Against the background of my current, extremely difficult and in the truest sense of the word precarious living situation, I see myself forced with a heavy heart to cancel a large proportion of my visiting performances as part of the Impulse Theater Festival.

For decades, the authorities and institutions in Vienna, first and foremost Fonds Soziales Wien and the GIN organisation, have enabled me to lead a good – indeed a very good – life with personal care. This has also enabled me to pursue my artistic work relatively free from any worries about my existential basic needs (Who will help me with meals? Who will take me to rehearsals, to doctor’s appointments etc.) and free from worrying about having to organise my life on a basic level – for which I am extremely grateful.

This changed in December 2021. In December 2021, the authorities and institutions in Vienna left me no other option than to change the provider from whom I receive my personal care. Since then, the state of my care and with it my quality of life has deteriorated drastically. Now my situation has become exacerbated by the shortage of personnel in the care sector. I currently see myself forced to spend a majority of my own time and energy having to organise my life’s basic needs (food, mobility, health) more or less by myself – time and energy that I now lack for my artistic work.

With considerable regret for the ensuing consequences and in the hope of a prompt improvement in the situation, I send the Impulse Theater Festival, its staff and audience my warmest wishes!

Michael Turinsky