Studio Orka

«Pentakkordeon» tells the story of Oscar who lived a very long time ago. And that of Emma, a descendant of Oscar, still alive today. Oscar was an inventor and researcher. He was interested in all the phenomena between heaven and earth. He investigated the sea and the tides, the currents in the deep and the waves on the surface. And one day, while a war was raging in the world, he secretly build a unique machine which had the power to calm the sea. That way, he and his family could get into safety «to the other side».

With the theatrical installation «Pentakkordeon», the company Studio ORKA invites children and adults to join Emma in following Oscar’s footsteps into the past and finally breath new life into his invention in the here and now. Martine Decroos, artistic director of ORKA, calls this latest work «a musical ode to all people looking for a better future».

The ways in which Studio ORKA from Gent creates its fantastic pieces are fascinating. «First we choose a location and an atmosphere», says Martine Decroos, the artistic director of ORKA, in an interview. «Then we consider what is special about this location, what kind of people would live here or pass by. Only when we know that, do we start improvising and writing a text in order to tell a story with the characters we have created.» Not least because of this artistic process of a strong team around Martine Decroos and stage designer Philippe Van de Velde, all of ORKA’s productions have a wonderful depth and lightness to them. With «Jakobs Nase» (2014) and «Inuk» (2018) the festival presented shining examples of their award-winning art. (kdi)