Questioning certainties

Dear visitors to Gessnerallee, dear artists

Tomorrow’s the day: we’re officially kicking off the new season – thank you, Kulturzüri, for the preview. At the same time, autumn is in the air from today, and the end of the swimming season is drawing nearer. For many, swimming in the lake, river or at the local lido is an integral part of summer. In ‘YOU CANNOT CAN’, the internationally acclaimed artist Dana Michel questions just how much we take swimming for granted. For years, she tried to learn to swim herself, only to fail time and again. Drawing on this experience, she asks who can swim, where and under what conditions – and what this has to do with the body, safety and one’s place in society.

Dana Michel’s research takes her from her childhood in Ottawa, through Canadian history, to the Caribbean. Part of her family comes from St Lucia, a small island in the eastern part of the region. Many of her relatives who live there cannot swim. Through her own life story, Michel came to realise how racist notions and historical experiences continue to influence Black people’s relationship with water and their access to it to this day.

Her solo performance at the Altstetten indoor swimming pool is an invitation to view a familiar place without taking it for granted. There are only a few tickets left for the performances on 19 and 20 September – secure your ticket now. To give you an idea of what to expect on the day, our dramaturg Isabel Gatzke takes you on a tour of the indoor swimming pool in a short video and provides an insight into the venue’s accessibility. You can find the video on our website.

Thought-provoking, self-critical and decidedly unpretentious moments of conversation. In the series ‘Die Neue Unsicherheit’ (The New Uncertainty), Fatima Moumouni invites you to take part in conversations where not everything has to be certain or perfectly formulated. Read Moumouni’s Artist Note (in German only), to find out more about the format.

In the new episode on 25 September, Fatima Moumouni speaks with the freelance writer, conversation curator and intersectional activist ஸ்வஸ்தி சிவசண்முகநாத சர்மா / Swassthi Sivasanmukanatha Sarma on the topic ‘Where, how, what is “community”?’. The discussion will focus on navigating privilege within struggles and communities – on Black-Tamil alliances as well as the lack thereof, exclusions, disappointments and hopes. The conversation will be interpreted into Swiss German Sign Language (DSGS).

Once the discussion is over, the evening is far from finished: there’ll be a comedy set followed by a hits karaoke session with Reena Krishnaraja. Born in Appenzell Ausserrhoden with Tamil roots, she studies social sciences in Bern during the day a bit and performs on stages across German-speaking Switzerland in the evenings.

Newspaper

The new uncertainty is back!

In her Artist Note, playwright and presenter Fatima Moumouni asks what happens when insecurity is not hidden away but consciously allowed to surface. For whilst insecurity may be an experiment for many, for people who experience social exclusion, it is often part of everyday life. To the article (only in German)

Concerts for the youngest and most discerning audiences

Since 2014, cultural manager Nadja Furrer has been bringing bands – who usually play for adults – to the Stall6 at the Gessnerallee for children’s concerts, ranging from indie pop to hip-hop and Latin music. Journalist Timo Posselt spoke to her about the magic between bands and children as a surprisingly direct audience. To the article (only in German)

The Gessnerallee newspaper is entering its third year. Now is the perfect 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 tomorrow, just in time for the start of the season.

Furthermore

PREMIO Open Call

Performing artists, companies and individual artists living and working in Switzerland can still apply online for the next PREMIO Emerging Artists’ Award until 1 October. To the Open Call

Membership and Annual Pass

As a member of the Gessnerallee association, you’ll receive invitations to special events and discussion sessions with the board and the theatre direction. You’ll also have the Gessnerallee Zeitung sent to your home and, if you’re interested, can purchase an annual pass at a reduced price.

Would you like more Gessnerallee in your life? With the annual pass, you can attend all theatre, dance and performance shows, as well as concerts and club nights, for 12 months.

We look forward to welcoming you this week to the new production ‘SYNTHETIC / Artefact’ by Tiran Willemse here at our venue.

The Gessnerallee team