Swiss Selection Edinburgh, Daniel Hellmann and Anne Welenc Present TRAUMBOY / TRAUMGIRL

Exploring various perspectives of working in the sex industries, Traumboy is a solo show based on performer Daniel Hellmann's insights into and experiences within the field of sex work, and Traumgirl is a brand-new response piece created by performance artist Anne Welenc. Drawing on Daniel Hellmann and Anne Welenc's personal and professional experiences as performers rooted in theatre, music and dance,Traumboy and Traumgirl explore the relationship between sex, money, shame and identity, exposing the tensions between paying for sex and a hyper-sexualised, capitalist society. Performed in parallel, Traumboy, which has toured internationally, and Traumgirl, which receives its World Premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, address the challenges of life as a male sex worker and a female sex worker respectively. The shows are presented as part of Swiss Selection Edinburgh, a programme of contemporary Swiss theatre presented by Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council, at Summerhall.

Daniel is an artist. He's also a sex worker. Through accounts of clients and their desires, Traumboy explores why he chose this profession, and why having sex for money is still considered taboo. Told with humour and honesty, the performance challenges audiences to scrutinise their own sexual ideals and appetites, as Daniel performs different roles for his customers - and the audience.

Anne as Kim is an actress. She is also a sex worker, bartender and of German and Polish descent. Traumgirl is a brand-new solo show about female sex work in all its forms. Welenc takes an autofictional approach to explore what a woman allows to be revealed about herself, and who pays the price.

Daniel Hellmann said, "I'm extremely excited to present these two works at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. I expect a lot of heated conversations, and hopefully more understanding that sex work is work, and sometimes maybe even a form of art."

Daniel Hellmann is a singer and performer. He studied philosophy, classical singing and the performing arts, and his desire to combine theatre and dance led him to create the company 3art3 in Zurich in 2012. His solo Traumboy (2015) was chosen for the Swiss Selection at the Avignon Festival in 2016. His piece Requiem For A Piece Of Meat won the June Johnson Dance Prize and was invited to the Swiss Dance Days 2019. Recently, he has created All In with the performers Layton Lachman and Anne Welenc, as well as his alter ego "Soya the cow"- the world's first feminist vegan drag cow with whom Hellmann is recording a music album, giving concerts and workshops.

Anne Welenc is an actress and performance artist. Her personal work is based on research and often has to do with the transcendence of human existence taking myths and legends, as well as pop culture, as her sources. She regularly performs all over Switzerland and has been part of the Hexenberg Ensemble Berlin since 2014. Recently she was invited for residencies at Tanzhaus Zu?rich, Iceland NES, Sasso and Roxy Birsfelden.

Anne Welenc said, "I'm super grateful and proud to perform the premiere of this delicate work at Edinburgh Fringe and be able to reach so many people. I'm curious about the reactions, discussions and possible resentments from the audience. And also about mine!"

Swiss Selection Edinburgh is a programme of contemporary Swiss theatre presented by Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council, at Summerhall. The showcase also features 21: Memories of Grown Up and 8:8 at Summerhall. The Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia promotes Swiss arts and culture with a focus on diversity. It supports projects of national interest at home and abroad. Website: prohelvetia.ch; FB/TW/IG: @prohelvetia

Running Time: 75 mins | Suitable for ages 16+ (adult themes)

prohelvetia.ch/edinburgh