Animal demonstration / 2015
A change of perspective on the climate catastrophe as a performative demonstration, exhibition, and concert.
On December 12, 2015, the Paris Agreement was adopted at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 21) by all parties to the UNFCCC, at that time 195 countries and the European Union. It aims to limit global warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. However, this agreement is ultimately a recommendation, and although world leaders agree that they have never been so united, many countries are not complying with this recommendation. The facts show that the standstill in political action stands in stark contrast to the rapid pace of climate change. It seems impossible for humans to perceive climate change as an emergency and to make the radical decisions that are necessary. About two months before COP 21, on October 16, TheaterTier GbR calls for a performance demonstration. 350 animal activists, from deer to mice, dance through Freiburg.
change of perspective
Theater TIER GbR uses the artifice of fables to shift perspectives. Viewing climate change from the animals' point of view allows us to perceive the hopeless situation of many species and genera in an unbiased and emotional way. Many animals are losing their homes to flooding. Others are losing their livelihoods due to changes in ocean currents. Polar bears are starving, and the situation for migratory birds is alarming, as they can no longer fly their usual routes. Some bird species are forced to flee to foreign ecosystems. Their social structure is collapsing, and they are being rejected by their fellow species. It is a struggle for survival.
The climate catastrophe threatens animals and humans alike, and the social and societal consequences are also transferable. The scenes of climate change are concrete. Climate wars are being waged, and if we consider natural disasters and their consequences, the flow of climate refugees is already in full swing. These and other connections become visible through a change of perspective, without the distortion caused by the blind spots of our colonial heritage or everyday racism. From the animals' point of view, it is up to humans to change their attitudes and priorities, not the climate.
The event begins with a demonstration through Freiburg, from the theater forecourt to the Katoffelmarkt, featuring an announcement speech and live music. A subsequent exhibition at ArTik shows the consequences of the climate catastrophe for a wide variety of animal species. The event concludes with a concert by Rainer von Vielen featuring selected songs on the topic.
Artistic direction: Jens Burde and Vanessa Valk
Demo speaker Armin Schreiber: Arnd Heuwinkel
Penguins: Graham Smith and the SoLD groups
Musical director of demo tape: Konrad Wiemann
Demo tape: Julian Maier-Hauff, Burkhard Finckh, Ahmed Hadji Baba
Concert: Rainer von Vielen
Stilt walkers: Heide Kuhl, Beni Ocker, Vanessa Valk
Production manager: Christine Duttlinger
Exhibition design: Johanna Kaudewitz, Nina Salpius, Jens Burde
Photos and poster: Felix Groteloh, Maurice Korbel, Jens Burde
Simone Reichmuth, Daria Jung, Clara Kopfermann, Sarina Pfeiler, Farina Wilhelm, Patricia
Nocon, Julia Nothelfer, Jonas Gilmann, Markus Wiechmann, Sven Hoffmann, Hendrik Heutmann,
Felix Groteloh, Maurice Korbel, Harald Muth, Karin vom Babeuf, Horst from the wine shop, Mike
Bühler, Konstantin Rethmann
Conny from ArTik e.V., Moritz Schulz, Stephanie Meyer, Markus Bergmann
ArTik e.V., Theater Freiburg, Fabrik e.V., Greenpeace Freiburg,
Special thanks to Lea Bartels and Wiebke Gerhardt from the break room.
who treated everyone to a wonderful meal.
A production by Theater TIER GbR. The project was supported by the Freiburg Cultural Office.
and by the Baden-Württemberg Association of Independent Dance and Theater Artists