Aidar Zabbarov THE SOURCE I Чыганак

“A people that preserves its source will never dry up.”

The production “Die Quelle | Чыганак” is the first Tatar theatre project to be staged in Berlin. It is also the first production in Berlin by renowned Tatar director Aidar Zabbarov.
The Tatars are one of the largest ethnic minorities that have developed historically. However, fewer and fewer people are growing up with the Tatar language, and it is becoming increasingly rare in public life. Here, theatre becomes more than art: it becomes a place of remembrance, preservation and storytelling.
“Die Quelle | Чыганак” is performed in Tatar with German translation. The production combines the works of Ayaz Ishaki, one of the classics of Tatar literature, into a powerful evening of theatre about origin and identity. In a city like Berlin, characterised by migration, multilingualism and the search for belonging, this project has a special resonance.
Aidar Zabbarov, one of the defining voices of contemporary Tatar theatre, is sending a strong signal for the visibility of small cultures on international stages with his Berlin premiere. “Die Quelle | Чыганак” is thus not only a theatre premiere, but a cultural act: an invitation to listen before voices fall silent.

Project idea | Director Aidar Zabbarov
Producers Leysan Garaeva, Elza Nabiullina
Actors Ayzat Shaуmardan, Aisylu Iliasova, Dinara Gilfanova, Elnar Baynazarov, Khalil Akhmetzianov, Liliya Garif, Luiza Nureeva, Nazlygul Mingazova