Mary's Ballad.

Mary's Ballad.In November 1973, in a factory in West Germany, during a break on the night shift, a Turkish migrant worker named Meryem writes letters to her homeland, accompanied by a familiar melody playing on the radio. Meryem weaves a narrative where the past, present, and future intertwine, evoked by the memories stirred by this melody.

Where poetic texts are read in a performative manner. spoke word combining original music performed live by an orchestra with accompanying visuals. Mary's Ballad.It invites the audience to reconsider the themes of migration, labor, and solidarity through the perspective of a migrant woman.

Team:

Sevda Hamzaçebi (voice)
Cem Dinler (keyboards, synthesizers)
Emre Çiftçi (trumpet)
Korhan Erel (electronics).
Penelope Gkika (violin).
Philine Metzger (viola)
Emilia Lomakova (cello)

Concept and Text: Sevda Hamzaçebi / babelfis
Music Director: Cem Dinler / babelfis
Music: babelfis
Video: Mert Akbal.

Director: Seçil Honeywill.

Sound: Bora Küçükyılmaz.

Lighting Design: Utku Kara
Research: Sevda Hamzaçebi, Selen Müldür.
Photo and Promotional Video: Arda Funda.
Graphic Design: Suat Can Beldek.

Production: babelfis

Duration: 65 minutes (without interruption)

The performance was first staged in November 1923 as part of the Musicboard Berlin's "Hinterhalt" program, in collaboration with the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and with the support of the Stiftung Menschenwürde und Arbeitswelt.

The Istanbul premiere is being held in collaboration with Arter and with the support of the Goethe-Institut.

Thank you.

Ali Kemal Gün, Beate Riple, Dieter Braeg, Edith Marcello, Elif Miral-Oktay, Gerhard Grosche, Görkem Akgöz, Gülçin Şahin, Hıdır Çelik, Irma Wittenberg, Joachim Gester, Laura Bielau, DOMiD – Documentation Center and Museum on Migration in Germany, FHXB Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum, Michael Schmidt Archive.

"Meryem's Ballad" - Related Events/Activities.

Arter will have its Turkish premiere on October 16, 2026. Mary's Ballad. It will also host accompanying events, including masterclasses and workshops, related to the performance.

Participation requirements:

Participation in the masterclasses and workshops is free of charge. [email protected] Participation information needs to be sent to that address.

Mary's Ballad. Activities within the scope of the performance. This is made possible with the support of the Goethe-Institut.

Masterclass: Electronic Music and Improvisation.
Project Lead: Korhan Erel.
October 15, 2026, 1:00 PM.
Sevgi Gönül Auditorium.

In this masterclass led by Korhan Erel, fundamental concepts of electronic music, sound synthesis, sampling, and live performance techniques will be explored. The focus of the workshop will be on mobile devices, which are easily accessible to everyone, such as smartphones. Participants who bring their instruments to this interactive workshop will have the opportunity to ask questions directly about their instruments and discover new sonic possibilities.

The masterclass is open to all musicians, anyone interested in working with sound, and those with a passion for improvisation in electronic music.

Format: Interactive workshop for adults.
Duration: 60 minutes.
Materials needed: Participants can bring their own instruments or use mobile devices.

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Workshop: Objects Remind Us of What We've Forgotten – Creative Writing and Personal History.
Project Lead: Seçil Honeywill.
October 17, 2026, 1:00 PM.
Sevgi Gönül Auditorium.

Led by Seçil Honeywill, this workshop will guide participants in writing texts from the perspective of a small, personal object they bring with them. The "object as witness" technique used in the workshop allows for a creative distance from personal material, fostering both imagination and reflection. Under the guidance of the facilitator, short writing exercises will provide participants with practical tools to transform their experiences into creative work.

The workshop is open to writers, performance artists, and anyone interested in approaching memory and personal history with a creative perspective.

Format: Workshop for adults.
Duration: 120 minutes.
Participant capacity: 15
Materials needed: Paper and a pen: each participant should bring their own personal items.

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Workshop: Productive Visual Storytelling – Image, History, and Creative Labor.
Project Lead: Mert Akbal.

October 17, 2026, 4:00 PM.
Sevgi Gönül Auditorium.

Video artist Mert Akbal's... Mary's Ballad. This workshop, drawing inspiration from visual practices, brings together pencil sketches, classic animation, 3D image processing, and generative AI to combine archival materials with design imagery. Participants, inspired by Surrealism, will work in a collage technique, creating their own visual materials in response to a historical or personal narrative. The workshop will also explore how contemporary image production can serve sociopolitical storytelling and how generative tools are transforming the definition of creative labor.

The workshop is open to artists, game developers, choreographers, artificial intelligence developers, and platform architects.

Format: Workshop for adults.
Duration: 120 minutes.
Participant capacity: 15
Materials needed: Collage materials (found images, magazines, printed texts), scissors, glue, transparent paper, textured paper, cardboard, charcoal pencil, drawing pencils, colored pencils, and a smartphone.

This workshop is being held as part of the HAMLET project (HORIZON-CL2-2024-HERITAGE-01-03).