VIABLE UNKNOWNS: Sustainable and inclusive coexistence in the city

ongoing

"VIABLE UNKNOWNS is designed to explore and manifest the concept of sustainable coexistence in European urban settings through participatory theatre, inspired by Paulo Freire's ""viable unknowns"" – a philosophical idea advocating for untried but achievable transformative futures. The project emphasizes transnational co-creation and circulation, uniting different perspectives towards a collective vision of urban sustainability and inclusivity, not just conceptually, but as lived reality on stage and in the public space. It assembles a diverse group – 26 theatre professionals, 6 researchers, and minority/marginalized community groups across 4 European cities – blending contemporary, community-centric, and eco-conscious theatrical forms to: • Strengthen cross-border collaborative skills for inclusive and sustainable artistic creation through a staff training and co-mentoring program • Foster local engagement through the creation, virtual testing, and face-to-face presentations of 4 theatrical productions exploring “viable unknowns,” involving diverse minority and/or marginalized groups • Advance cultural integration and circulation with a 19-day transnational tour, showcasing 22 theatre performances in an eco-friendly framework • Expand the reach of sustainable urban living concepts and alternatives resulting from the theatrical processes through a documentary, website, scientific paper, and final transdisciplinary international conference. The project will impact 32+ partner staff, 800+ audience members from various community groups, and 20+ organizations, and have an online outreach of 20,000+, aiming to replace the catastrophic climate change narrative with one of hope and proactive engagement, while disseminating scientific knowledge, providing transdisciplinary experiences, enhancing scientific literacy among theatre professionals, and creating transnational synergies for scientifically sound, socially relevant artistic products."