The violent death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 triggered strong protests in Iran; since then, the ‘Woman Living Freedom’ movement has been demanding self-determination for women in Iran. We are focusing on this resistance around the feminist day of struggle on 8 March.

Women of Revolution Street, a co-production with the Theater an der Ruhr, is the story of a five-kilometre-long street in the heart of Tehran. Since March 1979, it has been the stage for women's resistance against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Despite brutal repression, this resistance has been sparked again and again: People risk life and limb by quite literally confronting the violence of the state in public space and challenging patriarchal oppression with the presence of their bodies.

Ayat Najafi's theatrical homage to the courage of the people of Iran follows a group of protesters who find refuge from this violence in the ruins of an abandoned house near the University of Tehran. There, they discover, the history of resistance in the city is preserved in the form of articles, photos and videos. Unaware of who owns the house, the group secretly stays there and begins to prepare the continuation of the uprising. They use the material from this hidden archive for rehearsals and improvisations in the face of the impending struggle - and unfold a theatre of resistance.

Following the performance on Friday, we invite you to a discussion with the director Ayat Najafi and the team.

In autumn 2022, film and theatre director Ayat Najafi (‘No Land's Song’, ‘Football Under Cover’) led a series of underground theatre workshops in Tehran during the women's uprising. This work gave rise to an ensemble that he has been running in Berlin with international artists since 2023.

A Production von Ayat Najafi und Arta Atelier Kollektiv in Cooperation with Ballhaus Ost and Theater an der Ruhr, founded by Hauptstadtkulturfonds. In Cooperation with Goethe Institut im Exil. With the kind support of Château de Monthelon. read less