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World Premiere of “Parallel” in Conjunction with Extra Europa

Press release
Friday 27 March 2009

The latest highlight on the Extra Europa Cultural Festival program was the world premiere of “Parallel” on Sunday, March 29, 2009. The performance by the 10+ Theater Company features a plot based on the true stories of six immigrant women. The actresses are amateurs, each of whom has personally experienced what it’s like to live in a parallel world.

Övül and Mustafa Avkiran of 10+ are among the most prominent personalities in a Turkish theater and performance scene that has been blazing very innovative new trails in creating contemporary works characterized by social consciousness and political commitment.

Övül Avkiran is an outstanding choreographer and actress. She’s the star of the Turkish film “Pandora’s Box” that will be screened at the Crossing Europe Film Festival in Linz April 24-25. Mustafa Avkiran is a well-known actor. They’re the co-founders and artistic directors of garajistanbul, an innovative Istanbul-based performance group. Their works have been featured at important festivals worldwide.

“Parallel” is a project they’ve developed especially for Linz09 and that was inspired by an intensive process of exchange with this city and its inhabitants. In “Parallel,” Övül and Mustafa Avkiran work with an ensemble of women who immigrated to Linz from Slovakia, Bosnian-Herzegovina, Turkey, Kenya, Iran and Rumania. Their performances reflect experiences these women have had living parallel lives with respect to friends, colleagues and neighbors.

The decision to work together with these local women is attributable to the key role they play within the immigrant community in integration as well as in generational and cultural differences. “Parallel” attempts to examine these parallel societies from within. Nevertheless, this isn’t an effort to find solutions; instead, it seeks to initiate a process of questioning. “Parallel” is intended as the first stage of an extended project investigating the complex stratifications of religions, languages, cultures and borders that Övül and Mustafa Avkiran plan to carry on after Linz09.


Details about the program:

March 29, 2009, 8 PM: World premiere
March 30, 2009, 8 PM: Performance followed by audience Q&A moderated by Airan Berg)
Hafenhalle09 / Studio, Industriezeile 41a, 4020 Linz
Concept/Direction/Set Design: Övül and Mustafa Avkiran (10+ Theater Company)
Dramaturgy: Meltem Arýkan; amateur actors from Linz
Partner: 10+ (Mustafa and Övül Avkran); Music School Linz, www.garajistanbul.org

Links:

Project-Details EXTRA EUROPA

Details to Parallel