Earth Table

Describe your idea and concept of your work in relation to the festival outlines:

This project is inspired by a series of collective dining events, which was organised by an activist group called "Anti-capitalist Muslims" from Turkey, happened during the riots in Istanbul 2013. The event was a reaction against the wild-capitalist and discriminatory politics of the current pro-Islamist government via public space interventions. The idea was simple: They organised Iftar meals (the evening meal during Ramadan) at Taksim square that the participants sit on the bare ground, bring some simple home-cooked meal and share it with anonymous people. These collective dinners gathered thousands of individuals from different fractions of Turkish society (religious, atheists, LGBT groups, liberals...etc.) who are also fed up with the discriminatory discourse of the current politics.
The idea was so successful and emotionally-moving that it ended up almost one kilometre long dinner at the middle of Taksim district, despite of the police forces`` intervention. After the dinner during the live interviews, one of the participants has said that "this should be what revolution feels like"...

After witnessing this event, I realized the unifying potential of food and cooking which I think a reminder of the fact that we are (still) subjected to the same destiny at the end of the day.

Earth Table project is an interactive performance piece, designed in the form of a “happening” aiming to bring together asylum seekers, immigrants, counter cultures as well as local communities and performers. There is going to be a physical theatre performance in which the performers cook an actual meal during the act. The act is going to be presented in various public squares also inviting spectators to participate the happening by joining the Earth Table, the collective dining, at the end of the performance.

Food and cooking celebrations are one of the oldest rituals of human society. In this particular event, food and cooking experience is going to be used as a facilitator of dialogue.

Physical theatre is an ideal medium in this context as it requires alternative ways of communication other than the spoken languages. The performance is aiming a visceral expression by using movement, rhythm and sound.

Participation of different fractions of the society is essential in this project. Earth Table is the the medium on which the collective dining took place. It is a "poor table" installed on the ground which offers a modest dining experience. It allows the participants to sit face to face and share a meal, or even maybe a little chit chat.

What kind of communication approach do you use?

The project favors a direct, face to face communication approach within the context of "radical intimacy". As a performance piece, by its very nature, it is unique to the time and space in which it is created. Earth table is the public sphere which is going to facilitate a dialogue between different fractions of the society. Earth Table aims to eradicates the border between the spectacle and spectator by offering all participants to be a part of the final outcome. It is a multidisciplinary event which employs the elements of visual and performing arts. In terms of visual design, we intend to blend ethnic patterns on the fabrics and instruments which are going to be used as props during the performance. It is also possible to say that sensory experience, especially sense of smell, is also a part of the communication process.

What are in your opinion concrete benefits to the society because of your communication?

Dialogue is a tricky term in these days. It is easy to exercise it without leaving our sheltered, comfortable zones. In this context, I believe that corporeal presence is crucial to experience the real challenges of an intimate dialogue. Sharing a meal, a song or a prayer with a person who we would think we had nothing in common (or normally would feel uncomfortable in their presence), may provide a space sterilized from statuesque and bias.

What did you personally learn from creating your submitted work?

I am inspired by this project because it is challenging the participants to question the concepts of diversity, unity and status. It is easy speak about unity, dialogue, empathy...etc. But it is a challenge to physically share a space and create something with a person who you would not likely to come together in your daily life.

I also like this project because I believe that human communication is a highly complex area and sometimes spoken language might create more distance instead of creating a common ground. Thus, sometimes physical action, movement, sound, singing are much stronger then the spoken language in certain contexts.

Why is your work, GOOD communication WORK?

It is more of an multidisciplinary investigation conveying elements of art, culture and communication.
it is a strong work as it has the potential for changing social perceptions by attacking the social-cultural statuesque and production-consumption dynamic. It is probably going to be a shocking experience for most of the urban inhabitants to witness an Earth Table on which people eat on the ground at the middle of the main square.

As a unconventional, large scale public event, Earth Table can transmit its intended message via the strong publicity it creates.

Where and how do you intent do implement your work?

We started the process in Malta as it hosts a multicultural society as well as a high ratio of people who are in the immigrant or asylum seeker status.

Currently we are at the pre-production stage. We begin with contacting NGOs and activist groups who represent people in asylum seeker and immigrant status. The pilot project is going to be implemented as a community outreach. However for the later performances, we want to implement the project in the international events and festivals which support diversity, dialogue and peace keeping.

In the pilot project, we are going to perform the happening in the main squares of the country which are usually used for the celebration of local Festas (festivals).

Moreover, The rehearsal and training stage is highly important in terms of the transformative potential of performing arts. In the pilot project, we are going to have a one mouth intense training and rehearsal process with the volunteer participants who are coming with the reference of NGOs and activist groups.

In the end, earth table project is a highly collaborative project which can only made possible with the support of the different fractions of the society. It also needs the collaboration of artist from different disciplines. The system can be applied anywhere in the world as long as core conceptual framework is kept.

The framework of the project is to design interactive performances in the form of a happening which facilities face to face dialogue between different fractions of the society via sharing a modest meal. The atmosphere is catalyzed with interdisciplinary artistic practices.

Earth Tables, which was organised by Anti-Capitalist Muslims during the massive riots in 2013, was a great response to the mainstream politics of the Turkish society at that time. But, we should consider the fact that there was already an emotional flow and public reaction favoring unity and peace due to the massive penetration of the riots. Our project, which was inspired after witnessing such event, is designed around a series of interactive physical theater performances in order to transmit a similar emotional flow among the spectators/participants.

Did your intervention had an effect on other Media. If yes, describe the effect? (Has other media reported on it- how? Were you able to change other media with your work- how?)

No.