Sarah Fartuun Heinze

The Lab invites seven disabled BIPoC artists from the performing arts to spend five days together, forging connections, sharing their own practices, relaxing or playing. The Lab is one of many necessary spaces that places BIPoC disabled artists at the center. Its existence is also a solidarity-based critique of many white spaces, institutions, and networks, also in the field of disability arts. On the last day, the space will open up to all interested audiences.

What happens in the OPEN SPACE

In the OPEN SPACE, the Lab opens its doors to anyone who's interested—artists, colleagues, and the public. The artists only find out exactly what will happen during the three hours once they are in the Lab. For example, some of the artists may want to share a text or movements. However, it may also be the case that not all Lab artists participate, or that it is decided to simply lie or sit together with you all in the room, talk or remain silent, drink tea, or sleep. OPEN SPACE is not a performance but an invitation to spend time together. If you want, you can bring your stim or fidget toys, or other things that help you feel comfortable.

How is the shared space designed?

When you come to the open space, you become part of a shared space culture in which everyone is mindful of each other and attentive to each other's and their own needs. Part of this culture is wearing masks out of solidarity with those for whom this is the only way to create a safe space. We therefore ask you to wear an FFP2 mask when entering the space—unless wearing a mask conflicts with your accessibility needs. Free masks will be available at the entrance. Please take a Covid test at home before you come. If you have cold symptoms, please stay at home. An air filter will be running at all times. The room is very large and can be ventilated in between.

The space is also open to non-disabled and/or white people. The presence and needs of BIPoC and disabled people will be centered in the space. The space is not intended to explain anything to white and non-disabled people, but rather to facilitate openness and encounter. Please be aware of your position in the space and respect the boundaries of others.

There is a quiet area in the foyer.

What languages are used in the OPEN SPACE?

The lab is conducted in English. OPEN SPACE has a translator who can translate into German and from German into English. There is also an interpreter between German spoken language and German sign language.

Regarding the culture of the space: Repetitions of what has been said are welcome, and asking questions is okay and can serve to improve understanding.

Maryam Madani is a performing artist, activist, writer and wheelchair dancer with Undercurrent Dance Company based in Ireland. She is the Founder of Disability Power Ireland, a grassroots disabled persons' organisation for whom she organised Ireland's first parade and festival for Disability Pride Month in July 2022-2024. She is a member of Dance Ireland, ISACS, Discovery Gospel Choir, and has performed for St. Patrick's Festival, Project Arts Open Day, Disrupt Disability Arts Festival, amongst others. She was also a participant in the Europe Beyond Access Labs in 2025 and an awardee of the Irish Writers Centre's Breaking Ground Programme in 2022 and the Marc Brew Bursary in 2025. She has a BA in English Studies from Trinity College Dublin and an MA in Journalism from TUD.

Kumi More (no pronouns) writes poetry and performs on themes of Blackness, disability, queerness, fatness, desire and sex(uality). Joy and well-being are the goal of Kumi's work, in art but also as probably Germany’s fattest whore.

Tebandeke Mberekedde "I am a dancer and choreographer from Kampala, Uganda. My work stretches the idea of dance, going into contemporary art with a.o. drawings and sculptures. My work involves other arts practices but also communities in addressing urgent social challenges, mainly dominant ideas around ability. I use my body to create my own dictionary of ability. I have been developing a physical practice that encompasses different local and global dance traditions and movement practices. I am a dancer in sector and a society that systematically marginalizes “disabled” people. I am a choreographer as I mobilize local communities to create a movement that will re-label “disability”. I am committed to decolonize dance as a language that all can access and that benefits from diversity and the different notions of ability, through owning the aesthetic expression and developing self-esteem for person with disabilities. And questioning the intersection of the world where the concept of being able or disable meet

I have worked in different locations such as; Axis Dance company_USA, IntroDans_ Netherlands, Monkey Mind Dance Company_ Belgium, ANKATA_ Burkina Faso, Dschungel Wien_ Austria, Unusual Beings_ Poland, Jomba Dance festival_ South Africa. Durban, Kampnagal_Hamburg, (Mental workout 2023), (moving Margin Research 2022)_ Berlin, (Sibikwa Arts fest 2022)_ South Africa. Johannesburg, (ImPulsTanz 2022)_Vienna (Assitej children’s fest)_ Sweden (Eco fest 2020)_ Mali West Africa, Freiburg contact impro Festival (Germany in 2019), East Africa Nights of Tolerance Festival (Rwanda 2017), Tuzinne Festival (Uganda 2017- 2018) Ubumuntu (Rwanda 2018)"

Kulturwand(l)er!n / Culture & Change Maker - www.tessahart.com

Sarah Fartuun Heinze loves to play in the multiverse and especially when it's collaboratively, crafted in radical soft, kind and cozy spaces that are safe and soft for as many bodies and minds as possible, and for as long as possible. Sarah Fartuun creates braver spaces with room for pleasure and practicing in the context of intersectional solidarity. (Dream)Spaces crafted with multiverse love and care with a lot of space for, most importantly, everyone’s wellbeing. What this means, we will find out together.