The forest is a witness, it listens and helps. It gives hope, safety and shelter. It's full of clues and sounds. And people - those hidden behind fallen trees and soaked after crossing the swamps, and those carrying water and dry clothes for them. It is also full of birds and wild animals, which at night turn out to be less scary than border guards and armed troops.
 
"The Empire" is a performative installation inspired by the image of the walking forest from "Macbeth" and the experiences of migrants and those helping on the Polish-Belarusian border. We draw inspiration from Shakespeare's text and images of the humanitarian crisis on the border to reflect on survival strategies while escaping, how nature can support people in crisis, how to help those on the run, and how gestures of solidarity are criminalized by the authorities. And finally, how much evil is contained in the authorities that go unpunished?

***

On August 3, 2023, the ShakespeareOFF show of the 27th International Shakespeare Festival in Gdańsk took place. ShakespeareOFF is a competition that provides co-financing for new independent productions that are prepared especially for the festival and will be assessed by an international jury.