Utopolis Köln

Photo: Ana Lukenda
by Rimini Protokoll (Haug/Kaegi/Wetzel)
In der Stadt
german debut performnace:
15th September 2021
What would an ideal world look like for us today? What kind of utopias are conceivable in the 21st century? And how can we materialise them? After months of social distancing, these questions seem more pressing than ever. This is why UTOPOLIS KÖLN invites viewers to venture into common or contradictory utopias.

To begin, small groups of audience members gather in cafés, shops, offices or apartments, in 48 locations in Cologne’s city centre, until voices and sounds from a loudspeaker draw them out into the city. When out and about, the spectators bump into other groups with loudspeakers. The musical elements from both groups combine to form a greater whole. On this journey through Cologne all participants become co-authors to the ephemeral utopia of the evening. During the evening, the codex of a new, social design is created and becomes legible and tangible.

Commissioned by Manchester International Festival, Theatre Olympics, Schauspiel Köln and Coventry UK City of Culture. Produced by Manchester International Festival.

(Haug / Kaegi / Wetzel) , Rimini Protokoll · Katja Hagedorn · Harry Ovington · The Office of Craig Oldham · Chris Ball · Steffen Klaue · Peter Behle · Frank Böhle & Julian Stetter · Juliane Männel & Louise Stölting · Dominika Široká · Eva Maria Müller, Markus Oppenländer, Martin Schmitz & Lara Weiss · Anaconda Verlag, in der Verlagsgruppe Random House GmbH, München
Cast