Mothers

Mothers A Song for Wartime echoes with the voices of twenty-one Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Polish women, united in a single song. As war returns to Europe, those women have been survivors and witnesses of violence brought by armed conflicts. From the testimonies of mothers and children who have fled war and persecution, Polish director and author Marta Górnicka, founder of the CHORUS OF WOMEN in Warsaw and the Political Voice Institute (PVI) in Berlin, creates a choral and scenographic performance supported by the power of traditional music. The voices of these women echo the ancient chorus and the tradition of the chtchedrivkas, those popular songs which celebrate renewal. The Cour d’honneur will welcome those citizens of the world who invite us to come together as a community.

Un coro de mujeres de Ucrania, Polonia y Bielorrusia se alza para hablar de la guerra y hacer frente, al unísono, a las fuerzas de destrucción. Cuando la música tradicional y las reivindicaciones políticas del presente se unen, el escenario se convierte en el espacio para que una comunidad se reencuentre.

Interview with Marta Górnicka

With Katerina Aleinikova, Svitlana Berestovska, Sasha Cherkas, Palina Dabravolskaja, Katarzyna Jaźnicka, Volha Kalakoltsava, Ewa Konstanciak, Liza Kozlova, Anastasiia Kulinich, Natalia Mazur, Kamila Michalska, Hanna Mykhailova, Valeriia Obodianska, Svitlana Onischak, Yuliia Ridna, Maria Robaszkiewicz, Polina Shkliar, Aleksandra Sroka, Mariia Tabachuk, Kateryna Taran, Bohdana Zazhytska, Elena Zui-Voitekhovskaya
Concept and direction Marta Górnicka Musique Wojciech Frycz, Marta Górnicka
Libretto Marta Górnicka & Ensemble
Music Marta Górnicka
Dramaturgy Olga Byrska, Maria Jasińska
Set design Robert Rumas
Choreography Evelin Facchini
Lighting Artur Sienicki
Video Michał Jankowski
Costumes Joanna Załęska
Musical collaboration Wojciech Frycz
Assistant director Maria Wierzbicka
Assistant choreographer Maria Bijak
Vocal coaching Joanna Piech-Sławecka
Advice on Ukrainian ethnomusicology Anna Ohrimchuk
Advice on Ukrainian children's games Venera Ibragimova
Translation for the libretto Cecile Bocianowski (French), Aleksandra Paszkowska (English)
Stage manager and director’s assistant – Bazhena Shamovich
Surtitles Manager Zofia Szymanowska
Translation for the surtitles Cécile Bocianowski (French), Aleksandra Paszkowska (English)
Production Marta Kuźmiak, Iwa Ostrowska, Magdalena Płyszewska (Teatr Powszechny)
Distribution Anna Galas-Kosil, Joanna Nuckowska

Production The Chorus of Women Foundation (Warsaw), Maxim Gorki Theater (Berlin)
Coproduction Teatr Powszechny (Warsaw), Festival d'Avignon, Maillon Théâtre de Strasbourg Scène européenne, Spring Performing Arts Festival (Utrecht), Festival Tangente St. Pölten Pölten
With the support of the City of Warsaw, Ministery of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland from Culture Promotion Fund and for the 78th edition of the Festival d'Avignon: Fondation Ammodo
With the help of Teatr Dramatyczny (Warsaw), Nowy Teatr (Warsaw), For Freedom Foundation (Warsaw), Przystanek Świetlica (Warsaw), Sunflower Solidary Community Center (Warsaw)
Performances in partnership with France Médias Monde, France Bleu Vaucluse

This project is co-financed by the City of Warsaw.
This project is co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland from the Culture Promotion Fund.