Arbeiterinnen / Pracujace kobiety

By werkgruppe2
A Dramatic Portrait of Three Generations of Women from Working-Class Families in the Ruhr Area and Lower Silesia
Co-production with werkgruppe2, Schauspiel Essen and Teatr Polski – w podziemiu

World premiere

The existential threat of social decline is experienced very differently in various European countries. werkgruppe 2, a theater collective fiercely committed to depicting the realities of social minorities and outsiders, focuses on female working-class tales of decline in its latest project. Based on interviews with German and Polish working-class women, this production traces the catastrophic impact of de-industrialisation on traditional mining communities over the course of three generations. Six women from the Ruhr area and Lower Silesia share their life stories, hopes, and regrets. How do the specters of unemployment, poverty, and structural change affect existing role models, skilled professions, and family alliances? werkgruppe 2 creates an intimate theatrical experience that combines documentary elements with theater and music to offer a glimpse into the shared female experience of a disappearing way of life. Today, the issue is more relevant than ever: while the Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect worldwide, it is working-class women who are placed in the most precarious position. This makes “Female workers / Pracuąjce kobiety” such a timely piece of theatrical activism. Finally, these women are given a stage to share their narratives of solidarity and struggle.

Supported by Goethe-Institut’s International Coproduction Fund. Sponsored by Kunststiftung NRW, Fonds Darstellende Künste, NRW Kultursekretariat, City of Recklinghausen and City of Essen.