25.02.2026
KASSANDRA AT FREE REPUBLIC OF VIENNA FESTIVAL 3,4,5 June 2026

Unwanted truths and warnings went unheard, but now societies look on in helpless silence at images of arid landscapes, razed cities and the multiple crises of the present. The ancient prophet Cassandra raised her voice against such images of horror and war. It was her fate to foresee disaster but not be heard with her warnings. Who are today’s Cassandras? What answers do the marginalised, vulnerable, often unheard voices in society have for the most urgent questions of our time? What do they demand for the future? Polish director and author Marta Górnicka gained renown with her uniquely powerful chanting choruses. For her most recent work, she brings together a group of people that spans different generations, languages, backgrounds, abilities to make up a chorus of Cassandras: a chorus that speaks the unspeakable.

»Cassandra syndrome, the experience of having one’s legitimate concerns disbelieved and rejected, leading to psychological distress and suffering, seems to me a shared experience and a condition of our time. Every day, entire communities are confronted with ignorance and silencing. To me, their vulnerable voices are like the song of canaries in a coal mine. With the CASSANDRA CHORUS, I bring these voices to the stage to sing a song of empowerment together. As long as the canaries continue to sing, we are alive.« – Marta Górnicka