OVER HOOP- Collectief Walden

Between the world and how you would like it to be, there is a vast chasm. Deep within that chasm resides hope. With a myriad of climate philosophers and activist thinkers on his shoulder, Thomas Lamers discovers that hope should not be confused with an optimism of "it will be okay". Such hope is celibate. Hope that, on the other hand, gets its hands dirty, is worth pursuing. But that is easier said than done. For how is it possible to love the world when that same world makes it quite difficult for you?

OVER HOPE by Collective Walden (a well-known presence at Oerol for many years), is a theater lecture about hope in an era of crisis. A short and powerful lecture performance that takes the audience on an introspective journey. Philosopher and dramaturge Thomas Lamers guides the audience to where hope and despair intersect amidst the ongoing climate crisis.

In a time when the world is faced with increasingly urgent environmental problems, Lamers offers a refreshing and profound perspective on the meaning of hope.

An invitation to reflect, feel, and act together towards a future based on hope and understanding.

Collectief Walden

Collectief Walden is a core of creators; a group of artists and thinkers who aim to navigate through ecological crises. They create theatrical, site-responsive non-fiction in nature or public spaces. They are linguistic and substantive, but in the landscape of performing arts, the 'ecological niche' they occupy is primarily defined by their installative and architectural images and (sometimes literally) immersive audience experiences. In addition to performances, they create installations and shape meeting spaces. They provide both forms of expression with theatrical programs full of music, interviews, lectures, stories, and audio walks.

The Collective derives its name from Henry David Thoreau's famous book Walden. It is a record of the two years, two months, and two days the author spent in seclusion in the woods of Massachusetts to examine the essence of life firsthand. Thus, he concluded that all our primary needs can be traced back to one thing: warmth.