A continuation of the partnership between Geese Theatre Birmingham and aufBruch Berlin, which was established through Cultural Bridge 2024, is planned. Both projects work with theatre methods in prisons and with marginalised groups.

 

The results of the first collaboration were very interesting and enriching for both partners. Integrating the partners' methods into each other's working concepts appears to be an extension and improvement of the approaches. It makes sense for both partners to integrate elements of the partner organisation's methods into their own work in order to reach as many prisoners as possible and involve them in artistic projects, thereby improving their competences and skills.

 

During the exchange between the partners, it became clear that both partners are working on the projects with the same intention and pursuing the same goals. The methods used by both are very professional, but different. This has led to the idea of combining the different approaches and methods in order to achieve further synergy effects, expand the methods and increase the artistic focus.

 

We would like to integrate the method of working with masks (Geese Theatre) directly into a theatre production by aufBruch in Berlin. Two Geese employees will be directly involved in the rehearsals of aufBruch and will develop some scenes of the overall production using the method of mask play/mask theatre. To this end, the Geese employees will lead special rehearsals of the aufBruch ensemble in a prison in Berlin in cooperation with the aufBruch team. The work is planned in two blocks. The first block comprises 3 to 4 rehearsals at a relatively early stage in the rehearsal phase. After that, the elements will be rehearsed further by the aufBruch team. The second block comprises 2 to 3 rehearsals in the final phase of rehearsals shortly before the premiere in order to finally integrate the scenes into the production. Afterwards, 10 public performances of the production will be shown in the prison. Approximately 10 inmates will participate as actors in the production. The selection of which play will be performed and which scenes will be performed with masks will be made jointly in mutual consultation. A series of Zoom meetings are planned as preparatory meetings.

 

In Birmingham:

In Birmingham, a workshop is planned in a prison, which will be conducted by 2 to 3 aufBruch employees in cooperation with 2 Geese artists. aufBruch will use text material from Beckett's ‘Waiting for Godot’ and develop play and choir sequences that exemplify aufBruch's working approach. Approximately 10 inmates are expected to participate in the workshop, which is planned to take place at HMP Oakwood Prison and last 5 to 6 days. At the end, there will be a presentation of the developed elements for other inmates, prison staff and other partners.

 

In this way, new working methods (use of masks, mask play/work with literary texts, choir elements) will be implemented on both sides, knowledge of the working approaches will be deepened, and the artistic methods will be enriched and expanded.

 

Depending on the possibilities, attempts will also be made to improve the documentation of the work and to accompany the process photographically in order to make the results accessible to a wider audience.

 

Schedule:

April 2025: concrete coordination of schedule and artistic themes

Monthly Zoom meetings to accompany and coordinate the process

Workshop in Birmingham, October 2026 /

First workshop in Berlin, November 2025

Second workshop in Berlin, January 2026 / Presentations, public performances