NEVER SURRENDER

Crow / Ralf Scharrer / Markus Gertken /

ÜBER-LEBEN / SURVIVE artistically deals with the authentic experiences of the artists/authors Ralf Scharrer and Crow as stalker-victims. Stalkers drive their victims to madness and over the limits of their existence. The artists not only want to share their story with the audience, but also give helpful tips on how to protect oneself from persecution and abuse. The legal situation will also be a topic. Both Ralf Scharrer and Crow have each written books of prose and poetry to process what they have experienced.

The event will include a live musical performance as well as a reading from "Dem Wahnsinn entkommen" (Escaping Madness by Ralf Scharrer) and "Tales of Dying Butterflies" (by Crow). Actor Markus Gertken (Ostermeier, Schaubühne) will recite and lead the panel discussion together with curator Susanne Matz.

The audience is invited to participate actively in the dialogue: Break shame and silence and tell your story!

Dramatic show with performances and staged readings by artists/authors Crow, Ralf Scharrer and Markus Gertken.

Based on "Dem Wahnsinn entkommen" by Ralf Scharrer (ISBN 97839485450-00/ -17, nominated for the German Book Prize of the Börsenverein des Dt. Buchhandels 2020)/ "Tales of Dying Buttertflies" by Crow (ISBN 978389821549-92) and "Death Monologue" by Markus Gertken (member of the Ostermaier-Ensemble of the Schaubühne Berlin).

RALF SCHARRER is known as an actor from films and TV series such as "Unter uns". As an author, he researched the fates of stalker victims for 4 years. His book (Dem Wahnsinn entkommen) was nominated for the 2020 Book Prize of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association. Since then, Ralf Scharrer has been touring with staged readings in front of sold-out houses and is committed to raising awareness about stalking. www.ralfscharrer.de

CROW began his artistic career as a musician (Medusa's Child, Crow's Flight, etc.), supplemented his creativity with painting (international exhibitions), art performances and installations (such as an environmental sculpture in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia). As a songwriter and author, he writes lyrics and poetry, which he published in the autobiographical volume "Tales of Dying Butterflies". www.artofcrow.com

MARKUS GERTKEN is an actor for film/television and theatre (member of the Ostermeier Ensemble of the Schaubühne Berlin). The multi-faceted style of his scenic performance is expressive, poetic, deep and surprising at the same time. Markus Gertken will read Crow. He will also moderate the subsequent panel talk - together with curator, producer and editor Susanne Matz.

The project is funded by Neustart Kultur of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media through the German Literature Fund (Deutscher Literaturfonds e.V.)