OMÂ
In OMÂ (a combination of Oma, the German word for grandma, and Mâdarjun, the Farsi affectionate term for grandmother), the German Iranian circus artist Roxana Küwen Arsalan reimagines a dialogue with her two grandmothers. They have never met in person, but now their granddaughter brings them together for a circus teatime performance full of poetry and humor. Juggling teapots, languages, and questions of privilege, OMÂ tosses the happenchance of our origins up into the air.
The personal is political in this multi-layered exploration of juggling artist Roxana Küwen Arsalan’s Iranian and East Frisian roots. At once searching and thought provoking, touching and ironic, this solo playfully turns stereotypes and assumptions upside down. Through (foot) juggling, object manipulation, dance, and language(s), a multitude of characters, atmospheres, and narrative threads gently unfold.
OMÂ is a subtle auto-fiction, imbued with current issues of our world, taking place in the here and now, and shaped by the presence of each audience member.
More Information:
Duration: 55 Minutes
Age Recommendation: 8+
Language: German
Credits
Concept und Performance: Roxana Küwen Arsalan
Artistic support and French texts: Lucie Boulay
Technique: Camellia Rashidi
Dramaturgical support and German texts: Nele Cleo Liekenbrock
Co-Translation of English texts: Anna Vigeland
Musical support: Alessandro Angius
Voice-over: Magda Lena Schlott
Co-lighting design: Noémie Hajosie, Camellia Rashidi
Acting input: Véronique Tuaillon
Support, Set and Costume: Ivana Bort
Production: Les Amis de Christine
Photos: Carla Dacal, Kolja Huneck, Christophe Reynaud de Lage, Francis Rodor
Co-productions: La Maison des Jonglages Scène conventionnée La Courneuve FR, Carré Magique Lannion – Pôle national cirque en Bretagne FR, La Grainerie – Pôle européen de production et Scène conventionné d’intérêt national Balma FR, La Verrerie d‘Alès Pôle national cirque Occitanie FR, Kreationsbündnis Zirkus ON, Centre Culturel du Brabant Wallon BE
Residency grants: Espace Périphérique La Villette Paris FR, Carré Magique Lannion FR
Residencies: La Cascade Pôle national cirque Ardèche Auvergne Rhône Alpes FR, Station Circus Basel CH, Tollhaus Karlsruhe, Kulturzentrum DasHaus Ludwigshafen, Centre Culturel du Brabant Wallon BE, Centre Culturel Soupetard Toulouse FR, Chamäleon Theater Berlin
Support: Studio PACT (La Grainerie), Fortbildung FOCON Esacto’Lido 2020/21, Kreationsbündnis Zirkus ON 2022/23
Supporting Programme
All information about our supporting programmes can be found here.
Dates
- Thursday, 19 February 2026, 8:00 pm Performance with DGS and mobile hearing loops
In the Press
Kleines Fest
Between juggling, object play and subtle irony, Arsalan creates a space in which differences become visible but connections become tangible – delicate, clever and touching
Zirkusplus
This search is thought-provoking, sometimes provocative, moving and often ironic in its absurdity of labels and attributions
Kleines Fest
An invitation to reflect on heritage, privilege, cultural identities and the question of how we pass on our stories
About the Company
Company بلبل Bolbol was founded in 2020 by Roxana Küwen Arsalan. Bolbol means “nightingale” in Farsi (the language spoken in Iran), but is also a term for a very talkative person, reflecting the poetic and articulate universe of Roxana’s artistic work. Roxana has been a circus artist and circus author for 15 years and performs internationally with both short acts and full-length shows, for example at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, the International Storytelling Festival Austria, the Palazzo Varieté, the Tête à Tête Festival, and the Ruhrfestspiele. She is a graduate of the Academy for Circus and Performance Art (NL) and trained at ESACT’O Lido (FR). She has German and Iranian roots and currently lives in the South of France.
