#keepintouch

And all of a sudden the simple fact of being together had just become the most difficult thing to handle ever. With the pandemic 2020 in full swing also the team of #keepintouch including German and Filipino artists got unpleasantly driven apart. No wonder; it’s been a while since we have come to accept that (physical) closeness is nothing but a commodity or technical tool in our globalised and networked world.

Care workers from Asia jet the globe to provide care for human bodies thousands of miles away and, yet return feelings online to parents and children they support and care for back home. It is by means of a bilateral placement agreement going by the illustrious name of “Triple Win“ that Germany tries to tackle its soaring demand for care workers. It must go without saying that this have to be a win-win situation for every party; closeness is always just one click away! #keepintouch is based on interviews with Filipino care workers who either already work in hospitals or care facilities in Baden-Wuerttemberg, or for the time being, are still stuck in Manila due to pandemic regulations.

Actress Ute Baggeröhr was plunged into a fairly similar situation and was forced to stay at home given that theatres and stages were closed for almost a year. She is now ready to take the stage again and alone will be talking to her Filipino colleagues and the care workers over Zoom: Where are you, how is life and business, how do you stay in contact? The project #keepintouch aims to keep up the conversation and offers an evening dedicated to a longing we all know of, care workers and care recipients, here or overseas – The longing to touch and to be touched.

Mit: Ute Baggeröhr, Auf den Bildschirmen: Liza Magtoto, Ellene Sana, Lovelle Taqueban, Karcy Viola, Nyren - John Lauren Thomas, Regie: Nina Gühlstorff, Recherche: Jürgen Berger, Liza Magtoto, Video: Carsten Gebhardt. Kostüme: Celine Waltentowski, Dramaturgie: Eivind Haugland, Musik: Ziggy Has Ardeur

Eine Koproduktion des PETA Theater, Manila mit zeitraumexit, dem Theaterkollektiv AKA:NYX und dem Badischen Staatstheater Karlsruhe. Gefördert vom Goethe-Institut der Philippinen in Manila.

Photo: Ute Baggeröhr