Roots & Routes Experience
Participation as part of the media team
Marie Klischat
4/5/2025
"Growing Through Concrete" is an interdisciplinary stage performance featuring 42 artists from eight countries. The project explored the overarching theme of uncertainty, which is reflected in both individual life experiences and broader social issues.
The performance was created over an intensive two-and-a-half-week period. The close collaboration between artists from different disciplines and cultural backgrounds opened up a wide range of perspectives and fostered a productive, multifaceted creative process.
In addition to the artistic outcome, the project also had a profound impact on me both personally and professionally. It played a key role in refining my own artistic direction and led to long-lasting collaborations. Among other things, our media team gave rise to the collective Media Foliage, with whom we are still actively working on various projects today.
For me, the project also marked my first involvement in set design. Furthermore, it introduced me to new ways of working at the intersection of dance and videography and deepened my interest in accompanying dance not only through performance but also through visual and media means.
Special thanks go to ROOTS & ROUTES Cologne e. V. for organizing and carrying out this extensive project. The team not only created professional working conditions but also placed great emphasis on fostering a personal and supportive environment that encouraged a trusting and intensive artistic collaboration. I would also like to thank everyone involved for the inspiring and dedicated exchange.
The full performance is available on the YouTube channel of ROOTS & ROUTES Cologne e. V.:
Picture by Young-Jean Meang.
