Wakati (Zeit)

• 

  Wakati

• 

  Wakati

• 

  Wakati

• 

  Wakati

• 

  Wakati

• 

  Wakati

• 

  Wakati

• 

  Wakati

Wakati is a powerful interdisciplinary experience in which dance, multilingual spoken word, and live sound merge into a poetic exploration of identity, memory, and belonging.
Identity is rarely fixed or unambiguous. The same body can be perceived in entirely different ways depending on place and perspective—at times as a marker of belonging, at others as a sign of otherness. This performance makes these tensions tangible. Through movement, voice, and sound, cultural memory, personal experience, and social projections are woven into a rich and layered tapestry.
Drawing on experiences between Kenyan and European contexts, Wakati opens up broader reflections on visibility, privilege, and belonging. Rather than treating identity as a fixed condition, the work embraces it as something fluid and ever-changing. It invites audiences to reflect: What remains of us when the context shifts—and how much of who we are is shaped by the gaze of others?

45 Minuten

A production by Culturescape and KN Dance Project, supported by the Direction de la culture en Guadeloupe, presented as part of KUYUM Tanzplattform 2026, which is funded by the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.Choreography, Performance: Shelmith Øseth Music and Composition: Stephan MeidellDirection, Dramaturgy: Vibeke Flesland HavreLighting Design: Jan HoldenCostume and Set Design: Olga Regitze Dyrløv HøeghProducer: Sølvi Katrine Andersen (Bergen Dansesenter)Co-producers: Carte Blanche and BIT TeatergarasjenCollaborating partners: Bergen Dansesenter, FargespillMentoring: Annabelle Bonnéry (Carte Blanche), Jens Jeffry Trinidad, Marit Loe Bjørnstad
Shelmith Øseth is a dancer and movement artist based in Bergen and Oslo. Her artistic practice unfolds at the intersection of contemporary dance and traditional African dance forms, including Indlamu, Pantsula, and Isukuti, the dance tradition of Kenya’s Luhya people. Following her training at Langhaugen School in Bergen and New Education for Contemporary Dance in Härnösand, Sweden, she has used dance as a medium for exploring social and political themes. She has collaborated with leading institutions such as Det Norske Teatret, Den Nationale Scene, Nordic Black Theatre, Bergen Kunsthall, and the collective Nordic Beasts. Her recent works include Horse in Flames with Panta Rei Danseteater in Oslo and her latest production, Wakati, presented in Oslo, Bergen, and Edinburgh.
Stephan Meidell is a composer, musician, and performer whose work operates at the intersection of contemporary music, free improvisation, and sound art. His multifaceted practice encompasses electroacoustic composition, experimental ensemble projects, and interdisciplinary collaborations across dance, theatre, and visual arts. Meidell’s commissioned works and performances have been presented internationally at renowned venues and festivals, including the Ultima Contemporary Music Festival, Festspillene i Nord-Norge, Nattjazz, Borealis, Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, BIT Teatergarasjen, and Riksscenen.

Next date:

• Date Thursday, 17/September/2026 20:30
• Venue Uferstudios - Uferstudio 14
• Address Uferstraße 23, 13357 Berlin-Wedding