Shared Lives — Forum Theatre on Live-in Care Work

"Geteilte Leben" (engl. "Shared Lives”), a new forum theatre production by InterACT, brings the realities of live-in care-workers to the stage. Developed in collaboration with CareOrg, the piece sheds light on the emotional, social, and political dimensions of live-in care in Austria. As part of a politically participatory theater project designed for the years 2025 to 2027, the precarious working conditions of those caregivers and their effects are being made visible and negotiable.

CareOrg has collaborated with InterACT on Shared Lives, a new participatory theatre production that brings the realities of live-in care work in Austria to the stage. The play tells their stories: of connection and conflict, affection and exhaustion, and the everyday negotiations that define shared life and work under precarious conditions. Developed in collaboration with IG24,  the production builds on community-based theatre workshops held in Austria and Romania, where more than 50 live-in carers shared their experiences and ideas. Two carers from Romania perform alongside the InterACT ensemble, while video material recorded as part of the CareOrg project adds further perspectives from the field.

Shared Lives gives voice to those rarely heard in public debates — the workers who sustain Austria’s eldercare system. Additionally, they invite the audience to participate: to step into scenes, propose alternatives, and reflect on how fairer care relations could look. It opens space for shared reflection — between carers, families, professionals, and the wider public — on what solidarity and justice in care might mean.

Premiere: November 6, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
Further performances: November 7, 8, 18, 19, 20 (7:30 p.m. each; livestream on November 8)
Venue: Theater am Lend, Wienerstr. 58a, 8020 Graz
More info: interact-online.org

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