Breaking the Spell

The long-term artistic project “Breaking the Spell” develops, presents and reflects on new feminist languages and political perspectives on theatre and the performing arts. The underlying theme of the project is “witchcraft”, defined as non-normative, socially developed living knowledge without marketable value, yet possessing enormous influence.

Hypermobility is one of the prevailing principles in the performance, and “Breaking the Spell” counters it with the image of the shipping container. It represents both a physical space and metaphorical logic. Conceived as a temporary, mobile hybrid of production, exchange, presentation, research and education, the container will offer artists the ability to take longer and more affordable visits in local contexts instead of brief stops on tour. It also symbolises the collection of ideas and materials which will be developed during the course of the project.

Designed as an artist-in-residence programme, Agata Siniarska, Kate McIntosh, Samara Hersch, Lina Majdalanie and Ivana Müller will meet with and form working groups with local artists in Leipzig, Munich, Warsaw and Ghent. Together they will transform the respective hosting institution into a container where they can conceive and develop new projects.

A site-specific artwork highlighting the topic of “feminist performance and practices of being together” will be co-produced and shown at each of the four locations. To contextually augment the works, the organisers will invite female theorists to participate. The project will conclude with the publication of a book, in which the artistic practices, encounters and methods of knowledge transfer developed in the project will be compiled and contextualised.
 

Artistic director: Thomas Frank
Curators: Grzegorz Reske, Marta Keil, Matthieu Goeury, Olivia Ebert, Thomas Frank
Artists: Agata Maszkiewicz, Agata Siniarska, Enis Maci, Ivana Müller, Kate McIntosh, Lina Majdalanie, Samara Hersch, Sarah Vanhee, and others

Performance/Container in Leipzig, Residence Schauspiel Leipzig, Leipzig: March 2022; Performance/Container in Munich, Münchner Kammerspiele, Munich: May 2022; Performance/Container in Warsaw, Performing Arts Institute Warsaw: November 2022; book performance International, Schauspiel Leipzig, Münchner Kammerspiele, Performing Arts Institute Warsaw, Vooruit Arts Center Ghent: March 2023; Performance/Container in Ghent, Vooruit Arts Center, Ghent: March 2023