Meisterinnen der Unsichtbarkeit

Out and about the city with no fixed address: a multiple-stage theatre leads to the private and public, safe, dangerous and cohesive places of homeless women in Vienna.

They avoid the day centres provided for them, preferring to roam train stations, libraries and parks. Homeless women have mastered the art of remaining undetected. One often does not notice the situation they are in: sometimes they sit next to us on the bus or at church, wearing makeup and a second-hand Hugo Boss coat, even if they have not been able to afford renting an apartment for a very long time. Where private property regulates forms of life, life can become precarious very quickly.

For our public-space theatre, we have conducted interviews with twelve homeless women and linked their stories to a fictitious biography. Meisterinnen der Unsichtbarkeit describes how it feels to spend the entire day out there with no money, and at night having to choose between crowded emergency shelters, unprotected public sleeping places and a private home, in which one is dependent on the host. Yet there are also moments of solidarity, resistance and a lot of tricks in order to prevail.

Together with our interview partners, we invite you to a clothes exchange party after the five walks. Bring everything, including dungarees and ball gowns! Accessories and culinary delights are also welcome. In addition to having fun and trying things on, we look forward to an exchange of thoughts and ideas that might even last beyond the duration of the festival...