She was a friend of someone else

This production comes to us from Poland, a country where women have limited access to reproductive health, and abortion is now illegal. Despite massive protests, women there were simply denied their rights. The project started with the idea that women could come together without shame or fear to publicly manifest that they had an abortion, and that this collective act would change the law. It could be an activist success story. But She was a friend of someone else is a story with too many beginnings, too few endings – and an exhausted narrator. 

With a powerful dramaturgy and a minimalist direction, Wdowik explores the link between burnout and activism: the fear that rights are not guaranteed forever, and that the moment one stops paying attention, they can disappear. Through a personal narrative, she describes the commitment to women's rights in Poland. Her subtle storytelling draws us into the life of a woman who decides one day, instead of protesting, to stay in bed, eventually rising again.

Artisttalk on November 3 with Gosia Wdowik and Ianthe Mosselman

After the performance on Friday Gosia Wdowik will delve deeper into the material of her performance and her artistic practice in conversation with moderator Ianthe Mosselman. Together they will touch upon women's rights, activism and exhaustion. The talk will further elaborate on the current situation in Poland and will try to bridge the gap with a Dutch context. Furthermore, the mental repercussions of activism will be discussed in more detail.

Ianthe Mosselman is program maker and writer of Al die liefde en woede (2022, Atlas Contact). She makes programs about art, literature and culture and has interviewed various domestic and foreign writers and artists for De Balie in recent years.

This conversation is free to attend after the performance.