Collective "unsettlement" – fluid group of theater makers and collaborators based in Berlin. We create documentary stories that build communities and engage audiences in participatory experiences, all while connecting these narratives to current political contexts. Our mission is to challenge hierarchies in theater
and social relationships, to criticize patriarchy, and to promote feminist ideas through theatrical, performative
and outdoor practices. We strive to create a space where voices and stories that are often ignored or suppressed can be heard.
"unsettlement" now consists of theater maker Lena Gorlatova and actor-performer Yura Shipkov and invited collaborators. We left Russia in 2022 die to political reasons. We began working together in 2023 when, as artists in exile, we realized that we needed to rethink our identities and try to find new meanings. The name
of the collective refers to the book Narratives of Unsettlement by decolonial researcher Madina Tlostanova,
in which she describes the concepts of instability and transience as the new norm. In exile, we have recognized that this concept reflects our current reality, resonating particularly with the precarious situation of artists.
In embracing this instability, we find empowerment, and in honesty and vulnerability, we see the foundation
for the future.
For us, art is a political tool that can be used to highlight social issues and conflicts, to spark discussions,
and to encourage reflection. Theater is a place to rehearse the future—a future without discrimination
and violence, built on solidarity and equality.
and social relationships, to criticize patriarchy, and to promote feminist ideas through theatrical, performative
and outdoor practices. We strive to create a space where voices and stories that are often ignored or suppressed can be heard.
"unsettlement" now consists of theater maker Lena Gorlatova and actor-performer Yura Shipkov and invited collaborators. We left Russia in 2022 die to political reasons. We began working together in 2023 when, as artists in exile, we realized that we needed to rethink our identities and try to find new meanings. The name
of the collective refers to the book Narratives of Unsettlement by decolonial researcher Madina Tlostanova,
in which she describes the concepts of instability and transience as the new norm. In exile, we have recognized that this concept reflects our current reality, resonating particularly with the precarious situation of artists.
In embracing this instability, we find empowerment, and in honesty and vulnerability, we see the foundation
for the future.
For us, art is a political tool that can be used to highlight social issues and conflicts, to spark discussions,
and to encourage reflection. Theater is a place to rehearse the future—a future without discrimination
and violence, built on solidarity and equality.