Enheduanna

Enheduanna is a 50-minute performing arts piece portraying the journey of a woman in different situations of her modern life. Enheduanna, known to be the first poetess in history became a symbol to the performing artist Ashtar Muallem who embodies the poetry of Enheduanna, using aerial silk discipline and dance; taking the audience on a journey of a woman in her search for her inner temple in a collapsing world.

A word by Ashtar Muallem 

In this show, I want to talk about the situation of women in today’s societies from my point of view as a Middle Eastern female artist. I question what change I could bring in a patriarchal society that constantly plays the war game. I began by reading about women five thousand years ago prior to monotheist religions, when civilisations worshiped the mother goddess. I was inspired by two figures from the Sumerian mythology, a poetess called Enheduanna and a goddess known as Inanna or Ishtar for the Babylonians; I started writing my movement based on the poems written by this poetess to her adored goddess Inanna/ Ishtar of love and fertility. I felt connected to these historical characters as I get my strength and inspiration from the goddesses within; and accordingly deliver my art. 

BACKGROUND STORY 

After their successful collaboration in the piece 'B-Orders', Iman Aoun and Ashtar Muallem are collaborating one more time through 'Enheduanna'. 

Mother, actress and artistic director of ASHTAR Theatre, and daughter, dancer and circus artist, have decided to bring forward a story form their ancient mythology, to present an era when women were worshiped as goddesses. In their work, both artists are very much inspired by Middle Eastern mythology. Iman named her theatre and her daughter after the goddess Ishtar. Ashtar the daughter, in her turn, inherited this curiosity and through her research about her name; she encountered the story of the Sumerian poetess Enheduanna; who played an important role in maintaining women's power in the rise of patriarchal supremacy. Both artists have a strong feminist drive; they aim to create change in their social norms and patterns. In this work, they embrace their differences and encourage the female artist to utilize her art without censorship.