Handle with Care – An instruction
When you’re sad, lonely or completely overwhelmed, then grandma, dad, your best friend or your neighbour steps in to make you a hearty soup. Together, you savour its warmth as you start to put the world to rights… If only! Most of us live far away from this fictional grandma or family, don’t even know the name of the supposedly friendly neighbour, and the best friend has their own shit to deal with.
In a world which puts capital over care, Gob Squad, accompanied by HAU to connect, have tried to get to know the neighbourhood. Time and again they have been guests at Mehringplatz and were warmly welcomed. Now it’s time to return the hospitality. Together with the neighbours, Gob Squad take over HAU1 to cook, talk, eat and sing together – and to ask under what circumstances we can come together. Handle with Care is in search of new communities and new approaches towards a better world.
After the successful opening run at HAU Hebbel am Ufer in December 2023, the project has connected with local people in around the area of Residenz Schauspiel Leipzig for performances in January/February 2024.
Concept & Direction: Gob Squad
Performed and devised by: Inas Abdul Majid, Jenin Abdul Majid, Ayah Al-Ghaily, Gizem Akman, Bernhard, Setara Bobani, Yusuf Efe Caliskan, Johanna Freiburg, Azadeh Ganjeh, Haifa, Sean Patten, Lamisha Rahman, Salma Salaheldin, Sharon Smith, Berit Stumpf, Sarah Thom, Bastian Trost, Simon Will;
the choir „Eskimeyenler topluluğu“ / “Timeless Community” (Sevinc Anac, Talip Gözdereliler, Mahire Güler-Selek, Kiraz Akyar Hörold, Meltem Kazancioglu, Gülay Kösker, Sabri Kömürcü, Güllü Sert, Berrin Ulutürk, Songül Uzunpinar, Gönül Vapurcu, Emine Zwanzig) accompanied by Askin Aras (piano) and under the direction of Askin Büyükuzun;
the Clinic of Broken Things;
and participants of KiezKochen (Alessia del Vigo, Miriam D., Mo Mara Hundt, Jacqueline Koch, Renate Kutscher, Kenan Oymak, Reinhild Religion and Katarina Stricevic)
Sound Design: Manuela Schininà
Video Design: Miles Chalcraft, Noam Gorbat
Costume Design: Emma Cattell, Sarah Thom
Set Design and Technical Management: Amina Nouns
Lighting Design: Max Wegner
Dramaturgy and Production: Christina Runge
Artistic Collaboration: Nora Vollmond
Videoclip Mehringplatz: Marlene Blumert
Intern Direction: Felix Zilles-Perels
Intern Costumes: Bita Asadi
Intern Video: Eliana Malena Bussas
Company Management: Marta Hewelt
Funding & Financial Planning: Caroline Gentz, Eva Hartmann (until July 2023)
Touring & Public Relations: Talea Schuré
Financial Planning & Production: Grischa Schwiegk
World premiere on 1st Dec 2023 at HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin (HAU1)
With special thanks to all partners from Mehringplatz: Abdulkader Asli & choir, Begegnungsstätte Mehring-Kiez, Café MadaMe, Mizza Caric, F1 Stadtteilzentrum, Richard Herbst, die „Kiezkrähen“, Kreuzberger Musikalische Aktion e.V., Merle Brüser (Gewobag), Outreach Berlin, Stadtteilmütter from Mehringplatz, TubeZ, Urbane Praxis e.V., Quartiersmanagement Mehringplatz, Beate Zeiss, Emine Zwanzig; and Rhiannon White from the British artists’ collective Common Wealth for their ongoing advice and professional support in all matters relating to the development of “Handle with Care”; as well as Stella Konstantinou and the team from HAU to connect, HAU’s outreach programme, whose practice we are building on.
“Handle with Care“ is a production by Gob Squad. In Coproduction with HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin, Schauspiel Leipzig and HELLERAU – Europäisches Zentrum der Künste Dresden.
Supported by Senatsverwaltung fuer Kultur und Gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt and Fonds Darstellende Kuenste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
Gob Squad is regularly funded by the state of Berlin (2020 – 2023), Chancellery of the Berlin Senate for Culture and Europe.
