Ilona Jäntti in Knitting Peace by Cirkus Cirkör. Photo: Mats Bäcker |
Aino Ihanainen in Knitting Peace by Cirkus Cirkör. Photo: Mats Bäcker |
This
post will be very celebrating… because I am overwhelmed in a great way and also
my dad and son also found it astonishing. Cirkör says it is “A performance that
asks the question: is it possible to knit peace?” This starting point and their
questions of “Can the desire for change create change? Can a worldwide knitting
for peace movement make a difference? It is easy to give up when confronted
with one´s own insignificance in comparison to the world´s greatness and
complexity” makes this performance complex but not complicated. For me, the
answer is yes and is given in the creative force that resulted in Knitting
Peace.
The director, also head of Cirkus Cirkör, Tilde Björfors, the performers and musicians (and composer Looptok) gives the audience a show that, in my opinion, is about life itself. It is, for me, about human life´s fragility, evanescence, tenderness, connection, power and strength, courage, frustration, fears, the thin line between sensitivity and brutality, love and playfulness. It is above all poetic and very, very beautiful. Although I could describe the knitted set design in words (white yarns in many forms, as skeins, threads and as knits), I cannot of course mediate the feeling and the ingenious usage of the set design, as an extremely essential part of the show that is in use all the time, as the performers are using it in many ways. As the five performers are well-educated circus artists, they excel in various circus arts (bicycle on a rope playing a white violin, aerial acrobatics etc.) although for the first hour I could not really applause this as I was so taken by the feelings the show evoked in me.
Alexander Weibel Weibel in Knitting Peace by Cirkus Cirkör. Photo: Mats Bäcker |
Sometimes when I see something evocative and excellent like this, I wish every young person could see it, like it should be mandatory, and I think so this time, too, but also that Knitting peace should be mandatory for the leaders of the world.
I can only recommend it and am happy for you who haven´t seen it yet (it is said to tour outside Sweden, but so far I can´t see any tour plan). I think if we all could keep in mind and be aware of the vulnerability of human life, it would be easier to make a change towards a more peaceful world. And for me, as well as for many others, when I knit or crochet, my pace is slowing down, making me more relaxed and hopefully in the end maybe a little more loving!
I can only recommend it and am happy for you who haven´t seen it yet (it is said to tour outside Sweden, but so far I can´t see any tour plan). I think if we all could keep in mind and be aware of the vulnerability of human life, it would be easier to make a change towards a more peaceful world. And for me, as well as for many others, when I knit or crochet, my pace is slowing down, making me more relaxed and hopefully in the end maybe a little more loving!
slow creations attempt at A call for knitting. Wool, linnen. |
You can make your
contribution to the call for knitting here and as far as I understood it, no
deadline is set yet. Good for me who is a slow knitter….
Search for #knittingpeace at Instagram (image from Facebook page of Knitting Peace):
#knittingpeace on Instagram |
Before
and during the tour of the show, people are encouraged to send in their white
knits (and crochets) and some of them were used in the show as well as
exhibited in the foyer and auditorium of Dansens hus in Stockholm. Also,
children were given the opportunity to try circus arts under good educators
from Cirkör during the performance days, something my son enjoyed.
Photo: slow creations |
Hello! I saw this performance this past Saturday and I too was moved and touched by it profoundly. What an amazing group of performers! So creatively executed and imagined. I love what you wrote about Cirkus Cirkor... and you have nice blog too! :-)
SvaraRaderaOh, thanks a lot, I really appreciate your feedback here! Great to hear you were so moved, too, by Knitting Peace! Really glad to know Cirkör will tour and spread this amazing show to lots of people!
SvaraRaderaWelcome back or to my Facebook page where I post more often! :-)