VIABLE UNKNOWNS: Sustainable and inclusive coexistence in the city

VIABLE UNKNOWNS is designed to explore and bring to life the concept of sustainable coexistence in European urban environments through participatory theatre. It draws inspiration from Paulo Freire’s notion of “Viable Untried Possibilities”, a philosophical idea that argues for transformative futures that remain untested yet attainable.

The project emphasizes co-creation and transnational circulation, bringing together different perspectives toward a shared vision of urban sustainability and inclusivity—not only as a conceptual framework, but as a lived reality on stage and in public space.

The project has as objectives:

• Explore and materialize the concept of sustainable coexistence in European urban environments through participatory theatre, drawing inspiration from Paulo Freire’s idea of “viable unknowns” (transformative futures not tested but achievable).

• Strengthen cross-border collaboration competences for inclusive and sustainable artistic creation.

• Foster the inclusion and participation of diverse, minority and/or marginalised groups through innovative theatre productions and co-creation processes.

• Promote cultural integration and the transnational circulation of contemporary, community-based and eco-conscious theatre forms within a framework of environmental responsibility.

• Expand and disseminate concepts and alternatives of sustainable urban life that emerge from the theatre processes, through multidisciplinary outputs and public engagement actions.

Their key activities are established as:

• Bring together a diverse group made up of 26 theatre professionals, 6 researchers and minority/marginalised communities in 4 European cities, combining contemporary, community-based and eco-conscious theatre forms.

• Implement a training and co-mentoring programme for staff, with the objective of developing cross-border collaboration competences for inclusive and sustainable artistic creation.

• Create, test virtually and present 4 theatre productions that explore the “viable unknowns”, with the active participation of minority and/or marginalised groups in each of the 4 partner European cities.

• Organise a 19-day transnational tour with 22 theatre performances, presented within an eco-responsible framework to advance cultural integration and artistic circulation.

• Produce and disseminate a documentary, a project website, a scientific article and organise a final transdisciplinary international conference, to expand the reach and impact of the project results.

The expected results of the project are:

• More than 32 staff members of the partner entities trained and improved through cross-border co-mentoring.

• 4 theatre productions created and presented with the participation of minority/marginalised groups.

• 22 performances on a 19-day transnational tour, reaching more than 800 audience members.

• Dissemination through a documentary, website, scientific article and international conference.

• Involvement of 20+ organisations and an online reach of more than 20,000 people.

• Promotion of urban sustainability and inclusivity, replacing the narrative of the climate crisis with one of hope and proactive engagement.

Project details

Project Name	VIABLE UNKNOWNS: Sustainable and inclusive coexistence in the city
Project number	211012069
Coordination from BCURE	Mar Griera (co-IP), Calderon Argelich, Amalia (co-IP)
Start and end date	01/09/2024 → 31/08/2026
Project framework	CREA-CULT-2024-COOP
Partners	- La Xixa Teatre Association – Coordinador (Lead Partner) - Cantieri Meticci – Project Partner - gruppe tag e.V. – Project Partner - Jerzy Grotowski Institute – Project Partner - Ost-Passage Theater e.V. – Project Partner - Legambiente Emilia-Romagna APS – Project Partner - Fundacja Zarzewie – Project Partner - WRO Center for Media Art Foundation – Project Partner
Official website and networks	www.viable-unknowns.eu Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572730630566Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/viable.unknowns/
Funding	200.000 €
Disclaimer	VIABLE UNKNOWNS: Sustainable and inclusive coexistence in the city (Project number: 211012069) is a project funded within the framework of the CREA-CULT-2024-COOP programme. The support of the European Commission for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of its content, which reflects exclusively the opinions of the authors, and the Commission cannot be considered responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained in it.