Statement on the Postponement of the Following Performances after the Premiere of Overhead Project’s New Production
Cologne, November 13, 2025
Following the premiere of Overhead Project’s new production at Ringlokschuppen Ruhr on November 7, 2025 a personal statement by one of the company’s performers regarding the Middle East conflict was read aloud. The content of this statement was neither coordinated with the company, Ringlokschuppen, nor with the co-production partners, and it does not represent their positions.
The following day, Ringlokschuppen suspended the second performance and issued an official statement. The performer had announced her intention to repeat her statement on every stage she enters. Offers from the theater and the company to discuss possible alternative forms of expression had previously been declined by the performer.
Afterward, the company sought professional assessments regarding the statement read that evening and the overall situation.
Following various consultations and professional assessments of the statement read aloud — conducted by several institutions including Diversity Arts Culture Berlin (Anti-Discrimination Counseling Center), NS-DOK Cologne (Center for the Documentation of National Socialism, Department for Anti-Semitism), and the Association of Performing Arts in North Rhine-Westphalia — we have decided that what is now needed first and foremost is a de-escalation of the situation. Any further action taken under time pressure, whether by the company or by the theaters hosting upcoming guest performances, would only risk intensifying the situation.
Therefore, in agreement with the guest theaters, the company has decided to postpone the remaining tour dates of this production scheduled for this year to next year. The company has also offered the performer a mediation process in order to seek a way forward that ensures the values and core principles of all parties involved are respected.
We continue to actively work toward an open dialogue with everyone involved.
Context and Position of the Company
Almost two years after the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent incursion of the Israeli army into Gaza, the violent conflict continues to escalate. The suffering of civilians in both Palestine and Israel has sparked worldwide reactions, while the current discourse in Germany has become increasingly polarized and entrenched. Amid waves of outrage, political divisions are deepening, often pushing the necessary empathy for those affected—and the complexity of the discourse itself—into the background or making it impossible altogether. In this heated public climate, we are witnessing a daily increase in antisemitism and racism.
Such discursive dynamics and the need for taking a stance are also evident within the arts and cultural sector, and they do not stop at our own company team, which consists of many individuals who are affected in different ways.
We see our role as a company in finding a shared common ground for formats of exchange. This requires dialogue – for us, it is the foundation of collaboration, including in an international context.
Especially now, it is crucial to endure differing positions and to use them as a starting point for dialogue and engagement – as an expression of democratic artistic and intellectual freedom. At the same time, this may in individual cases come into conflict with the personal rights of those affected. Freedom of expression and personal rights do not exist in isolation; they must always be considered in their specific context and brought into balance with one another. For instance, a person’s statement may in principle be protected by freedom of expression, yet its specific wording may at the same time be discriminatory or infringe upon another person’s personal rights.
How can we succeed in expressing and hearing opinions in such a way that the window for dialogue remains open – and is not closed by potential discrimination or harm?
The company sees itself as responsible for continuously recalibrating the balance between tolerance for ambiguity and clearly defined boundaries, while placing dialogue—under these guiding principles—at the center of its actions.
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To the official explanation of Ringlokschuppen Ruhr:
https://www.ringlokschuppen.ruhr/archiv/spielzeit-2025-2026/eigen-koproduktionen-25-26/beasts-bodies
