‘ACTUS, for Vjosa’ is an artistic production that brought together Albanian and European artists dedicated to the preservation of Vjosa, the last European wild river. The contemporary dance performance was created by the choreographer Gentian Doda, while the music was written by Çezar Aliaj, inspired by Bach’s Cantata 106 and by Albanian polyphonic concepts.
Vjosa - the last free river of Europe
The Vjosa river originates in the Greek Pindos and then flows into the Adriatic. All its main tributaries (Drinos, Shushicë, and Bënça) are free-flowing, creating a living network that can’t be found anywhere else in the continent. This area is made up of an vast variety habitats types, which shows to the world a unique picture on how rivers in Europe used to be before destruction.
Vjosa Natural Park
For over two decades, the Vjosa River has faced threats from hydropower projects, while local and international actors have worked to protect it. Studies have shown that such interventions would not only irreversibly damage this unique ecosystem but are also economically unviable. After years of advocacy, in June 2022 the Albanian government declared the Vjosa a national park, granting it the highest level of protection. However, this protection does not extend to its estuary, the Vjosa–Narta Lagoon, a biodiversity hotspot and key migration corridor for hundreds of thousands of birds. Current plans to build an airport and tourist infrastructure in the area risk severely disrupting this fragile habitat, threatening wildlife and permanently altering this vital ecosystem.
Art connecting people with the last free river of Europe
Aiming to stress the importance of the preservation of the Vjosa River, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Tirana Office, commissioned this contemporary dance performance as a mean to raise awareness on the protection of Vjosa. This outstanding project could only be realized through the valuable support of our partners: Riverwatch, Euronatur, European Delegation to Albania, EcoAlbania, the Embassy of Germany in Albania.
I see contemporary dance as a universal language that creates conceptual spaces for collective reflection. Through dancers moving in and out of patterns, searching, breaking (both physical and conceptual) boundaries, I aim to develop a non-verbal discourse that engages with society as a whole.Gentian Doda, coreographer
The world premiere took place in Tirana at the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet on October 24, 2022 (then followed by a second-night). Both performances welcomed hundreds of people, including government representatives, ambassadors, artists and activists. Another performance took place also in Ioannina, Greece bringing to attention the need for a common preservation plan between the two neighboring countries.
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Address:
Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Tirana Office
Mujo Ulqinaku Str. Building No. 23,
Ground Floor
1002 Tirana
Mob.: +355 69 608 3302
E-Mail: info@al.boell.org
https://al.boell.org