Brice Ramakers, Belgium 2023
Brice Ramakers is one of the co-heads of the Royal University Theater of Liege (Belgium) and has been leading workshops and creating shows since 2011. He is teaching practical courses in the department of Media, Culture and Communication at the University of Liege. His projects aim to strengthen the dialogue between artistic practice, teaching and research while developing a methodological reflection on university amateur theatrical practice.
In 2021, he initiated the Theater Practice Laboratory in collaboration with the “CERTES - Centre d’Etudes et de Recherche sur le Théâtre dans l’Espace Social” (Centre for studies and research on theatre in the social space). The laboratory focuses on the living on stage, presence, bodies (actors and spectators), movement, and the social dimension of amateur theater. In this context, he has launched an experimental training program and guides students who wish to start directing performances.
Empty spaces full of presences
Theatre involves an experience in real-time and in presence of others. It therefore inevitably engages the body. This workshop will be inspired by the research of practitioners and educators such as Jerzy Grotowski, Jacques Lecoq and Augusto Boal. It will focus on the relationship between humans and space. The intention is to conjure up places and bring up interconnections and reactions using only attitudes and movement. How can we create space and make the audience understand where we are, employing nothing but our bodies? It is a movement from the outside to the inside: soaking up the world to transcribe it with our bodies.
Starting from oneself is a way to go toward others and search what is common. We will work on listening, putting the actor in a state of discovery, openness, and availability to receive. The workshop will also aim to explore the possibilities of the body on stage and experience the dynamics of a group.