REVERSED بالعكس

حاول تفهم يلي مكتوب. Do you want to understand this? Do you want to work? Integrate!

What if war did not only take place ‘somewhere else’? If it were not always ‘the others’ who had to integrate in order to regain their ‘being human’ by accessing rigidly regulated work, but ... Austrians? What if you were me?

We, artists from Syria and Slovakia living in Vienna, invite you to our involving theatre performance REVERSED. We meet at a fictitious place between Syria and Austria, in which each of these countries could equally become country of origin or destination for refugees. Language problems, job search, the so-called ‘integration agreement’ – how does it suddenly feel? We want to question systems of ‘work’ and ‘integration’, and thus create a space for emancipatory political approaches. In doing so, we blur the lines between reality and fiction, we play with perceptions and expectations.

The audience has no other choice but becoming part of a plot that searches for alternatives. This does not only apply to newcomers in Austria, where access to freedom, leisure, idleness is only granted to those who integrate and subjugate themselves to a hierarchical work system. It is granted to few, others are excluded. Only the freedom to determine your own ‘working life’ allows for extensive freedom in one’s life. At least this is the current situation. But does it need to be like this? Could we start differently?

After the performance, we invite the audience to a discussion in order to reflect together: how much emancipatory potential lies in the change of perspective provided by REVERSED? Moderation: thefamous Syrian-Austrian comedian Nadia Maleh.

Language: Arabic, German

Cooperation partner: VHS Ottakring in Kooperation mit Langer Tag der Flucht

Production: WIENWOCHE

© Ivan Krenčey