In September 2015, Chancellor Angela Merkel made the humanitarian decision to open the border to Germany for tens of thousands of refugees from Syria. The former Stasi headquarters in Berlin-Lichtenberg was then set up as emergency accommodation for around 1,800 asylum seekers. Between February and May 2016, Cao Kefei gave the young people courses in play, writing and painting once a week.
During this period, she focused on the questions: who are these young people? How is it possible to meet them with only minimal linguistic understanding? What methods need to be developed to approach young people traumatized by war? What did they experience when they fled? What do they dream of? What do they hope for? What is a new life like in a foreign country, which may become their new home?
Inspired by the legendary Chinese traditional opera "Flee by Night", Cao Kefei develops an installative performance with set designer Yanjun Hu and the young people, which is based on their biographies, experiences and everyday objects. As part of the Citizen Art Days festival, both the three-month approach process and the jointly developed stories will be shown in public.
Workshop leader: Cao Kefei
Stories, drawings: Young people from the Ruschestrasse emergency shelter in Berlin
Installation: Yanjun Hu
Video, graphic design: Xiangwei Liu
Translation: Sondus Al-Maruf, Mahmond Sabbagh
Youth supervision: Libasse Wade
Workshop assistance: Zenghao Yang
Photography: Cao Kefei
Performers: Ahmed, Ali, Mustafa, Kefei, Odai, Osman, Rayan, Sainab, Samir, Sarab, Sean, Sondus, Wefaa, Zenghao
Performance:
29 May 2016, 5 pm
Former Stasi headquarters Berlin-Lichtenberg
With the support of Citizen Art Days, Rutschesstrasse Berlin emergency shelter, FAN Foundation of the Lichtenberg district office Berlin
Many thanks to: Henrik Mayer, Kerstin Polzin, Bernhard Schmidt, Mitsuru Sugiura, Hartmut Zick
