance, while deliberately leaving ample space for what emerges throughout the week. The content, stories, and artistic identity of every Dreamcatcher production are shaped anew by the young people taking part. We believe this is where the true strength of the project lies. Rather than teaching an existing performance, we create a completely new work together through a process of genuine co-creation. The participants’ dreams, stories, bodies, and voices become the artistic material. Dance, music, and theatre are woven together throughout the process. Young people’s voices may be recorded and become part of the musical soundscape. Personal stories may find their place in spoken scenes or theatrical moments. Movement material develops from the ideas, experiences, and interactions that naturally arise within the group during the week. For that reason, even on Monday we do not yet know exactly what the final performance will look like. The artistic framework provides direction, but the community itself helps determine where the creative journey will lead. Within just five days, a Gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art combining dance, theatre, and music, is created through authentic co-creation with the people at the very heart of Dreamcatcher: the young people whose dreams inspire and shape the performance
Our projects are built around one intensive week, during which we work together with a community of young people to create a Dreamcatcher performance. The group usually begins on Monday and presents the performance on Friday evening or Saturday afternoon. Five days to meet, explore, create, and ultimately share the stage together. The artistic team of the Art for Peace Foundation and DIK Danstheater brings a creative framework for the performance, while deliberately leaving ample space for what emerges throughout the week. The content, stories, and artistic identity of every Dreamcatcher production are shaped anew by the young people taking part. We believe this is where the true strength of the project lies. Rather than teaching an existing performance, we create a completely new work together through a process of genuine co-creation. The participants’ dreams, stories, bodies, and voices become the artistic material. Dance, music, and theatre are woven together throughout the process. Young people’s voices may be recorded and become part of the musical soundscape. Personal stories may find their place in spoken scenes or theatrical moments. Movement material develops from the ideas, experiences, and interactions that naturally arise within the group during the week. For that reason, even on Monday we do not yet know exactly what the final performance will look like. The artistic framework provides direction, but the community itself helps determine where the creative journey will lead. Within just five days, a Gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art combining dance, theatre, and music, is created through authentic co-creation with the people at the very heart of Dreamcatcher: the young people whose dreams inspire and shape the performance
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