Subscribe on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube (with subtitles) – Applied Theatre Podcast

In this episode I speak with Maria Åberg, Artistic Director of ‘Projekt Utopia’, formerly Project Europa, an organisation working with migrant theatre makers from around the world to platform migrant imagination through the performing arts.

Maria reflects on the journey from directing on some of the UK's biggest stages, including the RSC and the National, to founding an organisation built on collective devising, multilingual practice and migrant-led artistry, and what prompted that shift during the pandemic.

We discuss:
– The decision to rebrand from Project Europa to Projekt Utopia, and why the original name was shrinking the space rather than opening it up
– Migrant imagination as both a topic and a methodology, and whether there is such a thing as a migrant dramaturgy or aesthetic
– Working with migrant communities during a period of explicit anti-migrant sentiment, and what it means to hold space for that reality within the room
– What institutions still don't understand about casting, visas and genuinely welcoming migrant artists
– The challenges of building governance structures that reflect an organisation's values rather than inherited, top-down models
– What's next for Projekt Utopia, including international touring and a long-term vision for what a fully migrant-centred cultural institution could look like

This episode considers what it means to make work from a place of hope without losing sight of the realities migrant artists are navigating, and why imaginative capacity born of migration may be one of the most undervalued creative resources in the industry today. Thank you Maria for your time.

Projekt Utopia:
Website - https://www.projektutopia.org
Instagram - @weareprojektutopia

Applied Theatre Podcast:
Substack - https://appliedtheatrepodcast.substack.com
Instagram - @AppliedTheatrePod
Email - [email protected]
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple & Google Podcasts and Youtube (w/subtitles) - Applied Theatre Podcast

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