Songs of the Wayfarer - Impulse Festival 2025

A stage with a dark background. On the left, a person is sitting on the floor, legs and crutches outstretched. To their left, a red jacket is draped over an object, giving the impression that a second person is sitting there. On the right, a large, vertical strip of fabric hangs from the ceiling onto which an image of the ground covered in leaves is projected. On the floor in front of it is another piece of fabric or cloth in a light color. The scene is bathed in warm light.

A person kneels on a dark floor, their shoulder resting on a crutch. The floor is covered with bright blue lines that look like a network or flow pattern.

The image looks diagonally across an audience sitting in front of a stage. A person in an orange outfit and headlamp stands in the middle of the rows of audience members. She raises one hand upwards and holds a music book in the other. The stage can be seen on the left, with a structure made up of numerous crutches. A sign language interpreter in dark clothing stands in front of it.

A person in a long, white dress with a sweeping train stands on a stage. She is wearing a headlamp. The floor of the stage is dark and there is a projected text in white writing running diagonally across the floor. The text is partially legible and contains English words such as ‘mysterious’ and ‘expression’. The surroundings are dark, which emphasises the person and the text. — © Tale Hendnes

Claire Cunningham

Songs of the Wayfarer

Dance/Performance

“This is a beautiful 90-minute work of performance art filled with glorious melody and heart; it’s not a lecture, lament or rebuke. It’s emotionally engaging and mysteriously beautiful and sometimes funny. I can’t wait to see what Claire Cunningham does next.” Mary Beer, LondonTheatre1, 9.10.2024

What does it mean, to be a wayfarer? To reach for the heights? To continually keep going and then – above all – know when to turn back? What is it like to learn from those among us who feel for the ground with crutches like four-legged creatures? Claire Cunningham’s solo ‘Songs of the Wayfarer’ interweaves her lived experience as a disabled person with her classical vocal training and knowledge of the world of mountaineering. The motif of departing and wandering in Gustav Mahler’s song cycle ‘Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen’, from which the work takes its title, sets the tone for a warm-hearted and ultimately optimistic ritual of farewell. Singing, speaking and interacting with the audience, the choreographer and performer covers the familiar and yet imponderable ground of emotional and physical (stage) landscapes.

With her crip* expertise, Claire Cunningham invites us to be aware of the ways we navigate the physical world and to reflect on how we handle loss and change.
Claire Cunningham, for many years a Factory Artist at tanzhaus NRW, is one of the most sought-after protagonists of the international dance and performance scene. With her current work, which received its world premiere at the Künstler*Innenhaus Mousonturm, Frankfurt am Main, she has already toured to London and Hong-Kong. She will present it for the first time in NRW at the Impulse Festival.

*Crip is a political and cultural identity that some disabled people use to describe themselves.

Dates

3 July, 20:00

4 July, 19:00

Tickets

Regular price: 16 €
Reduced price: 11 €
Supporters' price: 25 €
Minimum price: 6 €

→ Ticket shop

Venue

FFT Düsseldorf

Duration

90 minutes

Discussion

On 03.07., the performance is followed by an aftertalk in English.

Language

English with German subtitles

Accessibility

03.07., 18:30: Haptic Access Tour + audio description
04.07., 17:30: Haptic Access Tour + audio description

04.07. German Sign Language Interpretation (DGS)

Credits

Concept, Choreography: Claire Cunningham with Dan Watson and Luke Pell
Performance: Claire Cunningham
Co-Director and Dramaturg: Dan Watson
Dramaturg: Luke Pell
Stage and Costume Design: Bethany Wells
Lighting Design: Chris Copland
Sound Design: Matthias Herrmann
Video Design: Michelle Ettlin
Producer: Nadja Dias
Production Management and Access: Vicky Wilson
Production Director: Emma Jones
Sound and Video Technician: Keir Martin
Artistic Collaborator: Julia Watts Belser
Artistic Access Advisors: Nelly Kelly, Panthea, Angela Alves, Rita Mazza, Naomi Sanfo-Ansorge
Mountaineering Advisors: Cormac Lynch, Simone Kenyon
Administrative Assistance (for HZT): Susanne Adam, Jeanette Gogoll
Script for audio description (English): Claire Cunningham and Julia Watts Belser together with Vicky Wilson and Luke Pell, voiced by Claire Cunningham
Audio description translation (German): Leo Baur, Agnes Ehlich, voiced by Juli Reinartz
Surtitles: Maria Wünsche (Panthea)

A Claire Cunningham production in co-production with Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm, Frankfurt am Main, No Limits Festival Hong Kong, HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin, NO LIMITS Festival Berlin, Münchner Kammerspiele, NEXT Arts Festival, Kotrijk, Sadler´s Wells, London, Dampfzentrale Bern.

An Unlimited International Strategic commission made possible thanks to funding from British Council.

Created as part of the Einstein Strategic Professorship “Choreography, Dance and Disability Arts” at the HZT Berlin.

Details on Accessibility

Information about the venue

Spatial access

The event takes place at FFT Düsseldorf..

The FFT is located on the first floor of KAP1. You can reach the first floor by lift - the floor is marked in Braille and tactile on the buttons. The lift only stops on the first floor during regular opening hours (starting one hour before each event).

The doors in the FFT are not self opening and are sometimes very difficult to open. If you need assistance getting around the building, please speak to us on site or contact us in advance.

Once you are on the 1st floor, the foyer and the event rooms are accessible without any steps. Stage 1 has an additional gallery that can only be reached via staircase from the foyer.

Distances

Paid car park approx. 170 metres (UFA Palast).

Distance to ‘Düsseldorf Mainstation’ approx. 150 metres. Depending on the means of transport and platform, the station has a lift and escalator. Current information on operations at bahnhof.de.

Audience situation

There is unallocated Seating. You have free choice of seats (including on the beanbags and cushions, and seats on the stage).

If you have specific seating requirements, please let us know when you buy your ticket - we can then take this into account on site.

Information for blind and visually impaired people

Guidance system

At FFT Düsseldorf, in KAP 1, there is a guidance system from the building entrance and for using the lift. The guidance system is not continued within the theatre spaces (counter, foyer, stages).

Please contact us in advance for the possibility of a pick-up service or assistance on site.

Audiodescription

A pre recorded audio description is available in German and English. You can access the audio description via a wireless headset system provided on site. Only a limited number of devices is available, please let us know that you require this when you purchase your ticket. You can bring and use your own headphones as long as they have a mini-jack connection.

Haptic Access Tour

Before the performances, there will be - according to demand - a pre-access tour in English to familiarise you with the space, costumes and specifics. The tour lasts approximately 20-30 minutes and starts 90 minutes before the performance begins. Meeting point is in the foyer of FFT Düsseldorf.

Please let us know when buying your ticket that you would like to attend the tour - then we can prepare the tour in accordance to the number of participants.

If you require a German translation of the tour, please contact us before purchasing your ticket so that we can check for availability accordingly.

Informationen for hearing impaired and deaf people

German Sign Language interpretation (German SLI)

On 4th a translation into German sign language is part of the show. The SLI will take place in an interpreting team, with a deaf performer and an interpreter: Dodzi Dougban and Sarena Bockers.

Some seats are better suited to follow the SLI. Details on site, before the show.

Please let us know when buying your ticket that you would like to attend the tour - then we can prepare the tour in accordance to the number of participants.

Damit die Tour entsprechend vorbereitet werden kann, geben Sie bitte schon beim Ticketkauf an, dass Sie die Tour besuchen möchten. Visitors with sight can only take part in the tours as a guide for visually impaired visitors.

If you require a German translation of the tour, please contact us before purchasing your ticket so that we can check for availability accordingly.

Acoustic amplification via induction for visitors with hearing aids

The stages of the FFT Düsseldorf are equipped with an inductive hearing system, which is used as standard for all productions.
Reception extends up to row 3, so please choose your seat accordingly. Unfortunately, the inductive hearing system cannot be used in the tier. Feel free to indicate your seating requirements when purchasing your ticket.

In order to use the inductive hearing system, the hearing aid must be switched to T or M/T. Further information on how this works in detail can be obtained from your hearing aid acoustician, as these settings vary depending on the indicidual device; the T coil must be activated.

As soon as the hearing aid is set to ‘induction loop’ (i.e. T or M/T), it will receive the magnetic field and the audio signal will be transmitted to the hearing aid wearer.

Subtitling of the stage language / little spoken language

The play uses English spoken language and is subtitled in both English and German. There is also the option of acoustic amplification by means of induction (see above).

Informationen on Comprehension and Perception

Language

The play uses English spoken language and is subtitled in both English and German.

Relaxed Performance

The ethos of this show is relaxed. In this case, this means:

Audience members are free to come and go throughout the performance.
There is a separate quiet room which is accessible during the performance, as well as approx. 30 minutes before and after.
Audience members can feel free to stim and vocalise in a way that is safe to them.
A box of access tools for the audience is provided in the foyer before the show. Including ear defenders, stim toys and dark glasses.
You are welcome to bring your own stim toys.
At the beginning of the performance, Claire will introduce the loudest and quietest, and brightest and darkest moments in the show.
There are a range of seating options including cushions, beanbags and hard backed chairs on stage.

Early Boarding

Pre-boarding is available for any patrons, particularly disabled guests, who may wish to enter and acclimatise to the space earlier.

Content Notes und sensory stimuli

Notes on potentially sensitive content and information on sensory stimuli can give away parts of a piece. We have therefore listed these in a separate tab. Please decide for yourself whether you would like to read them.

If you are missing any individually relevant information to help you plan your visit, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Age recommendation: from 12 years. This is not a play for young people, the recommendation refers to the fact that the content is not suitable for children under the age of 12.

Informationen on the general organisation

Assistance on site/pick-up service

If you require a pick-up service from the nearest public transport stop or car park, please contact us before your visit at the festival.

Tickets

For festival tickets, you and your companion can choose to pay a minimum price of €6 per ticket. Please select which price you can and wish to pay.
Tickets Songs of the Wayfarer, 3 July, 20:00
Tickets Songs of the Wayfarer, 4 July, 19:00

Contact

We would like to cater for individual requirements for a festival visit (seating, early boarding, pick-up from public transport, etc.) as best we can.

As a festival team, we have irregular working hours, so our availability is not guaranteed at fixed office hours:

E-Mail: barrierefreiheit@impulsefestival.de
WhatsApp-Messenger: +49 (0) 1575 5804 172
Telefon: +49 (0) 202 698 27 280 (You’ll reach an answering machine to arrange a return call. Please leave your name, telephone number and your request.)

Content Notes

Notes on potentially sensitive content and information on sensory stimuli may anticipate parts of a piece. Please decide for yourself whether you would like to continue reading.

The artists have provided the following information on the content of the play, which should enable you to make an individual assessment of whether you would like to attend the event.

If you are missing any individually relevant information to help you plan your visit, please contact us.

Content

The show has themes of death and grief.

Light

In the introducion by Claire the lights will go as bright and as dark as they will during the show.
There is no flashing or strobe lighting and the transitions are gentle.
Even in the darkest moments there will be some light from the fire escape signs and the projections – it may take a moment for your eyes to adjust.
In some parts of the show, Claire will use a headtorch and lights on her crutches, these may be very bright when they are pointed in your direction.

Sound

In the introducion by Claire the sound will go as loud and as quiet as it will during the show.
The transitions are gentle.
The sound will move around the stage.

Entering the stage area

When you come into the theatre, Claire will already be on stage. She will be moving around and may come and talk to you.
On stage, there will be a big mountain sculpture made out of crutches. Please do not touch it.
You can choose your own seat but should not sit on the ones marked in Orange. You can also sit on the beanbags, cushions, mats and chairs that are on the stage. If you sit in one of these seats, Claire will come near you but will not touch you.
At some shows, a sign language interpreter will be on stage as you come in. Their position will help you decide where to sit, if you need to see them. You can also ask their advice on where to sit
You will be able to see captions as you come in so you can decide where you can best see them from, if you need to.
If you sit beside a seat that is marked in orange, Claire will come close to you. She will not deliberately touch you.

Other

When the show starts, Claire will climb into the first row of the audience to welcome you to the show and will describe some sensory information.
Claire will point out where she will move in the theatre. If you sit in a seat with orange markets, she will probably come quite close to you.
There will be projections on the floor, and on the white paper at the back of the stage. The projections on the floor more, and might be disorientating for some people.
Claire sings in German, in an operatic style, she will demonstrate this at the beginning of the show. The captions will help you understand what she is singing.
If you are sitting towards the back right of the tribune, Claire may sit near you while drinking coffee and eating biscuits. You might be able to smell them. There are no nuts in the biscuit