The imaginary desire to swim in a bottle of alcohol – as expressed in the last verse of the poem Eskiler Aliyorum (tr. I Buy Rags) by Orhan Veli Kanik, who revolutionized Turkish poetry during the 1940s – was a remedy for his aspiration to escape. It also summarized the longings of millions living in the Republic of Turkey’s complex sociocultural, economic and political structure. Nurtured and inspired by the Kurdish feminist movement, the performance is an invitation to experience a feast of visual and musical expression of the self, the individual body, one’s fluid identity, and the complexity of exile, multi-layered identities and their transnational character.
If any questions remain from the following information, please feel free to contact Hannah Aldinger at or 030 27 89 00 35. Please note that details may change by the day of the event.
General: The performance lasts approx. 35 minutes and does not use language. It is suitable for audiences aged 12 years and older. Warm light is used on stage and it does not get very bright. At some points the music gets louder. At one point there is a beep that sounds like an alarm.
Combi-Ticket: The performance takes place as a double bill with Matria – Motherland by Rocio Marano. This means that when you buy your ticket, you will receive a combi-ticket that allows you to attend both performances. The performances will be shown one after the other. Reserved tickets must be picked up at the box office by 7.30 pm.
Audio description: For both performances on 10 and 11 January there will be audio descriptions in German, preceded by a tactile guide for blind and visually impaired people. The tactile tour for Matria – Motherland will take place from 7.15 pm to 7.45 pm. The meeting point is in front of the box office in the Sophiensaele courtyard. The guided tour for To be a Fish in a Raki Bottle will take place from 8.30 pm to 8.45 pm. The meeting point for this is in front of the Festsaal of the Sophiensaele. There will be a break of about 30 minutes between the performance Matria – Motherland and the tactile tour of To be a fish in a Raki bottle. Ticket reservations are accepted by Hannah Aldinger at or by calling 030 278900 35.
If required, we offer a pick-up service for blind and visually impaired people from the nearby S-Bahn, U-Bahn and tram stations before the first tactile tour. These are U-Bahn Weinmeisterstraße, S-Bahn Hackescher Markt or the tram station Weinmeisterstraße/Gipsstraße. An escort back to the stations is also possible. To make use of the pick-up service, please contact us during our office hours (Monday to Friday between 10 am and 6 pm) at 030 27 89 00 30 or .
Audience area: There are two wheelchair spaces and two beanbag seats, which can be reserved or purchased at the online ticket shop or box office, depending on availability.
Early Boarding: If, for artistic reasons, the door to the auditorium does not open until very shortly before the performance begins, there is the option of early boarding. This is early admission for all people (especially with visible or non-visible disabilities) who want a specific seat or a more relaxed entry. Early Boarding usually starts 10-20 minutes before the performance starts. The meeting point is next to the bar. Five minutes before Early Boarding begins, an on-site announcement will draw your attention to it once again. Our evening staff will be happy to help you find the meeting point.
You can also find more information about accessibility here.
Elvan Tekin is a translator, dancer and choreographer based in Berlin. Driven from her upbringing as a Kurdish woman in the geo-politics of west Asia, her artistic interests lie in the entangled and fluid notions of one’s body, language, identities and their mutations & transformations. Her artistic practice continually seeks new terrains of knowing and being in the society that is beyond the simple ‘multiculturalism’ or ‘diversity’. As a dancer, she worked among others with Eyal Dadon, José Vidal and Edan Gorlicki in venues such as Kampnagel, Thalia Theater, Uferstudios and Hellerau in Germany. Currently, Elvan is studying for an MA in choreography at HZT, Berlin.
Choreography, Performance Elvan Tekin Music, Sound design Alireza Ostovar Light design, Production Valeria Oviedo Dramaturgy Magdalena Lermer, Maya Weinberg Costume Design Carla Renée Loose Outside Eye Pooyesh Frozandeh AUDIO DESCRIPTION Felix Koch, Johanna Krins
A production by Elvan Tekin in co-production with ada Studio/Uferstudios. With the kind support of HZT Berlin. The 32nd Tanztage Berlin is a production of the SOPHIENSÆLE. Funded by the Senate Department for Culture and Europe. With the kind support of Tanzfabrik Berlin e. V., HZT Berlin and Theaterhaus Berlin Mitte. Media partners: Siegessäule, taz and Berlin Art Link.