Braver Spaces: Realities, Barriers & Scopes of Exile in the European Artistic Field | Panel 1 – Artist’s Voices

Sunday, 02.06.2024 | 1 p.m. | Uferstudios, Studio 1

Language: English | Free entry (Registration needed) | Length: 90 Min

The complexity of the term “exile” goes hand in hand with a wide variety of living and working realities for non-European performing artists in Europe. Forced exile, political exile, experiences of being excluded within one’s own community or the positions of queer artists within European event contexts raise complex questions about free spaces and barriers to working, acting and speaking. By including two panel discussions in the festival program, tanzpol aims to give artists, activists, curators and representatives of cultural institutions a platform outside of their artistic, administrative, curatorial and political practice. The needs, obstacles and scope for action of artists from the Iranian and Afghan contexts in Europe will be discussed with regard to the creation of working structures and networking structures, both from the perspective of artists and institutions.

The event is free of charge. Due to limited capacity, please register via .

Notes on accessibility:

This event will be offered as a Relaxed Performance. Both panels will be in English. Childcare will be provided. For detailed information on child-care and further details on accessibility please click here:

Relaxed Performances | Phonetic Translations | Childcare | Early Boarding | Venues | Alternative Seating Options

Guests: Sina Saberi, Kubra Khademi, Azadeh Ganjeh.

Moderation: Ozi Ozar

Ozi Ozar is a Tehran-born queer artist based in Berlin and Frankfurt am Main. Ozi studied theater and film directing in Tehran and dramaturgy in Frankfurt. Ozi’s artistic approach revolves around comedy, interactive theater and the translation of social media functions into theater and vice versa, focusing on the discourse of identity politics, accessibility of education and queerness. As a multidisciplinary freelancer, Ozi has experience as a director, dramaturg, translator, graphic and web designer, performer and social media entertainer. Since the beginning of the Woman* Life Freedom Movement in Iran, Ozi has dedicated his social media to the revolution in Iran and has been part of the Woman* Life Freedom Collective in Berlin and co-curates the online gallery Voices of Iran in collaboration with international production houses. Ozi is part of the program team of Ballhaus Ost Berlin.

Sina Saberi is a performer, choreographer and cultural manager from Tehran, based in Hamburg. His practice and research are inspired by his cultural background and revolve around the idea of dance as an alternate state of being. Where can the personal and the public connect and ultimately arrive to a point of togetherness? This is reflected in his trilogy Prelude, Damnoosh & Narges which he has been sharing internationally since 2016. Sina has been actively involved within the Iranian dance community since 2014 and is the founder of Kahkeshan Dance; an indeterminate space for choreographic creations and dance outreach.

Azadeh Ganjeh is a scholar, performance artist activist, and dramaturge, born in Tehran-Iran. She holds a Master’s degree in Theater Directing from Tehran Art University. In 2017, she completed her Doctorate in Philosophy-Theatre Studies at Bern University. Remaining connected to her homeland through creating theatre and performances, Azadeh returned to Tehran and assumed a professorship at the School of Performing Arts, Tehran University. Since leaving Iran in April 2022, she serves as a researcher and lecturer at the University of Hildesheim, Institut für Medien, Theater und Populäre Kultur. She also lectures in sessions or seasonally at various higher education institutions, including HFMDK, HBK Braunschweig, UDK, Universität zu Köln, LMU, and Mozartuem University Salzburg. Azadeh specializes in creating participatory performances, performative interventions in urban public spaces, immersive theater productions in unconventional venues, and community theater for social-political empowerment. Her research interests encompass the performativity of public events, emancipation through performing arts, Aesthetics of performativity and politics of space, and activism in performance art.