Daniel Hellmann (CH): TRAUMBOY

22. 9., 21:30, performance (85′)@ &TD semicircular hall

Daniel is a sex worker. In the solo performance Traumboy he reports on his experiences as a male prostitute. Without shame, honestly and interactively. He talks about the reasons for choosing this profession, describes his clients and their desires. The audience meets a young man who prostitutes himself deliberately. The only problem: the stigma that comes with it. Having sex with strangers for money is still considered a taboo. Traumboy questions the double standards of our capitalistic and hypersexualized society. With this ambiguous self-staging the spectators are challenged to scrutinize their sexual ideals and to take a close look at the sexual being that they consider themselves. Are the boundaries in your mind where you expect them?

Daniel Hellmann has made a name for himself as a multifaceted artist in the swiss dance, theatre and music scene – through exceptional concert-formats like Home Opera, the music-theatre piece Nach Lampedusa – Wandererfantasien or with the two music-dance-theatre productions K. (Cultural Award of the City of Zurich 2013) and untold, which he created with his 3art3 Company and the choreografer Quan Bui Ngoc.

Concept/Performance: Daniel Hellmann

Dramaturgy: Wilma Renfordt

Assistant: Ivan Blagajcevic

Set/Costumes & Stage manager: Theres Indermaur

Sound/Music: Leo Hofmann

Lighting: Gioia Scanzi

Producer: Daniela Lehmann

English translation: Melanie Jame Wolf

Production: 3art3

Co-production: Gessnerallee Zürich i Festspiele Zürich

Booking, Tour manager Florence Francisco – Les Productions de la Seine

A production by 3art3 in co-production with Gessnerallee Zürich and Festspiele Zürich / Supported by Stadt Zürich Kultur, Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich, Pro Helvetia Schweizer Kultur- stiftung, Migros Kulturprozent, Nestlé Fondation pour l’Art, Schweizer Tanzarchiv — Preis für Videodokumentation, wpZimmer Antwerpen. Zagreb tour is supported by The Swiss Arts Council— Pro Helvetia.

 

1.What would you say Goodbyeto in the social and political context of your own city and country?

Zürich is a very open city, yet the life costs are so high that it’s nearly impossible to survive as an artist, even as an artist who gets financial support from the government.

2.What would you say are good (positive) practices of cultural politics in your city and country? What impact did the implementation of these practices had on the cultural scene in your city and country?

My city and country have been very supportive of my work, even though I work with very delicate topics, such as prostitution, sexuality or animal rights. I’m very grateful for this and aware what a privilege it is.