SARA VILARDO – Siren

TIME & PLACE See the full program for Performing Landscapes here
WHAT Performance

A journey into elsewhere – and back again

Siren is a site-specific, immersive performance that explores the concept of nostos, or the ‘homecoming’ – the longing to return home and feel a sense of belonging. But a true return is never possible, as experiences change people.

The title refers to the sirens from ancient Greek mythology, which symbolize the ultimate temptation and human vulnerability. However, sirens are also the sound of war, ambulances, police, an alarm, a fire. An insistent and disturbing sound that cannot be ignored, interrupting us in what we are doing.

We are outfitted with headphones and a specially designed kit, and the artist guides us as a group from a starting point (‘home’). We move through the city, ultimately arriving at another place. Inspired by the Odyssey, we encounter a series of locations that are modern interpretations of the challenges Odysseus faced on his journey. These external obstacles reflect internal transformation processes – the path home, the path to oneself.

Winner of the “Progetto CURA 2024” in Italy. www.saravilardo.com

ABOUT SARA VILARDO
Sara Vilardo is an actress, performer, theatre maker. Born in Milan(IT), she has been living first in Brussels then in Copenhagen. Her training includes physical theatre, a Master in “Advanced Performance & Scenography Studies”/BE & a master in “StagePerformance & VisualCulture” at ReinaSofiaMuseum/University of Madrid. Sara has cultivated a rich international network of collaborations as a performer and co-author, contributing to a variety of projects, including her own creations. She has a decade’s long experience of creating site-specific performance in interactive and nonconventional spaces, with a particular focus on sensory and immersive aspects. She believes in the unique connection between performer and audience, considering it to be a transformative experience.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Duration: 75 min
Participants: max. 16
Age: 14+
Language: English

CREDITS
Idea, direction, and performance: Sara Vilardo
Dramatic composition : Sara Vilardo and Sonja Wincklemann Thomsen
Texts: Sonja Wincklemann Thomsen
Sound design: Camilla Rosselli
Director’s assistant: Gaia Barco
Voiceover: Sonja Winckelmann Thomsen
Co-performer: Thelma Vilardo
Website and graphics: Sonja Wincklemann Thomsen
Photo: Loris Slaviero