The opening of the Theaterhaus Gessnerallee in 1989 was a milestone for Zurich’s independent dance and theatre scene. Almost four decades later, the collective dance me to the end – eight dancers aged over 60 – explores how their bodies resonate with this venue and its history from a contemporary perspective. Beyond its local and individual context, this exploration extends into the history of the performing arts in Switzerland and sheds light on themes such as age, fragility, collective formation and tacit knowledge.

This multi-part research project has resulted in a space holding lived experience, physical and spatial memory, and documentary traces. The space will be accessible in the Südbühne of Gessnerallee. In addition, there will be a showing and two panel discussions, «Institutions in Transition» and «Movement in Artistic Practice 1989–2026», organised in collaboration with dance and theatre scholars Julia Wehren and Alexandra Portmann (SAPA, University of Bern).

Admission is free.

Accessibility and practical information

• Step-free access

• Language: German spoken language