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Season start 2025/26 – (Un)gentle Learning

«Muskeln aus Plastik – a crip-queer reading»
Kay Matter

Hybrid eventCovid Safe SpaceReading

The reading of Kay Matter's intuitive and moving debut invites chronically ill people and their allies to meet and talk in a relaxed setting. For those who cannot attend in person, the event will be streamed on Zoom here.

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  • Sun 14/0916:30–18:30

    Nordflügel

Copyright: Bahar Kaygusuz
  • Relaxed Setting

Zoom stream

To participate in the live broadcast of «Muskeln aus Plastik» via Zoom, click here.
The access link will be activated at the time of the event. Following the reading, there will be a discussion between Kay Matter and Noa Winter. Questions can also be submitted via the Zoom chat function.

To participate via your web browser, open the link and click on Join form Zoom Workplace app and then on Having issues with the Zoom Workplace app? Join from your browser at the bottom.

Together with Kay Matter, we invite you to a crip-queer community reading. In «Muskeln aus Plastik», Kay deals with chronic illness and transness – and the way our society thinks and talks about «healthy» bodies. Because Kay has a serious crush – and a serious illness. Every crush is followed by a crash, every fluttering heart is followed by migraines, making out is followed by a pain flare. While Kay tries to escape the consequences of Long Covid, only the longing for Aron and the desire for a strong, androgynous body bring relief.

The question arises again and again: Is there even a language for pain? Beyond all formal and intellectual traditions, Kay Matter examines the thin line between pleasure and pain and imagines new forms of care, intimacy and queer resistance.

The reading is not only a space for listening, but also for sharing lived experiences. Therefore, the event is aimed in particular at chronically ill and disabled people and their allies. The subsequent conversation will be moderated by Noa Winter, dramaturge at Gessnerallee and a crip-queer themselves.

Schedule

4:30 pm Relaxed entrance
5:00 pm Reading
5:45 pm Break (15 minutes)
6:00 pm Conversation with the audience
6:30 pm End of the event

Information on accessibility and language 

  • The event takes place in German spoken language.

  • The reading is designed as a Relaxed Event. Visitors are welcome to make noises, move and leave the space at any time.

  • We invited audience members to bring their own hot water bottles and other comfort items. A kettle will be provided.

  • All audience members are required to do a Covid test and wear a mask during the event. Tests and FFP2-masks will be provided at the entrance. We ask people with symptoms of a contagious illness to stay home.

  • For those who cannot attend in person, the event will be streamed on Zoom. The link for the Zoom broadcast will be published here on the day of the event at the latest. Participation on Zoom is free of charge.

  • Content Notes (inconclusive): talking about lived experiences of chronic illness (especially Long Covid), disability and transness, including dysphoria, trans hostility and ableism

Ticket allotment accessibility

In order to give chronically ill and disabled people priority access to the event, half of the 50 tickets are only available by e-mail reservation. We want people with less energy to have enough time to buy a ticket - so we want to prevent a quick sell-out. People who identify themselves as chronically ill and/or disabled, or their assistants/companions, please write an email to barrierefreiheit@gessnerallee.ch with the number of ticket and, if needed, access requirements (wheelchair space, beanbag) to reserve your seats.

The tickets are payable at the box office on the day of the event. (CHF 5 / 10 / 15).

Plain language

  • Muskeln aus Plastik (Muscles Made of Plastic) is a reading.
    Kay Matter reads from his book.
    The main character has a serious illness.
    The character may be ill forever.
    And the character has multiple genders.
    The character changes from a woman to a man.
    The book is about love and pain.
    There will be a discussion after the reading.

About the artists

  • Kay Matter, who grew up in Zurich and northern Italy, studied scenic writing at the Berlin University of the Arts. Matter wrote the plays «Alice verschwindet», «Alias Anastasius», «Helena oder: Stay safe and sorry» and «Grelle Tage». The latter was published as a book in 2023 and was awarded the Hans Gratzer Prize in 2022 and the Nestroy Prize in 2023. «Muskeln aus Plastik» (still published under the name Selma Kay Matter) is Matter’s first work of prose.

Credits

  • Text, reading and conversation:
    Kay Matter
    Conversation and moderation:
    Noa Winter
    Space Design:
    Theres Indermauer, Stephanie Müller

Supported by

  • The programme focus ‘(Un)gentle Learning’ is supported by the Ernst Göhner Foundation.

Gessnerallee season start 2025/26

The programme focus «(Un)gentle Learning» will take place at Gessnerallee from 11 to 21 September to mark the start of the season. It will explore processes of transition, mourning and learning.

«Stars Are Never Sleeping, Dead Ones and the Living»
Theres Indermaur and Stephanie Müller
11/09 - 15/09
18/09 - 21/09
Room installation

«Fourth Eye, 4.40 AM»
Ceylan Öztrük
11/09, 13/09, 14/09, 15/09
Performance

«Pas Moi»
Diana Anselmo
(in LIS, Italian sign language)
12/09, 13/09,
Lecture-Performance

«Muskeln aus Plastik - a crip-queer reading»
Kay Matter
14/09
Reading

«Neutralitätstheater – The myth of Switzerland put to the test!»
Hannan Salamat and Fatima Moumouni
18/09
Talk, Performance

«Sleight of Hand»
Jo Bannon
(in German spoken language)
19/09
Installation, Performance

«Sleight of Hand»
Jo Bannon
(in English spoken language)
20/09
Installation, Performance

«When the Calabash Breaks»
Tiran Willemse and Melika Ngombe Kolongo (Nkisi)
20/09, 21/09
Open-Air-Performance, Music, Dance

«KOMMANDO AJAX»
Cemile Sahin
21/09
Reading

More Shows

To the programme overview