(un)sichtbarst #3

a choreographic outreach project with trauma-experienced women

Women who were sexually, physically and/or verbally abused as children or adolescents often find it difficult to find their way in the world and with themselves. Our society too often reacts with irritation, sometimes dismissively and helplessly when it comes to the emotional needs of women. Unfortunately, this often leads to those affected remaining silent, thereby perpetuating the taboo. Added to this are feelings of shame and guilt and a mistrust in their own abilities and bodies.

Quite a few suffer from invisible damage that may affect them for the rest of their lives. You could say they are mentally handicapped *.

Choreographer and dancer Eva Baumann's project (un)sichtbarst #3, which is situated between cultural mediation and a journey in self-awareness, starts at this point and at the same time continues the research and searches for new contexts.

The project focuses on a dance-based approach for and with the participants, an experimental play with the themes of ‘being seen’ and ‘covering oneself’. The specialty is that both are offered as options. Both can, but do not have to be thematised individually. It is essential to create a ‘brave space’ in which the women feel safe and free.

The project took place in spring 2022 as part of ‘kubi-in-residence’ and was funded by TANZPAKT Stuttgart.

(* The Act on Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities defines in §3: ‘People are disabled if their physical function, mental ability or mental health is likely to deviate from the typical condition for their age for more than 6 months and therefore their participation in society is impaired.’)