September 2024
August 2026
What is it about?
We are in the year 2050, and countries in the global South are putting pressure on industrialised nations like Switzerland to curb their high CO2 emissions. If Switzerland fails to act, there is a risk of trade relations being broken off and billions lost. What can be done? During a meeting scheduled at short notice in Bern City Hall participants need to decide how Switzerland should respond to the demands. The ultimatum expires at 10 pm local time.
The pre-enactment organised by the foreign policy think tank foraus and Proberaum Zukunft in spring 2025 could play out exactly like this. There will be no actors on stage, but seasoned politicians and experts who, together with the audience, will have to deal with the situation and their responsibilities. The participants, or rather the target group, are vocational school pupils and young students at universities of applied sciences who, through the format, experience themselves as part of today’s democracy with solutions for tomorrow. Our project therefore makes a direct contribution to promoting democracy and finding participatory solutions. A project advisory board consisting of academics, representatives from politics and the private sector, civil society, and young experts from foraus prepares and supports the content of the production in advance.
Why is this project important?
Political issues must be presented in a way that is both scientifically sound and understandable and, above all, thought-inducing. Foreign policy in particular often seems far away, complex and distant from everyday life. Unfortunately, the flood of information often leads to a so-called ‘state of powerlessness’ in which one’s own political involvement seems irrelevant. And although many young people are involved in climate policy initiatives such as ‘Fridays for Future’, their political participation remains very low (SRF 2023). Political processes must be made tangible with new, innovative formats. This requires methods from the arts and culture.
The first pilot will take place at four events on climate foreign policy. We want to motivate and empower young people to get involved in the debate on climate and environmental foreign policy, to show solidarity with those who think differently, and to find compromises together. With Politique en scène, we bring together the young population, science, politics, and the private sector on ecological issues.
Key Details:
- Opening Night: 23 April 2025
- Dates: 23 April 2025, 29 April 2025, 30 April 2025, 5 May 2025
- Audience: Performances on 30 April and 5 May are exclusively for young audiences (under 30), while those on 23 and 29 April are open to a broader audience of all ages.
- Location: Berner Rathaus, Rathausplatz 2, 3011
- Time: Evening, exact times to be announced.
