You’re the scene of many a horror show, your kingdom is full of horrifying tales of death and misery. And when talk turns to dark shadows, the robe in which you’re wrapped, negative things are never far from the surface. Darkness is, therefore, expressed in the form of discrimination: Racism, sexism, populism and ableism – discrimination or prejudice against disabled people – divide society into us and them, belonging and not-belonging. Many people are still weighed down by the coronavirus pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 virus, a dark energy that has brought suffering and torment to the world. Do these frightening attributions they assign to you actually do you justice? Are there sides to your character that are admirable? I mean, your shade provides us with pleasant coolness on hot days, you accompany us every night, enable us to focus our concentration and bring us peace and calmness. You’re also an essential component of every dance and theatre experience. And even in the darker and increasingly oppressive period of the pandemic, you revealed your joyful side to those who remained healthy. For some, you managed to help slow down their daily routines, allowed them to reflect on their lives and eliminated the permanent stress of choice.
Dear darkness, you are an ambivalent phenomenon. It’s about time that we took a closer at you.
Dampfzentrale is, therefore, dedicating the 12th edition of Tanz in Bern to you. This is your moment; the curtain rises and it’s time for you to give us something back – something of what you snatched away from us in the months before. People will return to Dampfzentrale Bern. Meet them and greet them. You now have the opportunity to eliminate prejudices. Some visitors will write you a letter like this one, accuse you of things you may or may not have done or simply thank you.
Will you answer them?
