In Antwerp, the area involved in the project actions affects two neighbourhoods in the north-east of the city. Seefhoek and Deurne-Noord are clearly separated by the ring of the urban motorway, which forms a boundary between the landscape of the centre and that of the periphery, demarcating profound spatial differences. In the two districts, the social variety of the harbour metropolis takes on different features. 

In the Seefhoek district, the presence of vital shopping streets, top-quality services, public parks and gardens, squares, swimming pools and schools, shapes an urban landscape in which more than a hundred different ethnic groups coexist. Deurne-Noord, which is just as socially heterogeneous, is instead a street corridor between the centre and the suburbs, crossed by fast and intense traffic, where decaying modern buildings accommodate precarious forms of residence, in the ‘introversion of living’ and often in the discomfort of the inhabitants, lacking of organised and quality public spaces, services and even minimal commercial facilities.

The different performative actions developed by Toneelhuis interpret and represent the different conditions of the two neighbourhoods: the exposed and vital landscape of coexistence in diversity and possible conflicts of Seefhoek, and the hidden and stigmatised landscape of the many single identities of Deurne-Noord.

The city and 
the areas involved 

Seefhoek, located in the north-east of the city of Antwerp, is a district that was established in the 19th century as a working-class neighbourhood and has historically been a junction for several communities. It has no precise administrative delimitation and is often identified with the district of Stuivenberg. Seefhoek has a stable population of about 18,000 inhabitants, of which about 70 per cent are first- or second-generation immigrants. Of this percentage, the Turkish and Syrian communities are the biggest. The population density is about 15,000 inhabitants per square kilometre. The population average is young, with only 9% over the age of 65 and 20% under the age of 14. The distribution between women and men shows a greater, though slight, presence of men (53%). The percentage of inhabitants with a higher education qualification is 12%, while the percentage of births in disadvantaged households is 53% (compared to 27% at citywide level). The average salary per household is about 15,000 € per year, while the unemployment rate for the working-age population (18-64 years) is 51%. The neighbourhood has a predominantly residential character, and only 15% is dedicated to green and recreational spaces. In terms of accessibility to the area, there is a high presence of vehicle traffic, aggravated by the presence of roads with a small road section and a small number of parking lots. This phenomenon is aggravated during events hosted in the adjacent urban park of Park Spoor Noord. Therefore, the presence of three different metro stops and the planning of a new line in 2026 play a key role in the accessibility of the neighbourhood. In addition to the plans for the new metro line, in recent years the Seefhoek area has been subject to the construction of numerous campuses and university buildings, which are gradually attracting the attention of a new type of population. In this sense, today the district is at a crossroad: the urban transformations that are taking place in it and the resulting building regeneration processes threaten Seefhoek with a process of monoculture and gentrification, which stand in clear opposition to the eclectic character that has characterised it until now.

Located on the outskirts of the city of Antwerp, near the Albert Canal, Deurne-Noord is a district developed after the Second World War and today characterised by the presence of semi-demolished industrial complexes and decaying residential buildings. The area involved in the project actions mainly concerns the part along the axis of Bisschoppenhoflaan, the main road that connects the city centre with the outer residential and commercial suburbs. The district has a population of 22,087 inhabitants, with a population density of 12,000 people per square kilometre, which is an indicative value because a considerable part of the population is not regularly registered. As in the Seefhoek district, about 70% of the registered residents are of immigrant origin. About 12% are over the age of 65, and 23.3% are under the age of 14. Residents with a higher education qualification represent 10%, while those born into disadvantaged families are 40%, with an average annual salary per family of around 17,000€. Public spaces are few and badly located, covering only 8% of the area of the district. The area is often overcrowded with heavy through traffic and is only expected to improve following the finalisation of construction projects related to the Antwerp Ring Road. Although the area is served by one of the city's most important metro stops and a tram line, the current public transport network would appear not to serve the area properly. Like Seefhoek, Deurne-Noord is also affected by significant urban transformation opportunities, projects that would seem to affect and threaten the current demographic composition of the district.

Landscapes, spaces, communities 
and theatre 

From its origins, the Seefhoek district has been an arrival district of the harbour city, and this has contributed to its architectural and social eclecticism. The shaping of the district dates back to the mid-19th century, when urban planning operations dismantled the Spanish fortifications and established the ‘Great Enclosure’ as an integral part of the Brialmont defence line. This laid the foundation for the birth of the Fifth District, today corresponding to the Seefhoek district, which over time has been enriched with public gardens, facilities and a dense network of shopping streets. Today, it is characterised by its very high socio-cultural diversity and richness, welcoming a unique variety of residents, in terms of age groups and nationalities, which is reflected in the vitality of the public spaces.  On the northern edge of the district, in the area of a disused railway yard, is the Park Spoor Noord (completed fifteen years ago), now one of the most important meeting places in the city, representing the socio-cultural diversity of Antwerp at all times of the day.
 

The Deurne-Noord district is characterised as a border space between canals and high traffic roads. Bisschoppenhoflaan has a wide street section formed by fast lanes, set back building fronts and wide generic building access spaces, with garages, workshops and informal housing on the ground floors and a large central parterre of meadows. Traffic noise dominates the scene and the parterre, bordered by fast traffic lanes, is informally used as the only green space. The buildings accommodate very diverse activities, and functions are often hidden within them, including (speculative) rented residences, often precarious businesses and unused spaces. The rare domestic green spaces separating the street from the front of the buildings are used as courtyards, playgrounds and service spaces for the homes. Despite its proximity to Antwerp's largest urban park, the Rivierenhof, the lack of widespread services, social housing, and accessible public open spaces and commercial activities make the area among the most marginal and problematic in the city. 
The Toneelhuis, a long-time participant in the cultural richness of its city, has been a pioneer in interpreting urban life through theatrical action by bringing performance action into the urban space and the urban space into the theatre. The unique and complex character of the Seefhoek district and the Bisschoppenhoflaan street is the reason for their choice, which stems from an interest in their community and a desire to capture and celebrate their heterogeneity, also in the light of the urban transformations that have been taking place in recent years.

Relevant issues during and after the pandemic

The pandemic had a deep impact on the two districts, highlighting the vulnerability of minorities, fragile populations and small local businesses and exacerbating existing inequalities and conflicts. However, the post-pandemic period also remarked on the ability of different interest groups and local communities to develop new support networks through the often-innovative construction of new social support and gathering spaces. Open spaces, even informal and unnatural ones, have become vital to the well-being of the population, providing safe, sometimes unexpected, areas for exercise, children's play and social interactions at a distance. Due to isolation measures and social distancing, the residents of Deurne-Noord and Seefhoek, as recorded in other European cities, have significantly increased their use of parks, squares and neighbourhood streets for outdoor activities in compliance with measures imposed by local governments.