MOTHERS A SONG FOR WARTIME
Director Marta Górnicka, who performs on stages all over Europe with her very own style of theatre, juxtaposes the powerlessness of us all over the war in Ukraine with the powerful chanting of a choir. 21 Ukrainian, Polish and Belarusian women between the ages of 9 and 71, some of them refugees from war or persecution, all with their own political experiences, take to the stage. They sing, speak and shout not only against the war, but above all against the numbing of media consumers. The libretto mixes political statements, nursery rhymes, traditional songs and personal stories.
Following the performance on 28 May, there will be a discussion with the artists at 21:45.
Born in Poland, Marta Górnicka is a director, writer, and singer, a graduate of the Warsaw National Academy of Dramatic Art and the Chopin University of Music. She founded the Political Voice Institute (PVI) in 2019 in Berlin, where she has developed her practice of the chorus in its formal and political dimensions. In her choruses, voices and bodies, individually or together, are intrinsically political instruments. She explores a variety of choral forms to create confrontations with unbearable realities. Marta Górnicka uses the stage as a platform to enact discourses of conflict and resolution, giving members of different communities the opportunity to make their voices heard and to recognise their shared humanity. In 2023, the Festival d’Avignon invited her to present, in the courtyard of the Musée Calvet, an early reading of MOTHERS A SONG FOR WARTIME, which premiered at the Maillon Théâtre de Strasbourg Scène européenne.
Easy Read
21 women from Ukraine, Poland and Belarus stand together on stage. They speak in a choir and sometimes alone. It's about what war does to people. Not only with those who are at war themselves.
For people with vision disabilities
A German audio description is available. It will contain the description and the surtitles in German will be read. You can get the headphones at the box office.
Audio description: Boni Koller and Elena Mptinsis (équipe chuchote)
Dampfzentrale is equipped with tactile ground surface indicators. If you attend the event with a service dog, you can of course bring it into the hall. Or you can leave your service dog in a separate room. If you wish to do this, please contact us in advance checkin@auawirleben.ch
Here you can find an Audio-trailer for the event.
Relaxed Performance
The performance is a Relaxed Performance. The audience space is not completely darkened. There are no loud noises. The audience is allowed leave the room and come back in during the performance. The audience is not expected to sit completely still. Babies and children are welcome. There are some alternative seating options (wedges, cushions, etc.) available. There are beanbags in the front row, which can be reserved via the ticket system.
The performance lasts 1 hour, there is no interval.
The performance has space for 400 spectators.
There is a relaxed space in the foyer where you can retreat to at any time. This is accessible as soon as the house is open, during and after the performances. The relaxed space is signposted and there are visual protections around it. It contains a beanbag, chairs, dimmed lights and sensory tools.
For people with mobility disabilities
Dampfzentrale is wheelchair accessible. There are stair lifts to the foyer, the Turbinensaal and the toilets. The Access Friend will be happy to help you operate the lifts or you can use the Eurokey. The theatre has a barrier-free toilet. If you are coming with a wheelchair, please contact us in advance so that we can reserve an appropriate seat for you: checkin@auawirleben.ch
Surtitels etc.
The Polish, Ukrainian and Belarusian spoken text is surtitled in German and English. The surtitles do not contain additonal info on sounds and music.
Special Check-In
At auawirleben you have the option of a Special Check-In. If for any reason you would like to avoid the crowded foyer, require a specific seat, need any mobility assistance or would like to be picked up at the bus station, please contact us in advance (checkin@auawirleben.ch). Someone from the team will accompany you according to your needs.
Access Friend
At Dampfzentrale you will find an Access Friend before, during and after the performances. This person is marked with a purple waistcoat. If you have any questions about accessibility or need assistance, please turn to the Access Friend.
Social Story
Social stories are used as a tool to prepare people for a social event such as a theatre performance. In our Social Stories, you will find a description for each performance, what situation to expect at the venue and what customs apply there. You can find the (German) Social Story of «MOTHERS A SONG FOR WARTIME » as PDF here.
- Concept, direction
- Marta Górnicka
- Actors
- Liza Kozlova, Palina Dabravolskaja, Svitlana Onischak, Kateryna Taran, Svitlana Berestovska, Valeriia Obodianska, Sasha Cherkas, Maria Tabachuk, Yuliia Ridna, Natalia Mazur, Aleksandra Sroka, Katarzyna Jaźnicka, Bohdana Zazhytska, Anastasiia Kulinich, Hanna Mykhailova, Katerina Aleinikova, Elena Zui-Voitekhovskaya, Kamila Michalska, Maria Robaszkiewicz, Polina Shkliar, Ewa Konstanciak
- Libretto
- Marta Górnicka & Ensemble
- Music
- Wojciech Frycz, Marta
- Choreography
- Evelin Facchini
- Stage design
- Robert Rumas
- Costumes
- Joanna Załęska
- Dramaturgical collaboration
- Olga Byrska, Maria Jasińska
- Video, video documentation
- Michał Rumas, Justyna Orłowska
- Video projections
- Michał Jankowski
- Lights
- Artur Sienicki
- Vocal Coach
- Joanna Piech-Sławecka / Agnieszka Piotrowska
- Stage manager and director’s assistant
- Bazhena Shamovich
- Surtitles
- Zofia Szymanowska / Anna Karaban
- Production
- Teatr Powszechny: Magdalena Płyszewska
Production: CHORUS OF WOMEN Foundation, Maxim Gorki Theater
Coproduction: Teatr Powszechny, Festival d’Avignon, Maillon Strasbourg, Scène européenne, Spring Performing Arts Festival, Tangente St. Pölten – Festival für Gegenwartskultur