EXECUTIVE IN THE HEART OF THE IRANIAN PEOPLE’S PROTEST MOVEMENT IN AN ABANDONED SCHOOL IN THE HEART OF TEHRAN by Flanuer’s young artists

Iranian society is full of conflict in many ways. The young generation is increasingly moving away from traditional religious, ideological and identity politics, which leads to an increase in protests across the country. This was especially evident in the recent movement of the Iranian people, namely “Women, Life, Freedom” and the formation of protests against the mandatory hijab, which caused many theater groups in Iran to refuse to perform until this issue is addressed. Some took a different approach, however, Iran Sayeh Theater was among the first to do so. An underground show called Basecamp based on Sarah Kane’s Cleansed. With 12 female actors and 3 male actors among the people’s protest movement without the permission of the government in an abandoned school in the center of Tehran. These young artists are gathered in a circle names Flanuer This performance was organized by young students who were the main body of these protests. We used the Telegram messenger to find out about the performance of trusted friends and specified the password to enter the school.

There was no venue hall and we had to improvise the lighting equipment. Despite the cold winter weather and snow, we performed irregularly on unspecified dates and secretly broadcast the news. There was a real risk of arrest, but it was also an exciting act of defiance and protest. After our performance, some other groups also followed the same process and performed for five nights at most in unknown and unknown places. For the Saye theatre group, theater has become a form of struggle—a way to stand up to oppression and say no to the status quo.

photos by Houman Mahmoudi

Also see Flaneur circle: https://www.instagram.com/flaneurscircle/?hl=en