You squeeze my hand right before the steps begin. We dance together after the hospital calls. You lead me, hands holding, are we on a date after all? I say thank you and you ask: What for? Intimacy is the ungraspable feeling of warmth, eroticism, vulnerability or tenderness. In WITH OR WITHOUT YOU, the disabled dancers Fia Neises and Irene Giró invite the audience into spaces of “access intimacy” (Mia Mingus). They will disrupt prevalent habits of seeing, hearing and time and while hanging in the air, surrender to the illusion of independence. Accompanied by musician Jana Sotzko, they share stories of ambivalence and intimacy in assistance. Those who wish can participate or otherwise witness with pleasure.

The guest performance ‘WITH OT WITHOUT YOU’ is made possible by a co-operation between Gessnerallee and Integrart, a network project for inclusive stage art.

Information on accessibility and language

The event takes places as a Relaxed Performance and early admission with support from Access Friends is available.

The event will take place in German spoken language with English and German supertitles. Supertitles means that the spoken word appears in written form throughout the set. Improvised moments and interactions with the audience only appear in German in the supertitles. There is a communication assistant (DGS German) for interactive moments.

The dance performance is based on a dramaturgy for blind and visually impaired audience. There is no additional audio description, as the action can also be experienced without sight. Detailed information and scene sequences on sensory stimuli and content triggers are available.

Announcement in Swiss-German sign language