Southpole

As a theatre maker I came up with a plan for a journey.
A journey of a little girl on a tractor.
A journey to the end of the world, and back.
But what is the end of the world?
If I was a child, I would say: the South pole!
As an adult I said: the worst war-country I can imagine.
Both voices, the one of the child and the one of the adult, said: We want to go!
Then I thought: All right, we’ll just dó that.

Gepost op 2004-12-23 00:00:00 door Marco Bakker

What is Southpole

Southpole is a journey by tractor.
A journey through Europe, through the Balkan, and through Africa. And from South-Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, by boat to the South pole. On the South pole by tractor or on foot to the Pole itself.

Southpole, besides a journey and expedition, is also a document. Above all, Southpole wants to give attention to special projects of NGO’s. (Non Governmental Organisations like WarChild and Unicef, but also small local projects..)
Initiatives which deserve attention because they show faith, courage, endurance and love.

Southpole needs media, so she can be followed, so she won’t go alone. Southpole wants to inspire, wants to involve.

Above all, Southpole hopes to generate a lot of positive energy.

Gepost op 2004-12-22 00:00:00 door Marco Bakker

Route

Photo: Geert Snoeijer

The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, South-Africa, Cape of Good Hope, South pole.

Gepost op 2004-12-21 00:00:00 door Marco Bakker

On the tractor

Photo: Peter Rillema

The girl on the tractor is Manon Ossevoort. She studied at the Kleinkunst academy (school of cabaret-musical) AHK, in 1996. Studied dance in 1997, AHK. Received her diploma’s at the Theatre school in Amsterdam in 2002.

Diploma’s: Theatre maker/ actor, and Drama teacher. Since school Manon has worked virtually non-stop in the theatre as an actress, a dancer, and a theatremaker.

Gepost op 2004-12-20 00:00:00 door Marco Bakker

Departure

Photo: Geert Snoeijer

Summer 2005: start of the journey. The last day of the Oerol theatre-festival on Terschelling was the official departure.

A performance, wíth the tractor, was made especially for this journey. This performance is played on different occasions during the trip. On international festivals, in villages, at projects..

A performance as a means of communication for the girl on the tractor, and a gift.
With the performance I collect dreams of people (written down on little pieces of paper). These dreams travel with me on the back of my tractor, all the way to the South Pole... Where I hope to build a big snowman with the 'dreams of the world' in it's belly.

'DO' is a poetic and slightly slapstick performance about the realization of dreams, concuerring fears, and about a developping friendship between a girl and a tractor...
It tells the story of a dream literally coming out (of the ground) looking for the courage to realize itself.
It's a symbolique story about the process in your head, from the moment you are caught by an idea, untill you choose and decide: let's do it! (or at least try;)

Gepost op 2004-12-19 00:00:00 door Marco Bakker

Test drive

Summer of 2002, by example of pre-study for her plans, Manon made a test drive on a tractor to Paris, to drink a cup of coffee under the Eiffel tower.
What started as an experiment became a project enthusiastically followed by radio, television and the writing press. The journey to Paris raised money and attention for Unicef and War Child.

Southpole is looking for sponsors to help her travel Southpole seeks Media to follow the journey so she can involve and inspire!

Gepost op 2004-12-18 16:18:15 door Marco Bakker

Paris

On the tractor through the fields, driving round and around the Arc de Triomphe, eye-to-eye with the French gendarmerie, waltzing with a eighty-year old Frenchman and his chicken, smoking a cigarette with an Arabic sheik in his limousine on the camping in Bois du Boulogne, and bumping into a legion of about 400 children on 25 tractors..

As a child I’ll get on a tractor and drive all the way to the Southpole. As an adult I’ll make sure I come home safe.

Manon.

For more information or the complete concept:

Gepost op 2004-12-18 16:17:00 door Marco Bakker

Egypt

Gepost op 2004-12-18 10:36:00 door manon