CONTENT ORIENTATION 

Paradise Garden is a production company for theatre, film and exhibitions. The focus of its work is on current social and societal issues such as migration, health, and questions of German colonial history. We give a voice to people, stories or places that have not received attention so far.  Integration and inclusion instead of exclusion determines our actions:

  •  With six theatre productions and five film projects (1*) in Africa so far, we convey a new picture of this continent. The aim is to promote exchange and balance between North and South.
  • In three productions (2*) so far, chronically ill people express tabooed topics with the means of theatre work.
  • In three theatre productions and four short movies (3*) so far, questions of migration, resilience and a limited view of social conditions are taken up and artistically processed.
  • Besides the production of our projects, the exchange with students and young artists drives us forward. For 13 years, for example, we have spent five weeks a year with ninth grade students of the Montessorischule Potsdam. In this way, we want to give young people additional means of expression at an early age and introduce them to the arts. Our educational activities include workshops and lectures (4*).

 Through our theatre work, we want to activate and make visible the creative power that exists in every human being. We are convinced that this will empower people to deal with their individual and social challenges. We use artistic methods to open up people and help them to recognise and overcome their limits. We make people shine. Therefore we often work with people who do not experience this attitude towards life or treat these aspects in stories for a broad audience. 

 We ourselves are diverse, come from different cultures and backgrounds and have personal experience of the topics covered. We are aware of our privileges. Out of this situation we are committed to more understanding between the cultures. We want to initiate - where we consider it necessary - a change of perspective on our history/society/culture and the perception of reality. We understand "diversity" as a benefit, which is why we often work in intercultural contexts.

References:

(1*) Theatre: 2019 "Past / Present / Future Cameroon" by Juvenil Assomo at the Goethe Institut Yaounde, Cameroon // 2015 "Water Games" Theatre adaptation of Hendrik Ibsen's "Ein Volksfeind" Premiere at the HIFA - Harare International Festival of the Arts, Zimbabwe (2016 performances at the Ibsen Festival in Oslo & guest tour through Germany) // 2014 "Miguel K. quer Justica" Theatre adaptation of Kleist's novella "Michael Kohlhaas" at the Teatro Elinga Luanda, Angola // 2013 "Identity - a bloody romance" Premiere at the CCU Maputo, Mozambique // 2012 "Der Besuch der alten Dame" by F. Dürrenmatt at the Teatro Avenida, Maputo, Mozambique // 2010 "Rui o Rei da Rua" by David Craig at the Teatro Avenida Maputo, Mozambique

Short films: 2019 documentary "past, present, future Cameroon" Yaounde, Cameroon // 2015 "Water Games - the documentary" Harare, Zimbabwe // 2014 "Miguel K." eight short films for the theatre, Luanda, Angola // 2013 "Identity - a bloody romance" ten short films for the exhibition, Maputo, Mozambique // 2013 "The Colours of the Chameleon" documentary Maputo, Mozambique

(2*) Theater: Ensemble "die sTrotzenden": 2020 "Tabubruch hoch 2" (working title) // 2019 "MAGNA SALUS - Of Optimization Processes, Fire Accelerators and Self-empowerment Strategies" by J.V. Neumann Premiere in the Scharoun Hall Berlin // 2018 "Near the fire" on how to deal with "cancer" by J.V. Neumann Premiere in the Scharoun Hall Berlin

(3*) Theatre: Ensemble of "die Zerstreuten": 2020 "You'll be allowed to say that! (working title) // 2019 "EVADAM - Experiments on the Myth" Premiere at the Schlossplatztheater Berlin // 2018 "AUF&ABprall - of the art to resist crisis" Premiere at the Schlossplatztheater Berlin 

Short films: 2019 "Klappe - die Erste", 2019 "Mrs. Safari", 2018 "True Love?" and "My Freedom!"

(4*) 2016 - 29018 "Cooperation in a team" at the HTW Berlin with Prof. Dr. Berit Sandberg // 2016 & 2017 "Desolation" & "Fantomoj" Performance Parcours, study course stage design at the UDK Berlin (Prof. Hartmut Meyer) // Acting training, play development and staging: 2007 - 2020 for the Goethe Institute in Central Eastern Europe annually 2-4 groups in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia // 2007 - 2020 once a year over five weeks with students of the ninth grade of the Montessorischule Potsdam, Germany, for five weeks // Play adaptations of "Nathan the Wise", "Hamlet", "The Nibelungs", "Metropolis", "Faust 1", "The Odyssey" (just to pick a few) // 2015 "Personality - Inherited? Conditioned? Self-formed?" Project seminar, fundamental studies at the University of Erfurt