Premiere at Blikk

December 5, 2021

On March 16, Mine Nilay Yalcin premieres her performance Blikk at Pilotscenen. The performance is made in collaboration with Kloden teater and SPKRBOX. The performance runs through Sunday, March 20.

The year is 2018, and in a schoolyard at Hersleb School in Oslo, a group of girls get into a mass brawl. Just a few days later, it happens again. The videos from both the classroom and the schoolyard testify to brutal tendencies, where power, positioning and hanging are a clear part of the picture. The headline on NRK reads: "Girls fight over 'Blikking' in the schoolyard.

This year, the word "blikking" became familiar and frequently spread across all channels. "Hu blikka meg", suddenly became a phrase that everyone recognized. But it's not a new phenomenon, it goes way back in time. It's a human phenomenon, where people use their gaze to exercise power. Being subjected to "gawking" is uncomfortable, it can be perceived as bullying and threatening.

The glare is often invisible. It is only visible to the person being subjected to it. Teachers, parents or others rarely notice the hurtful messages that are sent from person to person across the room.

BLIKK is an all-girl ensemble performance on stage.

A performance for youth/young adults that takes the gawking, bullying, girl gangs and angry girls out on stage. Because we don't talk about it enough. It is a topic that is difficult to address, precisely because this type of bullying is so hidden. But in this performance, the gaze is up and forward. The gaze hits like a punch in the stomach, transforming good girls into uninhibited warriors and Medusa's doppelgangers.

As part of the development of the production, director Mine Nilay Yalcin has drawn inspiration from the myth of Medusa. Medusa is the classic story of a woman who is the victim of an assault, but instead of support, she is blamed. Athena casts a curse on her, turning her into a monster with snake hair and black eyes that turn anyone who meets her gaze to stone. Medusa therefore retreats to the edge of the world where she remains an eternal target for warriors who want to kill the "monster".

Girls are often seen as monsters for acting out, glaring or fighting - and can easily be ostracized as a result.

On the other hand, being stared at is very uncomfortable and can feel like freezing; going a bit numb; losing your speech. Girls often bully each other and push each other out of girl groups.

With BLIKK, Mine Nilay Yalcin, in collaboration with a unique ensemble of girls, wants to investigate the gaze. The eye. The direction. The aggression. The anger. The bullying. The ostracism - The emotions. The look.

Med: 

Director: Mine Nilay Yalcin
Dramaturg: Christine Helland
Stage manager/Producer: Anja Kjærnli

Actors:
Hina Zaidi
Amalie Eggen
Madeleine F Røseth
Lisa Birkenes Thun
Julia Sørensen

Costume: Synne Føreland
Lighting designer: Clement Irbil
Technician: Linda Nikolaisen

In collaboration with Kloden teater and SPKRBOX

Supported by Arts Council Norway, Fond for Lyd og Bilde, FFUK, Fritt ord and SPENN