(Auf)Begehren – Schwindelfrei Festival

(On) Demand
Arens / Schädler / Ueberschär / Ausweg Rhein-Neckar e.V. (Mannheim / Stuttgart / Jena)

About the Residency
Is redistribution desirable?

In times of social division, (Auf)Begehrenexplores practices of mobilization, solidarity, and coexistence. Through performative means, questions of social justice are joyfully explored. Together with guests from Ausweg Rhein-Neckar e.V., Arens/Schädler/Ueberschär develop mascots of the extremes and a gathering of (Auf)Begehren—inspired by experiences of social hardship and poverty as well as the seductive promises of populist groups. 

“We ask ourselves why social justice seems so unappealing to many people. Time and again, it is striking that policies aimed at a more equitable distribution of resources appear to hold little appeal. On the contrary, political movements that would further exacerbate the current situation find resonance—especially among those directly affected. 

We see theater and art as a simulation chamber for alternative realities and futures. Here we devise scenarios: What if redistribution were a social consensus? What happens to those who reject this consensus? 

In times of ever-increasing social division—but also within progressive movements themselves—we want to artistically explore practices of mobilization, solidarity, and coexistence. We need spaces to collectively design futures, but also to exaggerate them with gusto—spaces for collective storytelling and for imagining and inventing together. With “Kupfer” as a hub in Neckarstadt-West, Ausweg Rhein-Neckar e.V. has created a place in Mannheim that puts solidarity and togetherness into practice. In this way, with(Auf)Begehren, we can forge a new connection between art and social issues in Mannheim.” /Arens/Schädler/Ueberschär

What can you expect?
An artistic-activist format in public space that delightfully exaggerates.

Cast & Credits:
Charlotte Arens / Concept, Dramaturgy, Social Justice, Set Design / Mannheim 
Jasmin Schädler / Concept, performative strategies, adaptation for audiovisual media / Stuttgart 
Elisa Ueberschär / performative strategies, performance, voice / Jena 
Ausweg Rhein-Neckar e.V. / Michael Dester / Community Work, Project Management / Mannheim 

https://jasmin-schaedler.com/about 
https://elisa-ueberschaer.de/vita 
https://www.ausweg-rhein-neckar.de