Rachida Lamrabet Belgium: Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg (Royal Flemish Theatre), Brussels

As a city theater for Brussels, the Royal Flemish Theatre (KVS) chooses to be a platform for a range of voices and stories from the multilingual and extremely diverse capital of Belgium and Europe. KVS transformed in 2001 from a traditional repertory company for the Flemish minority of Brussels into an “urban platform”: in the culturally fragmented city of Brussels, where people don't share a common past, the KVS wants to create a place of identification for all. The theater does this not by creating a universal cultural institution, but by focusing on very specific content for each production, and targeting a specific audience. The challenges, tensions and opportunities of urban life are the seeds from which the KVS unfolds its artistic activities. From its roots in Brussels, the KVS also reaches out to the world beyond Europe, via collaborations and exchanges with international artists, companies, and theaters. Central to this are long-term international partnerships with Congo and Palestine.

Play Synopsis: In the wake of anti-Burka legislation, a deeply religious woman cannot leave her home to get food or she will face a fine and jail time. In protest, she writes an email to a former lover, knowing that the security services will read it. But her simple email turns into a fiery, passionate monologue.