Thirst travels to Lake Lugano

"A drop, just one drop…Water is taught by thirst.”

"Based on real events from the Cyclades region in Greece, the performance “Thirst” travels to Switzerland and is “set up” against the watery backdrop of Lake Lugano, in the backyard of a villa, aiming to connect the audience with the feeling of thirst. The Ohi Pezoume / UrbanDig Project team, brings on “stage” sounds from the waters of Sifnos island, rhythmic music, dance, text and images that describe the evolution of humanity's relationship with drinking water, raising questions about our relationship with this precious resource. “Thirst” sometimes captivates, sometimes stirs, constantly placing water and its timeless importance for nature and humanity at the center. The cultural event will take place on Sunday October, 6 at 16.00 and it is accompanied by an invitation by Ohi Pezoume / UrbanDig Project to the residents and the environmental organizations of the area to meet the team before the performance, as well as to join a roundtable on “water stories” after the performance.

The Ohi Pezoume / UrbanDig Project team travels to Lake Lugano in Switzerland to present the performance “Thirst” to the audience, which metaphorically conveys the daily life of the inhabitants of an Aegean island community regarding the acquisition of drinking water and the relationship they develop with the resource and nature. In “Thirst”, through performance, music, and soundscaping techniques, the water stories of people from the Cyclades in the 1950s are transformed into a modern audiovisual performance that invites the audience to re-express their (assumed) relationship with water, to reconnect with it, and to “see” it as the most valuable resource and not as a taken-for-granted consumer product.

Drought, elements of nature and a “tank-boat” compose a story of deprivation, which touches upon the thirst of man and earth, through realistic and psychedelic images. A poetic, musical-kinetic "delirium" that orchestrates the sun, the sea, the wind, the earth and the precious fresh water in a story of confronting the real and the imaginary thirst of men.

The text by Panagiota Pantazi and the original music by Thanos Kosmidis coexist with soundscapes created by the Swiss sound artist Ludwig Berger from the sounds of underground and surface waters, dry soil and dry plants of Sifnos. Εirini Alexiou choreographs and Giorgos Sahinis directs a group of actors, singers and dancers.

Performers: Eirini Alexiou, Calliope Gerakianaki, Charis Dimos

Director: George Sachinis

Choreography: Eirini Alexiou

Script: Panagiota Pantazi

Music: Thanos Kosmidis

DJ: Máximo Beltrán

Soundscape: Ludwig Berger

Costumes: Anna Magoulioti

Site Specific Theater props: Barbarella LoMonaco

Lighting: Lia Michali

Research & Production Management: Katerina Protonotariou

Translation Editing: Melina Topaka

Communication direction: Dimitris Mouzakis

Tour Production Manager: Kleio Lava

Video & Photo: Christos & Alekos Bourelias (Archlabyrinth)

Assistant in choreography: Eve Ganneau

Concept/dramaturgy: Eirini Alexiou Thanos Kosmidis, Anna Magoulioti, Panagiota Pantazi, Katerina Protonotariou, George Sachinis

The performance is supported by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia. 

Ohi Pezoume / UrbanDig Project  would like to express the deepest gratitude to Barbarella LoMonaco, Konstantinos Makris, Allesandro LoMonaco for the hosting and granting of the  performance location. Their hard work made the making of “Thirst” in Switzerland a reality

Info: Via Ceresio 2, 6826 Riva San Vitale, Switzerland, Duration, 45 minutes, +9, Entrance Free

There will be a free-contribution box

Full event program:

15:00-15:55:Meet & Greet/Coffee in the courtyard16:00-16:45:Performance17:00-17:45:Roundtable discussion "Water Stories"

Drinks and music will be available