the shape of us
Before our eyes, a world that long felt self-evident is shifting. Political systems are under strain, technology is pushing deeper into our daily lives, and autonomy turns out to be far less stable than we assumed. It is not just the world around us that is changing — it is the way we live together.
Can we still think in terms of a “we”? Shared values, a shared story? Or have we quietly unlearned how to do that?
As much we like to believe we can manage on our own, we need each other. Perhaps more than ever, in a world shaped by forces that pull us apart. It is precisely in the fractures that new perspectives emerge. Visions of the future that set us in motion.
During Brainwash Festival, we give shape to this search through performances, talks, lectures, films and encounters that unsettle, challenge and make the new imaginable.
discover the subthemes
shared lives: Success is a choice, failure is your own fault. What is lost when the collective gives way to personal growth and self-improvement?
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politics of the future: Does our political system still fit the modern day? Or are we clinging on to something that stopped working long ago?
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technology = god: Technology gives us what we want (faster, smoother, more personalised) and, in the process, shapes who we are. But who is actually in control?
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future us: Those who cannot imagine a different future inevitably end up in a world shaped by others. But what becomes apparent when we dare to look at things differently?
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Explore the themes and discover how they come together to form the programme.
