Berlin Feminist Theater Festival "NO means NO"

Ma(g)dalena International Network
Did you hear something about it?

It’s a network of feminist collectives who practice Theater of the Oppressed to overcome oppression, sexism and inequality in Latin America, in Africa, in Europe and also beginning in Asia.

The Ma(g)dalenas fight for equal rights, an end to violence, and the construction of a world free of patriarchy through artistic productions and concrete and continued socio-political actions.

Essential to this movement are regular meetings, political actions and theater festivals, where groups bring their local grassroots experiences and activist actions and share them in an international context.
We are inviting you into our network to join the movement!
Help support our Second International Festival to be hosted in Berlin, for Ma(g)dalenas from around the world to meet and exchange their experiences and theater.

The Ma(g)dalena Network has already experienced several successful meetings and seminars: in Berlin (Germany) 2012, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina) in 2013 and La Paz (Bolivia) in 2014. In September 2015, organized by the Magdalena Puerto Madryn, the network had the amazing experience of their first International Festival, in Puerto Madryn, Patagonia Argentina. In January 2016, was launched the first Manifesto of the Network, in Matagalpa (Nicaragua). In June 2016, in Barcelona, the first European meeting happened. Ma(g)dalena Network feeds on exchanges and strengthens itself in actions and in sorority. Our next step is the Second International Festival in Berlin.

Over the past year, the group Madalena-Berlin have launched a Legislative Theatre campaign “NO means NO,” to create legislative change in regards to sexual violence, rape, and abuse. In this context, Madalena-Berlin has the great pleasure to inform the world: II Ma(g)dalena International Festival - “NO means NO” "Ending violence against women!” 13th to 17th of September 2017 - Berlin, Germany.

The objective of the festival is to celebrate the progress of our NETWORK, and to seek effective means to broaden the articulation between Ma(g)dalenas from around the world with concrete actions and examples of actions in each of our countries. For example : eleven Ma(g)dalenas groups in Latin America have been doing work with HIV-positive individuals...the festival is an incredible space to share these experiences, observations and to think for solutions for the present and future. We expect to welcome 100 women from all over the world in Berlin for the festival.

The festival will be grounded in workshops, in a wider understanding of Theater of the Oppressed, in “field examples” of work done by Ma(g)dalenas in their respective countries, and in performances of Forum Theater in the evening. Several lectures and Forum Theater performances will be open to the public, sharing the international network with the local community in Berlin. For an insight into the great grassroots work of Ma(g)dalenas in Berlin and around the world, look at our blog which hosts more than 30 different groups and their local projects: http://redmagdalena.blogspot.de

It is essential we have your support in solidarity. Ma(g)dalenas from South America, from Asia and from Africa have greater difficulties coming to the festival than those in Europe, because of the great distance and financial burden.
Our biggest challenge in the realization of this festival is finding enough financial solidarity to make it a reality - please, show your support with a donation and share our action with any and all who believe theater and artistic expression are essential democratic components in overcoming oppression.

We are expecting to host 100 women here in Berlin for the festival. We want to offer them food, a place to sleep and local transport for the five-day duration of the festival . We are a network of grassroots organizations: we have no formal funding and no regular source of income. We need help to make non-European Ma(g)dalenas’ participation a possibility. We have the goal to host 100 participants in total. We need contributions that represent the value of women and allies fighting to overcome sexual violence and injustice. We are looking to you for support: for your solidarity to guarantee the local costs we have here in Berlin. With the award of your donations, we plan to allocate our money as follows:

*2000EUR for food: lunch during the workshop and dinner before or after Forum Theater performances in the evening
*1000EUR for accommodation: we will house Ma(g)dalenas between private homes and local hostels
*1000EUR for the event location
*500EUR for advertisement and materials for the festival: for posters, pamphlets, and banners
*500EUR for travel aid: Metro passes for Ma(g)dalenas to get around Berlin

We are determined to host this festival and the date is set. September 13 - 17 in Ufer Studios, in the neighbourhood of Wedding in Berlin.