The science-/dance-project "Störung/Hafra'ah" was about movement and movement disorders. Photographer: Levin Sottru
On behalf of the dance-/science-project Störung/Hafra'ah artists Yasmeen Godder from Tel Aviv/Israel and Monica Gillette from Freiburg were awarded with the newly created Shimon Peres Prize for their work by Germany's Federal Foreign Office.
University of Freiburg’s Cluster of Excellence BrainLinks-BrainTools and the Theater Freiburg conceived and organized the interdisciplinary long-term project together with the Yasmeen Godder Company from Tel Aviv and six neuroscientific institutes in Israel. In 2015, the project involved more than 60 German and Israeli dancers and scientists as well as people living with Parkinson’s Disease. The dance workshops, conferences and discussion formats were centered on movement and movement disorder. These transdisciplinary events allowed to develop and discuss new perspectives on this complex of topics.
At the hands of Freiburg University, Störung/Hafra'ah was led by philosopher PD Dr. Oliver Müller. In order to give insights into brain research and to stimulate ethical debates, Müller and his team in the Reaching Out project at Cluster of Excellence BrainLinks-BrainTools analyse neuroscientific questions together with artists by means of novel stage formats and participative projects.
Awardees Godder and Gillette were the creative directors of Störung/הפרעה. The award in remembrance of Shimon Peres and in responsibility for the friendship between the countries is granted yearly and endowed with a prize money of 10000 Euros. It is awarded to German and Israeli decision makers who rendered outstanding services to the realization of German-Israeli relations. The prize was handed out on October 10 by German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in the Jewish Museum Berlin.
The final conferences in Tel Aviv and Freiburg staged new formats for a public dialogue about the different viewpoints presented by all participating partners. With Yasmeen Godder’s „Common Emotions“ they showcased a choreographic work which took inspiration from the expression of Störung topics through dance. During 2015, which was also the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, a documentary film accompanied the project.
Störung/Hafra’ah was funded by: Kulturstiftung des Bundes, Stiftung Deutsch-Israelisches Zukunftsforum and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
Press release of the Federal Foreign Office (in German): http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Aussenpolitik/Laender/Aktuelle_Artikel/Israel/171010_Shimon_Peres_Preis.html