New season, new adventure

Dear visitors to Gessnerallee, dear artists

We’re back from the summer break and looking forward to the 2026/27 season. The official opening takes place on Thursday 10 September with Tiran Willemse’s new work ‘SYNTHETIC / Artefact’. Secure your tickets now! Or better still, get an annual pass straight away.

You’ll now find a brief overview of the upcoming programme right at the start of the weekly newsletter, neatly summarised in a box. This was a request from our audience survey last spring: some appreciate length and context, whilst others want it very, very brief. And we love the ‘both-and’ approach.

Before things really get going in September, there’s already plenty happening here. Last weekend we had our first collaboration with the Zürcher Theater Spektakel, and we had the pleasure of hosting Tamara Cubas’s production ‘Multitud’, featuring 60 amateur dancers. Together, in a time of isolation, they explored the shared experience, which in this moment becomes a political act.

At the end of this week, we’ll be welcoming Criptonite and their workshop ‘Crip Joy & Disabled Futures’. The focus is on storytelling, humour and joy. Ten artists from Switzerland with disabilities, who are deaf and/or have chronic illnesses, have been invited to network during the workshop and to present and further develop their own artistic practices. The lab will conclude with a public sharing session on 27 August. Experiences and practices from the lab will be shared and discussed under the theme ‘Crip Joy & Disabled Futures’. Admission to the event is free.

And immediately afterwards, the ‘Status Lab’ will take place for the first time. A collaboration between the SICK! Festival (England), the Project Arts Centre (Ireland), the Kaserne Basel and the Gessnerallee. In its first edition, the lab offers six socially engaged artists the opportunity, through residencies, to network internationally and deepen their artistic practice. We are very much looking forward to the launch at Gessnerallee.

Programme

‘SYNTHETIC / Artefact’ – Tiran Willemse

10, 11, 14, 15 September

A choreographic work exploring the figure of the puppet in the history of European ballet and theatre, as well as in African and Asian dance forms. Featuring Davide-Christelle Sanvee, Élie Autin, Ophelia Young and Elisabeth Mulenga. Tickets

‘From Design to Solidarity’ – artasfoundation

16 September

Artistic work in crisis-hit regions presents particular challenges. In this series of talks, a variety of people from the worlds of art and culture share their experiences. Admission to the event is free.

‘YOU CANNOT CAN’ by Dana Michel

19–20 September

A humorous adventure unfolds around and in the swimming pool at the Altstetten indoor swimming pool, exploring the importance of swimming for self-confidence and overcoming fears. Tickets

Children’s concert with Gina Été

20 September

Hybrid chamber pop and political awareness. The popular children’s concert series presents exciting musicians and bands for young and old alike. Tickets

Newspaper

The military, the motorway and independent theatre – the history of Gessnerallee

Journalist and photographer Julien Felber embarks on a historical journey through the more than 150-year history of Gessnerallee. From cavalry horses and barracks life, through youth movements and motorway plans, to independent theatre. He is accompanied by Alice Bamberger, a shopkeeper and contemporary witness, whose personal memories weave the history of the building together with that of the city. Read the article (only in German)

The Gessnerallee newspaper is entering its third year. Now is the best time to take out a subscription for the next four issues. It costs CHF 20 excluding postage and can be easily ordered by emailing zeitung@gessnerallee.ch. The next issue will be published on 10 September, just in time for the start of the season.

Furthermore

Last but not least, now is also a good time to become a member of the Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Association.

Why this is so

Through your curiosity and loyalty, you are supporting the development and continued existence of this wonderful and vibrant cultural institution. As a member of the association, you have an important say in shaping the theatre’s future. The more members there are and the more diverse the voices, the more sustainable the Gessnerallee’s future will be. Furthermore, your vote counts at the association’s general meeting. You have a say in the appointment of the board or approve relevant documents such as the articles of association or the mission statement.

The benefits of your membership

You can purchase a discounted annual pass. You’ll receive invitations to specific events. You’ll be invited to exclusive forums for discussion with the board and the theatre management. Four times a year, you’ll receive the Gessnerallee’s printed newsletter free of charge, delivered directly to your home.

Have we sparked your interest in becoming a member? If so, we’d be delighted to hear from you – please email our colleague Shelagh Armit at info@gessnerallee.ch.

We thank you in advance for your support and look forward to welcoming you back to our theatre.

The Gessnerallee team