6.1 Rêvons Liège - Dream Together « Rêvons Liège 2030 » is the fruit of a society seeking to invent new futures for itself, when the future seems so uncertain. «At the Nourrir Liège festival, I attended a talk by Rob Hopkins,» recalls Cécile Van de Weerdt, Green Office coordinator. «According to this ecologist, the key to the ecological transition lies in imagination, because to want to build a positive future, you first have to be able to project yourself into it.” And Cécile Van de Weerdt is not the only one dreaming of the future. In November 2022, the Théâtre de Liège organised the « Forum sans Transition ! ». This collection of shows, readings and installations on the theme of «Cultivating our futures» was accompanied by a Think Tank made up of artists and scientists from ULiège, brought together to develop solutions for a sustainable and desirable future. «During the many preparatory discussions between the Theatre and the University prior to the forum, we decided to build a longer-term project,» says Serge Rangoni, Director of the Théâtre de Liège. «For us, it was the perfect opportunity to bring together all the forces likely to think about and commit to changing things.» Following in the footsteps of the Forum Sans Transition!, «Rêvons Liège 2030» aims to establish a close collaboration between the scientific and artistic worlds at the heart of the process. «In all the experiments that exist on the aspects of sustainable development, and as long as the conditions for dialogue and mutual understanding are created, the combination of these two dimensions considerably unlocks the imagination,» reveals Serge Rangoni. And while this initiative can count on the Théâtre de Liège’s artistic network to put on relevant performances, it also relies on the expertise of Liège Créative, which is heavily involved in the project: «Liège Créative is a forum for meetings and conferences that aims to promote ULiège research within civil society,» explains Aurore Falla, Project Manager at Liège Créative. «Our mission is really to break down the barriers between academic, entrepreneurial and even socio-cultural circles to enrich the issues addressed, by bringing together worlds that don’t necessarily talk to each other. And in just over 10 years of activity, we have really created a substantial network of researchers, and many projects have emerged from the organisation of these meetings.» To give the future a chance to exist, we must first allow it to be imagined. This is the message of the «Rêvons Liège 2030» initiative, a unique collaboration between the University and the Théâtre de Liège. It invites researchers, artists and ordinary citizens to imagine their city in 2030, and then turn the dream into reality. 52 | ACTIVITY REPORT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT ULIÈGE | 2022 – 2023
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTk1ODY=