Writer
Jan Grashof graduated in molecular neurobiology. Shortly before completing his doctorate, he took a 180-degree turn and decided to devote himself entirely to literature. His texts range from fiction and drama (theater and opera) to scripts for film and television. The satirical short story »Bunkergang« (»Bunker Walk«) won the competition »Der zerstörte Ort« (»The Destroyed Place«) of the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus in 2015. Grashof is co-founder of the LiFFT Festival (Literatur im FFT), for which he regularly stages both his own plays and the plays of other writers.
www.jangrashof.de
Artist Mission: Elements of a Language of Age(ing)
When does aging begin? Do we age only in the perception of others or in our own perception as well ? Is the concept of »aging« absolute or relative?
The forthcoming literary expedition puts the signs we use to comprehend age(ing) on the line and into play. The questions that guide us are both intimate and relevant to the general public. We will try to understand the linguistic, metaphorical, and personal complexity of our greatest common ground.
The groundwork for the literary work will be layed in three phases:
Phase 1: Distribution of digital and analog questionnaires with specifically selected and arranged questions on the thematic complex of age(ing). The answers from people of all ages provide the basic material for a social view of age(ing).
Phase 2: Interactive group work in the context of the planned workshops. Participating citizens work in small groups to have intimate encounters with age(ing) in a prepared course.
Phase 3: Collection of data and insights gained in the first two phases. Commencement of literary exploration and medial implementation.
Workshop
Life: A narrative guide
Friday, 17.09.2021, 19.00 – 21.00
Saturday, 18.09.2021, 11.00 – 13.00
Theatermuseum Düsseldorf, Jägerhofstr. 1, 40479 Düsseldorf
It is through storytelling that a sequence of events becomes a story. This is also true of the stories we tell ourselves and others about our lives, our experiences, our selves. Our lives are narratives. We far too rarely realize this. And even more rarely do we see that these »life stories« are not fixed. They can be changed, re-told, re-constructed.
The workshop combines methods of narrative psychology with storytelling techniques. By learning to consciously create our stories, we can take new perspectives on our past – and not least become the author of our future.
Aspects: Narrative Identity
Jan Grashof is a speaker at Symposium Osaka