From dystopian fear to joyful unity, the Ruhrtriennale Festival offered our Young Associate Artists a powerful reminder of why we need art.

Our Young Associates recently embarked on an exciting four-day adventure at the Ruhrtriennale Festival in Bochum, Germany.

Here’s Buddug Roberts’ diary of their journey.

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Day 1 : 18.09.25

A morning of travelling: flying, driving, looking. A little dazed and it feels so good to feel so comfortable, so quickly. A circle of homely, creative people. 🌞

🪐 Gen Z Don’t Cry (World Premiere)

An intense piece. Challenging, multisensory, a piece that demanded we look towards some kind of future. A future we are in the process of creating – whether we realise it or not. Threatening at times, and interesting in terms of the use of language that there was no translation at times, because… there was no need to translate the fear and passion the young people were feeling. And we felt it too, through the headphones, sharing every detailed breath together. A willingness to make the audience think. Think for themselves. To make them intentionally uncomfortable, on edge, wondering when the 'something' is about to arrive.

It’s good not to be told everything sometimes, we should remember that being made to think is a good thing.

Day 2 : 19.09.25

🖼️ Folkwang Museum, Essen

A bridge / arch / jenga of old televisions and pieces of metal scraps, holding stacks of static.

I’m straight back in the dystopian, post-apocalyptic style of Gen Z Don’t Cry, and how the arts are a braid that borrows and imitates while trying to make sense of this world.

Strange to think of these pieces without the words in the corner offering context. Art being art, standing alone, and then the words? Black and white words in box shapes, doing what? Explaining? Over-explaining? Giving us the who and the what and the why? Interesting to think – is it even needed?

🌏 Guernica Guernica! (World Premiere)

WOW! I could honestly write an extended essay about this incredible production – but for the sake of the blog I’ll resist… (or at least try).

From the very beginning I was mesmerised by the fact that I couldn’t quite decide what I was looking at – people or painting? People or props?

People watching people watching people, and the power of that, and that someone, somewhere, has to lead.

The innocence of a birthday piñata and balloons suddenly turning sinister.

Looking at people on ‘the other side’, the people in front of us, and how sometimes we literally saw things they didn’t…

There was no fear of silence, nor any awkwardness.

Day 3 : 20.09.25

😭😭😭 Sticky Dance

Programming, organising and timing – ✨perfect✨

Circle, space and setting boundaries.

How lucky we are that there is a shared language in movement and eye contact.

What happens when you put people in a circle like primary school story time?
Everyone becomes a child again 💛

What happens when everyone gets to be a child again?
We play, and through play we can build worlds to fill the one already here.

Music + Rave

Again that kind of language-less unity that exists in dance.

Making friends on a concrete floor like some kind of free school yard, choreographing together.

⭕️ and the circle is here again, this time so much nicer than ever, shoulders loose and eyes smiling full at one another.

Day 4 : 21.09.25

I had never before considered the careful craft of programming.

The artistic order was something to admire – which is an odd thing to say about an ‘order’.

From the fear and distance of the Black Mirror-like Gen Z Don’t Cry, to the close-together unity of Sticky Dance. The journey through the now and the past, history and today through the gallery, and the challenges of Guernica Guernica quietly leading us to dance together through the night.

People are at their ⚡️best⚡️ when they’re ⚡️together⚡️.

Funded by Taith, the Welsh Government's international exchange programme.