THE BIRDS REPUBLIC

What it’s all about

The Rhineland mining region is a landscape in constant flux. Vanished villages and vast pits turning into lakes leave us asking: Where do we come from, and where are we going? THE BIRDS REPUBLIC is a theatrical bus tour taking us directly to the places where lignite mining has had the most profound impact in Europe. We’ll visit places where new habitats for plants, animals, and people must be created. A generational project that we ourselves will likely not live to see completed.

Here’s why you should join us

On board the bus journey, we’ll dive into the future together with scientists, activists, displaced residents, and visionaries. We’ll establish our own “republic,” where we’re free as birds and can view our present from a bird’s-eye perspective. It is an experiment straddling the line between documentary and vision, ritual and utopia. Together, we design a “city in the clouds” and seek new paths for the Revier, the Rhineland, and our entire planet. If you’re in the mood for an extraordinary theatrical experience at authentic locations, you’ve come to the right place.

Pssst!

The journey takes us through one of the world’s largest construction sites. Along the way, real encounters with local people and artistic visions merge into a unique experience. THE BIRDS REPUBLIC doesn’t just address structural change as a topic, but transforms it into a shared experience under the open sky, thereby continuing the long-standing project series “Images of a Future.”

In cooperation with the MörgensLab at Theater Aachen

Please note

THE BIRDS REPUBLIC is a tour exploring the future of the Rhineland mining region and will take place mostly outdoors (approx. 3 out of 4.5 hours). We ask that attendees wear weather-appropriate clothing and shoes.