What other social, political and cultural fictions could we create? What alternatives are there to the current system?

The political party is an ongoing, everlasting process and project. The project has had the following iterations so far:

• The Children’s Parliament

We are in the future. On the ruins of a failed democracy, small creatures try a reconstruction and test which tools they need to organize their environment. In a strange opening session of this new parliament, where sound recordings, film images, smells, objects and creatures of all kinds come together, the inhabitants of the city are invited to experience, question and construct.

• Poster Campaign

In collaboration with Hamburg-based children, a poster campaign for The Political Party was created. The children developed futuristic stories, bringing them to life through costumes and characters. They also crafted concise slogans encapsulating their visions. These elements were then transformed into posters with the help of graphic designer Ward Heirwegh. The posters were distributed across Hamburg during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 

• Alternative election show

On the eve of the European and Federal elections in 2019, The Political Party collaborated with Kaaitheater (Brussels, BE) to organize an alternative election show. This ‘show’ aims to give space to the progressive, heterogeneous voices of those who are (not yet) heard. It was a platform for thinkers, writers, artists, and civilians who mostly operate in the margins of mainstream debate. This evening was curated by Maria Dogahe and Michiel Vandevelde.
 

• Reading Club

During Kunstenfestivaldesarts 2018 there were collective reading sessions in relation to The Political Party — LIBRARY. On the invitation of Michiel Vandevelde; dramaturg Kristof van Baarle, curators Laura Herman (La Loge) and Charlotte Van Buylaere (Netwerk Aalst), researcher Livia Andrea Piazza, and curator Aneta Rostkowska (Akademie der Künste der Welt, Cologne) each propose a short text to be read and reflected upon collectively. The proposed texts reflect on notions such as the future, political imagination, the politics of family constellations, climate change, and contemporary mythologies. The reading club expands the social and political function of the driving library. Two hours of delving intensively into ideas.

• Newspaper/vision text

In April 2014 the first vision statement of “The political party” was released in the form of a newspaper. Copies of this newspaper have been spread over Europe – in bars, art centers, libraries, bookshops etc.

• Driving Library

‘The Political Party’ manifests itself in different ways among which a driving library with a selection of political and philosophical books. The driving library has been travelling throughout Europe since 2013 both on formal invitations and through informal manifestations. Visitors could lend books. Upon returning the books an exchange about its content took place.

• Public Think Tank

From October 2012 till June 2013 a series of public think tanks were organised on different occasions. Primarily they took place in the bar of the Vooruit, an arts centre in Ghent (BE). The aim of these think tanks was to gather opinions, sentiments and ideas for “The political party” to use as inspiration in developing it’s political visions and viewpoints