nu

Let's get NU

The stage project NU investigates the position of female nudity in particular: What does the naked female body trigger in today’s society? The premiere for NU is scheduled for May 8, 2019 and will take place in the Open Church (Offene Kirche) in St. Gallen. Further performance dates at the same venue are May 09 and May 12, 2019.

The basis for the development of the project is the question of our society’s expectations of girls, women and their bodies. How are we women shaped by our cultural environment, according to which we later act consciously or unconsciously and allow ourselves to be treated? Where do we act self-determined, when do exhibitions or even exploitation of the female body begin? Where do expectations come from and why do we follow them?

We deliberately chose the Open Church (Offene Kirche) in St.Gallen as our venue since today’s image of the woman and her body has developed in a Christian society in which we live in this country, as well as in a religious context. We see a great moment of tension in dealing with the topic of female nudity in a space where this would have been unthinkable until some time ago and where it is therefore not necessarily to be expected even now. The Wirk Raum Kirche, to which the Open Church (Offene Kirche) St. Gallen belongs, offers exactly this possibility. It stands for the «exchange of personal life questions as well as for socio-political and church-related topics and challenges».

As a separate experiment on the subject of female nudity and expectations, we organised a work-in-progress evening in October 2018 at the Lattich am Güterbahnhof in St.Gallen, which was open to the public and was followed by a feedback discussion with the audience. The large number of visitors and the lively exchange in the following discussion touched us very much and reflected a serious social interest in the topic.

For the development of a full hour program, we will continue to deal with personal experiences, but also look to exchange ideas with other people who inspire us thematically. On 8 March 2019, International Women’s Day, we organised an open discussion round in cooperation with DenkBar (Gallusstrasse 11, St.Gallen) and its co-founder Erika Bigler.

We are firmly convinced that our society is at a historical point where these structures are changing and breaking up. Feminism, which has been alive for more than 200 years, the #MeToo debate since 2017, current films like «#Female Pleasure» by the Swiss director Barbara Miller are proof that a reflection on the prevailing gender situations is taking place and is being taken seriously. And it is precisely at this point that we would like to take up with NU.

About us

The aim of NU is to conceive a 60-minute, interdisciplinary programme that deals with today’s issues related to espectations and uses of the naked female body. In order to get to the bottom of this topic as globally as possible, the work will be implemented by four female artists, each from a different cultural and artistic background:

Boglarka Horváth - Hungarian actress, fled to Austria in her youth, resident in Switzerland for over 10 years; Elenita Queiroz - Brazilian dancer and cultural manager, living in Switzerland for 2 years; Jessica Cuna - German-Mozambican actress, grew up in Germany, has lived and worked in Switzerland for 2 1/2 years; Sheida Damghani - Iranian opera singer, later trained in singing in Hamburg and Berlin after initially studying physics, also living and working in Switzerland for 2 1/2 years. All four artists have their permanent residence in St.Gallen.

In addition to the artists already mentioned, the following persons are also involved in NU: Raoul Nagel as music producer, Ted Stoffer as dramaturgical accompanist, and Mischa Herzog as graphic designer and responsible for virtual media and press. Elenita Queiroz is the initiator, head and manager of the project and the main person responsible for the concept.

Art but fair

For the realization of this project we ask for support from various sources, including foundations and government institutions. We are counting on the amount resulting from the sale of tickets, we are also making our own investments and are not least relying on this crowdfunding appeal. For the promotion of «NU» each of the mentioned components is of great importance! The support of the City of St. Gallen as well as the Offene Kirche of St. Gallen is already confirmed, for which we are very grateful. However, there is still a long way to go before we reach the financial goals of the project.

With your contribution you help us to pay our four artists, our musicians, dramaturge, graphic designer, stage manager and technical crew fairly. Most importantly, by supporting the project NU, you are helping to promote gender equality, respect for diversity and the right to free thinking.

«NU» is an artistic project that has its roots in social and political issues. As citizens of our society, we think that the individual and the collective are always dependent on each other. This thought leads us directly to «We Make It» and what Crowdfunding is based on: the interaction of individuals for a COLLECTIVE OBJECTIVE.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you in advance for your support and look forward to welcoming you soon to our performances with «NU»: 08., 09. and 12. May 2019 in the Offene Kirche St. Gallen! Ticket prices for the premiere and other presentations are as follows (CHF): 20.00 - reduced price 25.00 - normal price 30.00 - Supporter Contact: nuproject1819@gmail.com