“Rise in Bloom” is a participatory community project that invites young people aged 12 to 20 to engage in an interdisciplinary creative process. In collaboration with professional artists, the participants develop a 15-minute pre-performance, presented ahead of the premiere of the choreographic production “Florescence in Decay”, at the CAPE in Ettelbrück.

At the heart of this project is not only the final result, but above all, the creative and collective process. Guided by four workshop leaders with diverse expertise — David Laplant (video), Anja Di Bartolomeo (writing), Natercia Rebelo (set design), and Elisabeth Schilling (choreography) — the young participants are accompanied throughout the entire creative journey.

Over the course of the project, the young people conduct interviews with local communities, associations, and groups in Ettelbrück, focusing on universal themes such as nature, metamorphosis, utopia, and the cycle of life — themes that are also explored in “Florescence in Decay”. During the creation phase, they also come into contact with professional dancers.

The collected material is transformed into two artistic formats:

• A visual installation, composed of video footage, audio recordings, and written statements from the interviews, exhibited in the CAPE’s public spaces.

• An interdisciplinary performance, emerging from the imagination and experiences of the young participants, performed as a pre-show before the main production.

“Rise in Bloom” builds on the success of a community project carried out in 2024 with the same artistic team. The enthusiasm of the previous participants — and even their parents, who expressed the wish to see such an initiative continue — led to the decision to build on this proven interdisciplinary format rather than starting from scratch.

The project is also part of the celebrations marking 25 years of the CAPE, and contributes to the cultural revitalization of Ettelbrück, by encouraging civic participation and fostering social connection. It offers young people a unique opportunity to express their creativity, build self-confidence, meet new people from diverse backgrounds, and learn to embrace difference.

The Sommer Foundation supports “Rise in Bloom” because the project reflects values it holds dear: access to culture for young people, active participation, and the promotion of cultural life in regional areas. Having already supported two large-scale participatory projects led by the same partner, the Foundation has established a lasting relationship of trust with the CAPE — a committed institution rooted in its community.

By encouraging young people to express themselves through a collaborative, interdisciplinary process, “Rise in Bloom”contributes to the vitality of local cultural life while nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and openness among its participants.