Time to celebrate

Dear reader

The first season under the theatre direction of Kathrin Veser and Miriam Walther is drawing to a close, and with it the first year of the Gessnerallee Newspaper. We look back on an exciting, intense and fulfilling time. In this fourth issue, the artistic directors share their thoughts in an interim review. And author and dramaturge Nele Solf shares with us an anecdote about the first thoughts she had about Gessnerallee's new newspaper. This goes back to the birth of the dramaturg's profession and, for some, even the feuilleton.

In June, we celebrate the premiere of LAB Junges Theater Zürich's production ‘Begehren’ as well as the two-year anniversary of Brücki 235, Zurich's uncurated space, with a short play festival. In three touching portraits, author and journalist Anna Miller has captured the stories of participating LAB young people about life in and out of the theatre. And journalist Aleksandra Hiltmann met Liliane Koch, one of the founders of Brücki 235, and gives us an insight into a place that has become the focal point of the work of many independent dance, theatre and performance artists from Zurich.

Speaking of Zurich - the cities two theatres, Theater Neumarkt and Schauspielhaus Zürich, are about to undergo a change of management. In the column of the same name the departing directors Hayat Erdoğan, Tine Milz, Julia Reichert and Ulrich Khuon share their thoughts on the theatre with us.

Not all change is the same. Since the 1990s, Berlin has been regarded as a point of orientation, even a beacon for theatre, dance and performance in the German-speaking world. Since the beginning of this year, due to massive cuts in funding, the metropolis has been undergoing one of the most severe structural changes in a long time. Here in Zurich, we are also dealing with this. Journalist Caspar Shaller visited the city to get an idea of the situation after the first few months.

In a specially placed bracket the cultural scientist and cultural manager Rana Yazaji reports on her work in the context of the artasfoundation. The Swiss foundation for art in conflict regions is investigating how free spaces for art can contribute to conflict mediation and peacebuilding.

And last but not least, we are also delighted to have returning formats in this issue: Artist and musician Rada Leu once again delights us with a comic. Lighting technician Corinne Werffeli takes us into the world of stage technology with the play ‘In Case of Emergency’. Reporter Nathalie Anderegg from the inclusive media project ‘Reporter:innen ohne Barrieren’ writes about the concert ‘Residue of the Heart’ by Jalalu Kalvert-Nelson and Studio Dan. In the photo essay, we gain an insight into international dance creation at the ‘Dias da Dança’ dance festival in Porto. And, for now, the artist and theatre and disability scholar Nina Mühlemann shows us the last horoscopic future. 

We wish you a wonderful summer - and we look forward to the coming season and the second year of the Gessnerallee Newspaper.

Rahel Bains, Kathrin Veser, Miriam Walther