‘Ay Kash / ای کاش / If Only’ is an award winning theatre, art and activism performance / exhibition featuring the artwork, films, poetry and stories of eleven young women based in Afghanistan which premiered in Berlin, Germany in September 2023 and is currently on tour worldwide.

Eleven girls - using their pens, paints, and voices to share their memories and experiences since the Taliban took power in 2021 and share their hopes and dreams for a better future.

The performance, created entirely online by the eleven young women in Afghanistan, was awarded the prize for best direction at the prestigious International Theatre Festival festival ‘Valise’ in Łomża, Poland (now in it's 37th year). The jury commented on the courage of the performance and the power of its artistic expression, which is more accurate than any journalism.

Eleven girls
Eleven girls, with tears in our eyes and trembling legs, with no way to escape.
We are sitting in our bedrooms in Afghanistan and slowly dying.
Every time we rise to show ourselves, our legs are showered with bullets.
Eleven girls who only ask to be allowed to study, to travel, to let our hair fly in the wind and, from all the riches in this world, own a bicycle.
Is it too much to ask?
Is it too much if I want to become a psychologist? Or a painter?
Too much if I want to fall in love and have my heart broken?
Too much if I prefer freedom over longing? What it my hair turns grey, and my lips are never kissed?
We never wanted our share of the sky to simply be able to gaze at the moon from our bedroom windows. I want to swim in the sky.
Do I want too much?
Eleven brave warriors, standing against the Taliban’s oppression with our pens, art, poetry, and music.
Ay Kash is the voice of a nation sleeping in blood, the voice of a wounded geography.
Don’t let our desire to swim in the sky, rot in our hearts. Don't let the desire to take hold of our pen and fight, disappear.

#StandwithAfghanwomen #ThePeninsteadoftheGun
Text: S
Design: F

Since the withdrawal of the US & the UK in August 2021, the situation for women in Afghanistan has spiralled into despair. Women do not even have rights to be violated. They have lost the ability to learn, graduate, fall in love, travel alone, go for a walk in the park, or ride a bicycle.

‘Ay Kash / ای کاش / If Only’ is a hybrid performance featuring live on-stage action by Rachel Karafistan of Cosmino Productions and filmed ‘interaction’ with eleven young women who are in Afghanistan.

Their true identities will remain hidden because it is simply too dangerous to do otherwise, but what they want to tell you will be given life and poetic space. And they want to tell you many things: they want to tell you the history of their country from their perspective, their personal stories since the Taliban have taken power, the stories of their mothers, their grandmothers and their hopes and dreams for the future.

All this and more bursts into life with the help of song, object theatre, storytelling, and AI.

The performance also features animations designed to protect the identities of the eleven young women by Berlin artist, Anna Benner. In addition to the live performance, there is a touring exhibition featuring artwork, texts, and soundscapes by the young women.

Under the Starry Afghan Sky are eleven young women aged between 15 – 23 living in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. The collective evolved out of the work of Herat Online School founded by the educational activist Angela Ghayour who herself fled Afghanistan in 1992 and is facilitated by Rachel Karafistan of Cosmino Productions who has been working with the young women virtually from their bedrooms, since September 2022.
We want our voices to be heard by the world. If you think you could host either our AY KASH exhibition or performance, please get in touch using the form below. We are waiting to hear from you.
The project is entirely funded by public donations. You can donate to our project here.

Eleven Girls

All animations lovingly created by Berlin artist, Anna Benner.

Upcoming Events

5th October 2024

AY KASH / IF ONLY
Festiwal Sytuacje Relacje, Bydgoszcz, Poland.

26th October 2024

AY KASH / IF ONLY
(TBC), Mahalla Festival Istanbul, Türkiye

28th February 2025 / 1st March 2025

AY KASH / IF ONLY
ACUD Theater

Art Work

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Under the Starry Afghan Sky
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