THE DATING PROJECT: First Date

An original date in STUK guided by uncanny smartphone instructions.

➤ STUKcafé
➤ 23 September - 7 October 2024

Monday - Friday 19:00 - 00:00 (ongoing)
Saturday & Sunday 14:00 - 00:00 (ongoing)

➤ Duration: 20’ to 30’
➤ Language: English

➤ How does it work?

Register in pairs at the bar at STUK Café
Agree on one of the two options offered by the game: a) A date that ends well or b) A date that ends badly
You receive the mobile phones you need for the game. Leave your own mobile phone or ID as a deposit.
Then off you go: follow the instructions on the mobile phones and get to know each other in an unfamiliar way.
The game is in English. You should allow 20-30 minutes for this.
Four phones are available, so two couples can date at the same time

An original date in STUK? In First Date, you experience a date by following a series of instructions on your smartphone. What unfolds is an uncanny mimicry of modern day conversation in which smartphones are always hyperpresent. First Date prompts participants to play with how they present themselves to another person in this climate.

Are concepts like ‘intimacy’ and ‘authenticity’ even possible anymore in our screen-oriented culture? Or can technology offer us ways of forming closer connections with each other?

First Date is a concept that falls under the ongoing THE DATING PROJECT. The central aim of the project is to question the role that technology (can) play(s) in social interactions and everyday life. It was initiated by performer and choreographer Dan Mussett (UK/BE) in 2019, as a way to cope with his frustration with dating apps.

CREDITS

concept, direction & scripting Dan Mussett concept & tech Vincent Van Dijck scripting, dramaturgy & scenography Barbara T’Jonck scripting, communication & social media Bianca Zueneli graphic design Michael Strebel music Robin S - Show Me Love, Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone, Sigur Ros - Hoppípolla executive production wpZimmer co-production C-TAKT, KAAP, De Studio, Europalia Arts Festival: Trains and Tracks, Storm op Komst, Bozar, Brakke Grond. supported by Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, City of Antwerp, Flemish Government (Activiteitenpremie) with thanks to Tuning People, GRIP, Andreas Fleck, Zehra Proch, Pauline Scharmann, Rubina Pabani, Laurent Delom, MAXLab, CREATIE, Beatrice Peadrini and all the participants who have taken part in the many, many try-outs.