Visible Invisible – A young theatre project about exclusion, courage and visibility

The play “Invisible Wounds” takes us into the world of two young women who are confronted with ableism on a daily basis and have decided to raise their voices. But what happens when the world around them prefers to listen away, close their eyes, put on their headphones and turn up the music?

Two women face each other, their eyes are blindfolded with scarves. Premiere of the theatre play Invisible Wounds. — © Bernd Hentschel

The ‘Visible Invisible’ project addresses ableism, i.e. discrimination against people with disabilities. The idea arose from the personal experiences of Berkan (22) from Karlsruhe. He was diagnosed with an intellectual disability as a child. From his own experience, he knows what it is like to be taken seriously and marginalised, and he has also witnessed how other people with disabilities have been discriminated against. Against this backdrop, Berkan, who has been acting in theatre for many years, initiated the play ‘Invisible Wounds’ together with eleven young people. The play is based on research, improvisation and personal experiences and approaches the topic of ableism artistically.

The road to the performance proved challenging: several participants dropped out for various reasons, such as school stress, illness or uncertainty. Berkan had to revise the concept several times, recast roles and postpone the premiere. Despite all the setbacks, he did not give up. With great dedication, he took on the role of director, wrote the script, coordinated rehearsals, and took care of the stage and technical aspects, supported by WERKRAUM: Karlsruhe.

For him, the project became an intensive learning journey: from organisation and creative work to the experience of directing for the first time and writing his own play.

(Berkan Sarigül)

A young man and a young woman are wearing aprons and tying a bouquet of flowers together. Premiere of the theatre play Invisible Wounds. — © Bernd Hentschel

Funding programme
U25 – Focus: Young Culture Initiatives

Applicant
Berkan Sarigül / Werkraum Karlsruhe e.V.

location
Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg

Project period
2024 - 2025

Topics
theater, ableism

Project results and presentation:
As part of the theatre project ‘Sichtbar Unsichtbar’ (Visible Invisible), the play ‘Unsichtbare Wunden’ (Invisible Wounds) was created and performed at WERKRAUM: Karlsruhe.

Website
www.werkraum-karlsruhe.org/unsichtbare-wunden/