Generation XIII – a documentary podcast, a three-year journey into the lives of five students at PARTS.

Today is the official launch of Generation XIII, a documentary podcast about 5 dancers, 3 years, 1 school: a portrait of a generation at PARTS.

Generation XIII drafts a portrait of the generation that has been studying at PARTS since September 2019, through the experiences and voices of five students following the Bachelor program Training.
Sociologist Delphine Hesters follows Eleni from Greece, Kia from New Zealand, Marllon from Brazil, Renátó from Hungary and Zoé from France, all through their studies, until the Summer of 2022.

Marllon: “I passed hours reading a lot of things about PARTS on google and I said: fuck, that school is like Beyoncé. Beyoncé is the queen of pop. And PARTS is the queen of dance!”

Generation XIII promises a view from within the walls of PARTS and brings to light the story of young people who leave home and move across the world to a city as vibrant and diverse as Brussels, to spend the most intense, formative years of their lives together. Generation XIII is as much about dance as it is about the thrill and challenges of starting a new life, of learning and working hard, of homesickness, coming to grips with cultural differences, seizing life, forging friendships and having fun.

Kia: “As dancers we become codependent on people very quickly. Our friendships fast forward because of the amount of time and close proximity we spend to each other.”
Zoé: “The school is not about the teachers, the school is about the students and how students can build a school.”

Halfway into the first school year, the Corona virus enters the stage and claims a leading role in this story. More than we could have anticipated, Generation XIII thus also becomes a time capsule that captures these extraordinary times.

Eleni: “I don’t have so much inspiration anymore. And I miss dancing with other people around. I mean, who thought that you wouldn't be able to touch anyone?”
Renátó: “Our practice has a very specific space and now we lost that. It’s pretty painful because you can’t use your touch, you can’t use your gaze the same way. On a screen, our movements became so flat”.

Each Episode covers a semester at PARTS, from September 2019 until their graduation in the Summer of 2022. The prologue consists of five short portraits with the background stories of the protagonists.

You can listen to all the episodes via Buzzsprout or in your favorite podcast app.

Facebook Generation XIII and Instagram Generation XIII.

Credits
Concept and realisation: Delphine Hesters
Coaching: Nele Eeckhout (AudioCollectief SCHIK)
Mixing: Brecht Plasschaert
Theme music: Carlos Garbin
Design: Davy Denduyver, based on drawings by Jeanne Colin & Killian Madeleine
Coproduction: PARTS, Concertgebouw Brugge, Kaaitheater, STUK, Dansens Hus Oslo, Etcetera, De Singel
With the support of: Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie Brussel, Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest

17/03/2021