Impulse Theater Festival, Ringlokschuppen Ruhr, Mulheim
26th – 29th June 2017
Of All The People In All The World first visited the post industrial Ruhr area of Germany back in 2006 in Bochum. The setting for this large scale version of the show was the Ringlokschuppen, a former locomotive depot now transformed into a cultural venue with strong links to its local community. It hosts a range of performances from music to theatre, dance to comedy. Our first night of opening conincided with ExtraSchicht an annual public tour of former industrial plants, coal mines and currently working industrial sites across the Ruhr region. Some of these sites have been transformed into cultural venues or visitor centres, others host exhibitions or performances for the tour. Our participation in this event led to audience figures into the thousands for our first night.
We were part of the Impulse Theater Festival, which had performances taking place across three cities. The theme for the 2017 festival was ‘Decide Or Else’ inspired by the Brexit vote, the United States presidential elections and the upcoming parliamentary elections in Germany. The festival brochure succinctly described Of All The People In All The World’s place in the festival
“…the British company Stan’s Cafe use their expansive theatrical installation which nevertheless consists of nothing but piles of rice to investigate with humour and consideration the factors on which our decisions are based.”
We collaborated with the Ruhr branch of The Silent University. This organisation brings together refugees, asylum seekers and migrants with professional or academic backgrounds in their countries of origin who can no longer use their expertise in their current situations. It provides a platform for participants to share knowledge and skills and highlights the breadth of experience held within the migrant community.
Credits
Performers: Gerard Bell, Chris Dugrenier, Graeme Rose, Craig Stephens and Amy Ann Haigh
with: Kathrin Ebmeier and Mehdi Ben Salam