In 2017, Mareike founded the children’s theatre company აიწონა დაიწონა (AITSONA-DAITSONA) – together with the Georgian artists and activists Mariam Gabritchidze, Lili Mamulashvili and Natia Kavtaradze. AITSONA-DAITSONA is Georgia’s first emancipatory  theatre for children. Together with a team of six actresses and actors, AITSONA-DAITSONA is bringing new, emancipatory plays for children to schools and communities centres all over Georgia. AITSONA-DAITSONA is following the example of the renowned GRIPS Theater in Berlin. Two plays by GRIPS theatre’s founder Volker Ludwig are part of AITSONA-DAITSONA’s repertoire and they were thrilled when Volker Ludwig came to visit them in Tbilisi in 2017.

The company is has three plays in their repertoire, all directed by Mareike – two adaptations of plays by Volker Ludwig  “სახლობანა” (original title “Mannomann”) and “შავი ნისლი” (original title “Dicke Luft”) and their own play “თამაში”. So far, around 1000 children have seen their plays. Apart from performances at schools and community centres, they have also been invited to Tskaltubo Art Festival, Goethe Institute Tbilisi, Knowledge Cafe Tsnori, Silk Museum, Mzuri open air theatre and others. In 2017 and 2018 they received kind support from DVV International.

Their latest project “New Voices For Children Theatre” was a collaboration with the authors Alex Chigvinadze and Mariam Tchantchaleishivili who together with children from Alkhalkalaki and Mestia wrote two new plays for Aitsona-Daitsona. From February till May 2022, the authors and Aitsona-Daitsona visited the children at those two places, ran theatre and writing workshops with them, discussed the topics and issues that the children wanted to see on stage. After the visits the authors wrote two new plays based on the input of the local children. The project was realised with the kind support of People in Need Georgia and in collaboration with LAG Upper Svaneti and Towards New Opportunities Mestia.

For more information see here

Here are some impression from the workshop in Akhalkalaki in frames of “New Voices For Children’s Theatre”

Images from the presentation of “New Voices For Children’s Theatre Award” at Goethe Institute Tbilisi