An audiovisual compilation of voices by Simone Dede Ayivi and accomplices.
“We came to this country so that you could have a better life than we do.”
Do you know this sentence? In conversations among friends with family from different parts of the world, all in their late thirties at the time and some of them parents themselves, we thought about how these words have shaped our lives and the relationship with our parents. And we asked ourselves what that actually is, a better life. What do our parents understand by it and what do we, who grew up here, understand? What did our parents want for us, what do we want for our children and will they be able to understand that at all?
We grew up in the 90s. Our parents had to explain Solingen, Mölln and Rostock to us. Now we talk to our children about Halle and Hanau. It’ s complicated. What helps is the exchange between our generation. That’s how the idea for this project came about.
ESMALBESSERHABENIN.DE is the digital version of the installation THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, which premiered at the Sophiensaele in October 2020.
Further performance dates of THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT will be announced here.
Simone Dede Ayivi lives in Berlin, writes texts and makes theatre from a Black feminist perspective. In her performances, she searches for the revolutionary spirit and solidarity in everyday life. She discusses questions of representation, resistance and community. She treads paths of remembering and rediscovering – making political struggles and movements, Black history and present visible.
Simone Dede Ayivi and accomplices is a good network of nice people with extraordinary skills in their trades. The pieces are created in a joint process in which all accomplices contribute their questions, their (professional) knowledge and their craft.
