project description
The theatre collective “onlinetheater.live” has developed an innovative format at the interface of theatre, participative art and network activism. Loosely based on the artistic and interventionistic ad campaigns on TikTok, the project aims to offer new perspectives on images of masculinity. The fact that young men become radicalised on social networks in so-called “incel” forums is nothing new. Yet the horrifying shootings by young men in Christchurch and Halle point to the tragic outcome of such radicalisation. Against this backdrop, onlinetheater.live presents “Myke” – a project that addresses young people and aims to sensitise them to such radicalisation processes.
The project begins by exploring images of masculinity, where the narratives of violence and their audience can be found – on TikTok, the most commonly used social media platform by young adults under 25. Like its prizewinning predecessor project “Loulu”, onlinetheater.live will make use of the mechanisms of social networks to create an intermedial narrative space that blurs the boundaries of reality and fiction. The fictional character “Myke” introduces us to seemingly mundane situations in which he alone, his friends or his family appear and are confronted with various cultural forms of masculine violence and the feeling of loneliness. The story, which will unfold as a “cultural hack” on TikTok starting in summer 2024, will be expanded on with suggestions from the community and characters who represent multifaceted, non-conformist perspectives.
By means of social media targeting, the videos will hopefully appear in feeds of young men between 16 and 24 years of age who have previously shown interest in incel forums, “alpha male” podcasts and dating coaches. In addition to a live campaign on TikTok and an accompanying lecture performance, the project will feature a website which will be ostensibly operated by the fictional character Myke and will later serve as an effective public presentation platform. The project is being co-produced with the HAU Hebbel am Ufer, FFT Düsseldorf and Kleintheater Luzern.
Artistic directors: Katharina Kraft, Toni Minge, Luzia Oppermann, Prof. Caspar Weimann
Participants: Fikri Anıl Altınaş, Floris Henning, Veronika Kracher, Dr Eileen Roesler
Online campaign: cultural hack on TikTok, online: 1 Jun. – 31 Aug. 2024; artistic documentation: project homepage, online: 1 – 30 Sep. 2023; lecture performances: HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin, FFT Forum Freies Theater Düsseldorf, Kleintheater Luzern: 1 Oct. – 15 Dec. 2024