Latest news with #culturalprogramming
CTV News
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
A show inside a cathedral featured raw chickens in diapers. The German president was in the audience
This grab taken from video shows performers dancing as they hold raw, plucked chickens wrapped in diapers, inside Paderborn's cathedral, Germany, Friday May 16, 2025. (RTL via AP) BERLIN — A performance inside a Catholic cathedral in Germany earlier this month that featured raw, plucked chickens wrapped in diapers onstage — and the country's president and the local archbishop in the audience — has prompted the church and municipal leaders to apologize that the show 'hurt religious feelings.' The show, 'Westphalia Side Story,' was part of a May 15 celebration to mark the 1,250th anniversary of Westphalia, a region in northwestern Germany. Video footage shows one woman and two shirtless men singing 'Fleisch ist Fleisch' ('Meat is meat') — apparently spoofing Austrian band Opus' 1984 pop song 'Live is Life' — with scythes and dancing with the dead chickens on a stage in front of Paderborn Cathedral's altar. Performance company bodytalk said in a statement Friday that the show featured work-in-progress excerpts from 'Westphalia Side Story' — which references the American musical 'West Side Story.' The finished show, which will premiere in September, is supposed to be part of the 1,250th anniversary's cultural programming. 'It was not meant to be a spoof at all,' bodytalk cofounder Rolf Baumgart said in an email to The Associated Press. 'As Westphalia is a rural dominated region with a turbulent history our research was focused on that.' The spectacle also prompted an online petition — signed by more than 22,000 people by Friday afternoon — that asks Paderborn Archbishop Udo Bentz for a personal apology, as well as penance. The signers also want him to reconsecrate the cathedral after it was 'desecrated by this performance.' In a statement posted online to the cathedral's website more than a week after the performance, the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe and the church's leadership said that the content of the performance wasn't known to the organizers or the venue. The cathedral, the statement said, is often host to cultural events and has begun an internal review. They also promised to more carefully vet proposed events in the future. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's office didn't immediately return a request for comment on Friday. Article by Stefanie Dazio. Philipp Jenne contributed to this report from Vienna.
Asharq Al-Awsat
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Royal Commission for Riyadh City Launches Slava's Snowshow in Riyadh
The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has launched the international theatrical production Slava's Snowshow, part of a cultural lineup running through May 24. The show's 13-performance run includes double features on weekends to accommodate rising demand from families and theatergoers. The event supports RCRC's commitment to hosting world-class cultural programming. It is organized under the Quality of Life Program—one of the Vision Realization Programs of Saudi Vision 2030, SPA reported. 'We are delighted to host Slava's Snowshow in Riyadh as part of our ongoing efforts to bring world-class cultural experiences to the Kingdom,' said Executive Vice President of Riyadh Life Sector at Khalid Alhazani. 'These distinctive shows represent what we strive for at RCRC: creating impactful cultural moments that are truly memorable." The non-verbal show features a mix of imaginary snowstorms, whimsical characters, and dramatic visual effects, offering a poetic experience that transcends language and age. Created by renowned Russian artist Slava Polunin, Slava's Snowshow has drawn more than 12 million viewers in over 30 countries. It has earned more than 25 international awards.
