Sweater designed by Leonie Böhm

Something new from director Leonie Böhm: this time not a piece of theatre, but a piece of clothing! A warming jumper inspired by Zurich brain research. Now available at the Schauspielhaus!

‘Staying with the trouble’, 100% merino wool
Jumper designed by Leonie Böhm in dialoque with Sebastian Jessberger
Curated by the Art x Science Office, University of Zurich
Distributed by Schauspielhaus Zurich

From 22 December 2024 you can buy this remarkable knitted jumper at our book tables in the Pfauen and Schiffbau around the performances (except for children's performances). It is made of 100% merino wool, is available in two sizes (S + L) and costs CHF 95. In the photo Leonie is wearing S and Sebastian L.

The design for this jumper was inspired by director Leonie Böhm's encounter with brain researcher Sebastian Jessberger. He and his lab at the University of Zurich are researching the relationship between mother and daughter cells in the brain. Stem cells in the brain produce new daughter cells over the entire lifespan, which in turn develop into nerve cells. Which information remains in the stem cell and which is passed on to the daughter cell are fundamental questions in brain stem cell biology.

An intensive dialogue has developed between Sebastian Jessberger and Leonie Böhm about the relationship between kinship and peaceful, productive coexistence between different species.

‘I am impressed by the ability of brain stem cells to differentiate into different types of daughter cells. It is as if the cells erase their memory of past generations in order to develop further or to be able to deal with change. I find it inspiring to see this behaviour as a metaphor for interpersonal behaviour. The idea that a mother passes on her identity in favour of a goal that points beyond her own existence is an interesting strategy for finding new answers to conflicts.’

In her work, Leonie Böhm repeatedly addresses the question of how we can find a peaceful coexistence - between people who are all very different - but also between different species and how we can find a language for this. ‘For me, staying with the trouble (Donna J. Haraway 2016) means staying in difficult situations, even if they are not easy to solve and one's own commitment can be as transformative as between cell generations.’