Haufen Uffruhr Fortschritt II

Werner Tübke gave the German Peasants’ War its own depiction in nearby Bad Frankenhausen. The Middle Ages were meant to be dark, full of dangers, diseases, superstitions, and divine proofs. The peasants tried to rid themselves of the feudal order. They demanded a society of solidarity and the establishment of a realm of justice. The feeling of upheaval, war, crisis, and the escalation of conflicts is more present than ever. Times are grim, but a rainbow seems to appear on the horizon. Hope? With Alma Mutig, Anna Lowe, Jens Jenau, and Brother Thomas, four figures set out in search of answers that will lead them out of the darkness. Everyone has an opinion, but who is right? The future is not yet written, so get out of the shaft and into the theatre.

Cobratheater.cobra presents “Haufen Uffruhr Fortschritt II” as a chamber play and multimedia installation for young, old, and middle-aged audiences.

A production by Theater Eisleben, cobratheater.cobra, and the Department of Social Work.Media.Culture at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, within the field of “Theatre as Social Art” as part of the “Peasants’ War Panorama” project.

The starting point for this production is the Peasants’ War Panorama, a vast circular painting in Bad Frankenhausen by Leipzig painter Werner Tübke. It depicts the transition from the Late Middle Ages to the modern era, a time of poverty, misery, violence, plagues, homelessness, immorality and superstition, with all conflicts escalating into a deep crisis. The return of the eternal same — a painting without beginning or end, erected in the final years of the GDR.

The feeling of upheaval, crisis and escalating conflicts is also very real today. We ask: what would a panorama of contemporary society look like if it were made today?

Haufen Uffruhr Fortschritt II is a re-composition of the Peasants’ War Panorama in two parts. In the first part, the ensemble gets to know the people and the environment, uncovers stories and researches the social circumstances and contexts — through the collection of data, photos, texts, chats, films and videos. From this dataset, an AI in the second part visualises a time-based Peasants’ War Panorama of the present, forming the centrepiece of the piece’s development.

The production comprises six installations:

Play (Main Stage): Direction, set and dramaturgy by cobratheater.cobra with Wanja van Suntum. With the choir Wilder ChorYander conducted by Adrienne Csongàr, flute Adrienne Csongàr, double bass Akki Schulz, cello Anuschka Becker. Slide projections by Friedemann Hanewinckel / protobag. Graphics: Anne Kube. Duration: 40 min.

Preacher – Video Installation (Glass Foyer): 35 video clips from the everyday lives of Alma Mutig, Anna Lowe, Jens Jenau and Brother Thomas. Adaptation of the Instagram content series. Concept: cobratheater.cobra with Emma Lehmann and Sascha Linke. Camera, sound, editing: Sascha Linke with Emma Lehmann. Design: Emma Lehmann.

I Remember – Audio Installation (Box Office): Using the memory formula “I remember”, senior citizens from Eisleben and the surrounding area tried to do just that: to remember — childhood, youth, work, leisure, friendships, family, love, dreams. The web of memories is presented as an audio installation in a living-room setting. Concept and realisation: Hieu Hoang. Code and sound: Marc Evanstein.

Letters to My Future Self – Audio Installation (Foyer Stage): Letters from children and young people in and around Eisleben to their future selves. Questions and wishes: “What comes after school?”, “Will Grandma and Grandpa still be alive?”, “What will the air be like in thirty years?” Concept and realisation: Hieu Hoang.

Digital Panorama – Media Art Installation (Main Stage): Based on data donations from people in the city and region, the team uses AI to develop a new, interactive digital panorama of contemporary society. AI, visuals, interaction: Meredith Thomas. Dramaturgy: Helin Ulas. Sound design: Martin Grünheit. Narrator: Jess Gadani. Duration: 25 min.

Analogue Panorama – Installation (Foyer Stage): KinderKunstForum e.V. met and drew with children and young people at various locations across the region. Nearly 400 drawings were created. Concept: cobratheater.cobra and KinderKunstForum e.V. Realisation: KinderKunstForum e.V.

The project “Peasants’ War Panorama” is primarily funded by the Fonds Jupiter of the German Federal Cultural Foundation, commissioned by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media. The project is also supported by the state of Saxony-Anhalt and the Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung together with Sparkasse Mansfeld-Südharz.