Switchover performing arts festival kicks off in Tartu this week
The 2025 Switchover performing arts festival gets underway in Tartu this week. From May 14 to 18, audiences will be able to see five different productions, exploring concepts including surveillance society, social media, activism, queering, and feminism.
Switchover 2025 begins with Keithy Kuuspu and Liisa Saaremäel's production "What Are Little Girls Made Of," where the artists attempt to take a step back in their performative arts journey and remain raw. The question of whether it is possible to "make eggs out of an omelet" will be clarified on stage.
The "Little Girls" will then pass the baton to "Rat's Rumba" – a performance that was nominated in the Performance Art Category at this year's "Estonian Theater Awards." Authors Liisbeth Horn, Kärt Koppel, and Anumai Raska take the audience on a fun journey where the tools of a surveillance society, such as social media and cameras, are under scrutiny – who is the spectator, and who is being observed.
With a biblical "Creation of the World" and sound frequencies, the short performance evening "SAAL3 vol. 3" brings the audience right back to the present moment. Three artists with different backgrounds and practices use sound to make sense of the space they are performing in. This time, it is the beloved cultural and party hub in Tartu – Genialistide Klubi.
On Saturday and Sunday, there is a chance to see a piece, which has sparked both passions and rumours – "FIRESTARTERS" by Sveta Grigorjeva.
FIRESTARTERS are individuals who, on one hand, are fierce activists with a mission to change the world for the better, while at the same time, they show the reality of a world filled with people suffering from burnout. "FIRESTARTERS" will also be accessible to the deaf community, with the performance including Estonian sign language translation on the screen.
This year's guest performer is Teresa Vittucci from Zurich, Switzerland, who will be performing "HATE ME TENDER" – the first part of her trilogy in praise of vulnerability, where she playfully decodes the archetype of Virgin Mary. What could the role model Mary be in today's world, when Vittucci offers us a chance to see her from the queer-feminist perspective?
All performances during the Switchover festival, with the exception of "FIRESTARTERS," which is performed in Estonian and with Estonian sign language interpretation, are entirely accessible to English speakers.
More information about the 2025 Switchover festival, including the full program, is available here.
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Editor: Michael Cole
