After Night Shift got cancelled at Opera Ghent in November 2021 film maker Julie Daems and her camera visited all participating collectives in their habitats. She opened up a dialogue on how their projects kept on living in the aftermath of the called-off event.
Episode 1: Bebe Books’ Manifesto
A colourful encounter with Mert and Ruud, co-founders of Bebe Books, they talk about their glittering banner project.
Episode 2: 73Q’s with House of Lux
In this episode, the queens take you on a wild tour through their house. Meet them all up close and personal. “Queens of hearts, let’s make a family portrait in this dollhouse”[spacer height=”20px”]
Episode 3: ‘The club creates a family of gathered lost souls all reunited around music and it’s just beautiful’
A melancholic ride with the charming dj Liyo Gong from H E 4 R T B R O K E N through the emotional rhythms of a dreamy night.
Episode 4: ‘Zuidpark’
A frolic and boisterous portrait of the collective in a satirical sketch about a police academy.
Episode 5: KUNDE’s Concert in Colours
Julie Daem’s fifth contribution to Night Shift TV is a daydream in the form of a private concert. In a setting of (past) grandeur and with her inseparable companion by her side, a lonely queen enjoys Kunde’s eclectic musical landscape. Follow the funk into the queen’s royal dream of colours, dancing and music.
Episode 6: ASMR at Decoratelier
Night Shift’s passage through Opera Ghent was all about making space. The same is true for Julie Daem’s video series that was born out of the cancelled event. In this episode, Decoratelier who created the scenography for the event, decided to forefront their resident Amari, who in turn made space for dancer Antoine Coppi. Antoine takes you on a danced tour around the buzzing Brussels workspace of Decoratelier. In true ASMR-fashion, the sounds provoked by his movement and their environment are this episode’s protagonists.
Episode 7: POST ANIMALE
For this episode of Night Shift TV, Julie Daems collaborated with Post Animale, a collective consisting of artists related to La ’S’ Grand Atelier in Vielsalm. In front of a green screen, the artists activate the joyfully fascinating costumes they created. This gives rise to a lively and diverse universe of colors that oscillates between dream and reality.
Episode 8: FEMKE GYSELINCK
Nearing the end of this enchanting journey, NightShift TV halts at Femke Gyselinck’s studio in Alphabet Street. Working on her new project ‘Gymnastics of the Mind’ she is investigating the cross-pollination between contemporary dance and typographic design. Inspired by a 1920’s book and in collaboration with graphic designer Joris Kritis, Femke is looking for ways to inject a dose of ’literality’ in abstract choreography.
As part of the REST-programme by Gouvernement at Opera Ghent, she will also play her intimate solo performance Erato on Sunday June 13th.
Episode 9 (final): Gouvernement x OBV
The Opera Ghent edition of Night Shift was supposed to happen half a year ago. The pandemic might have stopped us from a public moment, but it couldn’t prevent a fruitful and transformative collaboration. For this Night Shift, Gouvernement invited Zuidpark, Mama’s Open Mic, Post Animale, Bebe Books, House of Lux and Leaving Living Dakota to collaborate in building up the event from scratch. With that, an intense, refreshing and constructive dialogue was born between Gouvernement and six collectives that couldn’t be more different. Kristie Su, José Reyes and Se-Yun Lee from the Ensemble of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen functioned as guides to make this conversation echo within the institute of Opera Ghent. It was not an easy task to function as translators between an artistic collaboration and an institute for which these methodologies and forms are far from business as usual. But the three succeeded in bringing different worlds closer to each other and in rooting the project in the building and it’s ecosystem. In the last episode of Julie Daem’s video series, Nele and Vincent of Gouvernement join Kristie, José and Se-Yun in a reflection on their memories of the project and how it makes them feel about the future.