What is it?

Black/North SEAS was a three and a half year European cultural platform that connected two very different European regions – The Black Sea and the North Sea.

The project was funded by the European Union Culture Programme and by the initiator and main organiser Intercult (SE) and its 7 main partners (the coorganisers) KIT (DK), Sfumato Theatre Laboratory (BG), Arts Council England (UK), Hotel Proforma (DK), Tromsø Kommune (NO), BADco (HR) and Treaty of Utrecht Cultural Programme (NL).

Together with other partners resources were combined and a trans-European network that shared in an artistic process was created. Preparations and project research began in 2006 and EU funded project activities took place in 2007-2010.

Individual connections and new collaborations created through the network live on, but the common activities under the Black/North SEAS flag are finished.

Dragan Klaic, speech at SeaScape 2009
“I am a veteran of SEAS events, but even for me it is not so easy to say what SEAS actually is. It is not a travelling circus, although at some moments it might look like one. And it is not really a festival, although it might be perceived as such. It is actually a prolonged, very strategic cultural action, connecting a number of European coastal cities and resorts...”

Chris Torch, artistic director of SEAS, vision 2006
“Urban Europe faces huge challenges. A changing population, de-industrialization and ecological issues all make the city more complicated than ever. The gap between privileged and marginalized people grows wider. And it seems as if cities never stop growing. The challenges are most visible in port cities. A combination of heritage and collective memory, centuries of migration and undeveloped post-industrial space provides unique opportunities.”