ConnectUp

It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of our dear friend Sid (Andrew Siddall). He died peacefully on Sunday evening after a short but serious illness.

Sid has worked with us on our projects for almost 25 years. There are barely words to describe someone so extraordinary, someone who touched the lives of so many. For the creative projects, the outdoor fireworks and dances in countless European cities – and the unforgettable parties. He will be deeply missed.

Everything began in 2002 in Frankfurt/Oder, Germany, with a youth event within the MagicNet network. The theme was “Love” – and indeed, it was also the beginning of a great love that all of us in the team felt for him: for his endless energy, his inexhaustible creativity, and the steady system of thought and organisation that grew within his work.

Looking back, this became especially clear to me in the last two projects we created together: “Tomorrowland” (connect-up) in Palmela, Portugal, and “Come Together” (phōnē) in the South Tyrolean Alps. Sid had a unique ability to unite large groups of people who had never met before — and to turn them into a team within moments. With lightness, with humor, but also with his deep seriousness, he would manage to bring together what felt like thousands of puzzle pieces into a single picture by the end of a week. The results were remarkable, deeply moving presentations - presentations of young people’s ideas, their hopes, their visions. He helped them discover and express their creativity, their passion, and the courage to bring their ideas to life.

At the end of one of our many youth events, a teacher once said that the young people had “worked” many more hours than they ever would at school. She herself was completely exhausted — and yet she wondered at the sight of her students, whom she had never seen so happy, so united, despite all the challenges.

Countless memories will remain, and each of you carries your own — memories that will forever remind you of him. It is rare to meet someone in life who leaves such a profound mark, and Sid was truly one of those exceptional people: a gorgeous man with a big heart, a beautiful soul, and an irresistible sense of humor. He was someone who could find a creative, forward-thinking solution even to the most unexpected challenges.

He will be missed — by me, and by all of us. Yet in this I also find comfort: I am deeply convinced that Sid has left something within each of us. May we all take a moment to hold that feeling, and send him our love and good energy, wherever he may be now.

Dirk
&
Odette
Johanna
Elisa
Sven

Our team has been complete since Monday. The four Australian musicians arrived safely and, despite jet lag, immediately joined us for rehearsals :-) Two weeks left until the preview...

Teatro O Bando

Hi, we are the young ambassadors of FITEI, Festival International de Teatro de Expressão Ibérica. Today, we took over Connectup's social media to document the activities and all the things that happened in this project. In the morning, the evaluation meeting took place to remember, cherish and reflect the past 5 years of Connectup. The evaluation activities were inspired by the Olympic games. In the afternoon there was a guided tour through Porto and the country's anti-fascist journey where everyone met two time witnesses who told them about the revolution and the fascist regime. During the day, we, the young ambassadors visited Porto on our own, got to know each other and spent quality time together. ❤️

Stay tuned for more adventures!

We had inspiring meeting at Lutke Festival 2024 in Ljubljana. Including a workshop about collaborative scenic creation, attended by performers from 9 different countries, by Enric Ases Casamitjana. Visiting the puppetry museum and learning about slovenian puppetry pioneers. Watching 3 ConnectUp Coproductions and of course enjoying the lovely city of Ljubljana.