TWISTED FOREST – a human imagination game

• a live interaction game!

TWISTED FOREST is a live interaction game in a forest with you in the lead role. You go in a small group through the experience. On the surface, it is an ordinary forest, but you encounter creatures, objects and experiences that make you see both the forest and yourself in a new way.

TWISTED FOREST and its residents invite you to explore your imagination and your senses. They see your potential. You are trained to sharpen your untested senses, control your organs and your skeleton with the goal of raising your imagination to a new level.

Wearing a protective suit, you are led through bushes, over tree stumps, down slopes, very close to bark and grass. TWISTED FOREST lies off the trails and manifests itself in invisible zones scattered throughout the landscape. You only realize that you are in a zone when you enter it.

In some zones you meet performers who challenge your immediate perception of the place and open up darkened facets of your senses – well supported by the ingenious anatomy of the forest.

Other times, your group finds its own direction and is invited into experiences via the interactive soundscape.

TWISTED FOREST was developed in Røgen Præstegårdsskov spring/summer 2022. It was in the program of Bora Bora – Dance and Visual Theatre in August-September 2022, playing in Røgen Præstegardsskov.

Spring/summer tour 2023:

• the forest at Ballebjerg, Samsø 3rd – 20th of May
• the forest at Brucebo, Gotland, Sweden 17th – 24th of June
• the forest at Heiðmörk, Reykjavík, Iceland 26th August – 3rd of September

Video: Christoffer Brekne

Thank you to the funds making TWISTED FOREST – a human imagination game possible:

Nordisk Kulturkontakt, The Danish Art Counsel, A.P. Møller og Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond til Almene Formaal, Bikuben Fonden, Favrskov Kommunes Kulturinitiativer, LAG Randers-Favrskov, Europæiske Landbrugsfond for Udvikling af Landdistrikterne (EL-FUL), Favrskov Kommunes Landsbyråds aktivitets- og projektpulje, Wilhelm Hansen Fonden, Aarhus Kommunes Kulturudviklingspulje, LAG LLSAE, Favrskov Kommune, Samsø Kommune, Aarhus Kommune, Bora Bora and Godsbanen.

Photos: Jacob Stage

Credits Artists and production team Røgen 2022, Samsø, Gotland & Iceland 2023:

• Artistic leader, idea- and concept maker and performer: Mette Aakjær – DK
• Author/poet, concept co-developer and dramaturge: Sonja Winckelman Thomsen – DK
• Composer: Thoranna Bjornsdottir – IS
• Visual artist / set designer: Sigrid Astrup – NO / DK
• Costume designer: Amanda Axelsen-Sigaard – DK
• Co-creative performer and concept co-developer: Helga Rosenfeldt Olsen – DK
• Co-creative performer: Sara Vilardo – IT
• Co-creative performer: Lindon Shimizu – FI
• Co-creative performer: Molly Nyeland – DK
• Co-creative performer: Nina Tind – DK
• Performer part time in Gotland: Marie Louise Schmidt Maegaard
• BMC teacher: Mari Mägi – EST
• Technical developer of interactive sound system: Jesper Lyng – DK
• Dramaturgical adviser: Sarah John – AUS/DK
• Set design assistant Røgen and Samsø and set design transformation lead in Gotland: Carla Maria Bøg – DK
• Set design transformation lead in Samsø and Iceland: Amanda Axelsen Sigaard – DK
• Audience costume co-designer: Talita Oliveira – BR
• Costume and scenography assistants: Aiva Roga – LV, Lilla Turca – HU, Talita Oliveira – BR and Ana Mora – ES
• Academic research and workshops on Wunderland’s method: Trine Vinther Sørensen – DK
• Event and knowledge sharing coordinator: Nemo Victor Hensing – DK
• Test-audience manager: Jonas Løvstrøm Borgensgaard – DK
• PR and social media, Røgen: Esben Staugaard – DK
• PR manager, Samsø: Kirstine Bauning – DK
• PR manager Gotland: Jens Friis Hansen and Eva Sunmo – S
• PR magager Iceland: MurMur Productions IS
• Social media manager and PR assistant: Maja Munk Johansson – DK
• Production manager in Røgen (DK) and administrator: Kathrine Kihm – DK
• Production manager and performance manager Samsø, Gotland and Iceland: Natalie Sloth Richter – DK
• Production manager assistant, Samsø and Gotland: Laura Kley – DK
• Production magager assistant, Iceland: Olivia Teresa Due Pyszko
• Production manager assistant, Røgen: Kristine Hoelgaard Pedersen – DK
• Producer: Mette Aakjær – DK
• Producer, Samsø: Trine Vinther Sørensen – DK
• Producer, Gotland: Jens Friis-Hansen – S , initial contact: Nemo Victor Hensing
• Producer, Iceland: Murmur Productions- IS

Video: Christoffer Brekne

Thank you to all our partners:

DANMARK

Favrskov municipality:

• Svenstrup (village) – Practical help, network, pop-up café, PR, tests and feedback during the development
• Røgen (village) – practical tasks in connection to the performances, help finding accommodation for the artists. Pop-up café, side-events, and PR.
• Farre (village) – Practical help, network, pop-up café, PR, tests and feedback during the development
• Hammel idrætsforening – test- and feedback during the proces, PR with an outreach to 4.500 members

Samsø municipality:

• Samsø municipality – Fundraising, sparring, network
• Naturskolen (Nature school, part of Samsø municipality) – sschool collaborations and expertise on the nature of Samsø
• Sambiosen (sport and culture on Samsø) test- and feedback during the process, PR
• Samsø Frie Skole – test- and feedback during the process, PR, participation in social events with the artist of Wunderland and other schools.
• Samsø Skole – Help for PR locally, by distributing fliers and sharing online. Test- and feedback during the process
• Nordby Sogns Borgerforening – Lending of plots of land in the forest by Ballebjerg. Sparring about the local area and its possibilities. Participation as test audience and feedback partners. Practical help and assistance with PR in the area.
• The private forest owners of Ballebjerg – Lending of plots of land in the forest, making it possible to bring the experience to Ballebjerg.

Aarhus municipality:

• Aarhus University – school of Communication and Culture, Dramaturgy follows the projects
• Aarhus Libraries Team South – PR and test audience
• Sports association BMI/Café Klubånd – tests and feedback throughout the process, PR, participation in social events with Wunderlands artists and other sports associations.
• Bora Bora – Dans and Visual Theatre – the performance is in the program
• Performing Arts Platform – sparring and host for knowledge sharing

GOTLAND:

• Region Gotland – PR, network and sparring throughout the process
• PLUS: 14 partners of support though the Region
• Kulturum Gotland – Host for the project, – practical tasks in connection to the project and performances, participation in workshops and events in DK and Gotland. Hellp to find accommodation and network. Planning side events and doing PR. Artistic feedback. a
• Performer and musician Jens Friis-Hansen – co-creating artist

ISLAND:

Reykjavík:

• Murmur Production – local host and productionleader in Reykjavik, PR, permissions, netwodk and artistic feedback , netværk
• Skógræktarfélagið/ Reykjavík – lending us part of the forest Heiðmörk, nature expertise, social events and PR in the meeting between sport and art
• University of Iceland: Jakob Frimann Þorsteinsson,​ Adjunct and Head of Department of Leisure studies, and his master students.
• Menntaskóli í Tónlist (Conservatory of Reykjavík) – co-creating test ausience in prologues and workshops
• Composer and performer Thoranna Bjornsdottir – co-creating artist

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