Steffi Hensel

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Steffi Hensel

Participating Project	Research Residency Program
Activity Based	Germany
Period	2013.10 - 2013.11

Purpose of the residency

My project is called SAD IS RAD and I'm going to research the narratives of contemporary, female bloggers and fashionistas in Japan and compare them to the voices of young female characters from ancient Greek tragedies in order to foster a discourse about crisis, feminism, consumerism and rebellion. I am particularly interested in the notion of sadness and grief, in aspects of goth culture and how Kawaii aesthetics resonate with new online-feminist voices. My research is the starting point for a new theatre show I am developing.

Plan during the residency

I am going to research, locate and explore manifestations of girl and goth culture in Tokyo through on site research, interviews, meetings and online-activities. I will archive the gathered information via blogging, essays and live performance and link my findings in contemporary Tokyo to the female driven narrations of the European past, mainly the Greek tragedies. What kind of dramaturgy, what kind of language, characters and stories are created when we try to look at girl culture as a central narrative? What happens if we free sadness from the therapeutic narrative and, by re-visiting Greek tragedy, make it a powerful catalyst for dramatic action?

Creator Information