Under the Starry Afghan Sky - AY KASH IF ONLY

UNDER THE STARRY AFGHAN SKY collective

present

‘Ay Kash / ای کاش / If Only’

A creative theatre / art / activism project with young women in Afghanistan evolved out of the work of HERAT ONLINE SCHOOL.

Facilitated by Rachel Karafistan, Cosmino Theatre www.underthestarryafghansky.com www.cosmino.org

INSTAGRAM: @underthestarryafghansky

Eleven girls

With our hearts full of hope and desire.

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 if 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

Since the withdrawal of Western forces in August 2021, the lives of women in Afghanistan have descended into unimaginable hardship. Not only have their fundamental rights been stripped away, but the very essence of their freedom has been shattered. Women in Afghanistan no longer possess the basic rights to live life fully—no freedom to education, to graduate, to love feely, to travel unaccompanied, to enjoy a simple walk in the park, or even to ride a bicycle. Under the oppressive rule of the Taliban, these women endure a public existence devoid of dignity, autonomy, and hope.

Under the Starry Afghan Sky is a collective formed by eleven courageous young women, aged between 15 and 23, who continue to navigate life in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. The collective emerged from the important work of Herat Online School, founded by the educational activist Angela Ghayour, who herself fled Afghanistan in 1992. Facilitated by Rachel Karafistan of Cosmino Theatre, the project has taken on a unique form, with the young women participating in virtual sessions from the safety and solitude of their bedrooms since September 2022.

In ‘Ay Kash/ ای کاش / If Only’, the space is held by the presence of Rachel Karafistan of Cosmino Theatre, yet it is the voices, films, songs, and drawings of the eleven young women in Afghanistan that take centre stage. The material for the show has been exclusively collected via Telegram and Whats App under the constant pressure of lack of electricity, internet access and Taliban surveillance.

These young women have many things they wish to share with the world: their personal stories since the Taliban’s rise to power, the tales of their mothers and grandmothers and most importantly, they wish to express their hopes and dreams for a better future. Their voices burst into life through a blend of song, object theatre, storytelling, and a touch of AI. The performance is further enhanced by animations—designed to protect the creators—by Berlin artist Anna Benner, based on 10-second films provided by each young woman.

Alongside our touring performance, in July 2024 we organized an AY KASH ONLINE event, in which women from all corners of the globe read texts written by the young women in 9 different languages. The event featured notable actors such as Kathryn Hunter (The Tragedy of Macbeth, Poor Things, Harry Potter), Shobu Kapoor (Citizen Khan, Eastenders, We Are Lady Parts), Manjinder Virk (Trigger Point, Britz, Midsomer Murders), Ann Ogbomo (Justice League, The Sandman, Wonder Woman) and Priya Kansara (Bridgerton, The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself). We plan to re-run this event later in 2025.

The project is funded entirely by public donations.

RECEPTION:

‘Ay Kash/ ای کاش / If Only’, recently garnered the prestigious Best Direction Award at the 37th International Theatre Festival Valise in Łomża, Poland. The jury commended the boldness of the performance and the profound power of its artistic expression. Their feedback emphasized that the performance's impact surpasses that of traditional journalism, capturing the raw and urgent truth of the Afghan women's struggle with unparalleled clarity and authenticity.

Messages from our Audiences:

To date, ‘Ay Kash/ ای کاش / If Only’ has been performed in Germany, Poland, and Turkey. After each performance, the audience is encouraged to leave messages for the young women in a guestbook. Below are some of the entries:

• When freedom comes, it will be your names that are written in stone.

• Your stories will stay in my mind. You have changed the way I think forever.

• Thank you for sharing your stories with us. Know that they have been heard and that your lives are important.

• You are all total badasses. You inspire me.

• In deep admiration for your work and courage…Thanks so much for sharing this with us, not giving up and chasing your dreams. I have a daughter myself and can’t find the words for what you must endure.

• Thank you for your art / heart, love, kindness of your lives shared with us. I leave with parts of you in my heart.

• You say: ‘‘When freedom comes, we will be ready’ and we will be waiting for you, our sisters.

• Thank you for your strength. You are amazing. You are so powerful. You are heroines. I am marked by what you have given us. Thank you.

• You found the words to share your story, yet I can’t find the words to thank you. I wish you get the freedom and justice you deserve.

• Dear girls of my homeland, thank you for declaring the pain of the women of our country. Woman, life, freedom!

• I know you are in pain. Keep up the fight. We are proud of you. Death to idiots and misogyny.

Background to the collaboration with Rachel Karafistan of Cosmino Theatre:

Since May 2022 I have been working as a volunteer for Herat Online School, founded by the inspirational teacher and educational activist, Angela Ghayour who fled Afghanistan as a young girl in 1992. As one of many volunteers providing English lessons online to young women, I have been humbled by their resilience, tenacity and hunger for life and learning. It became clear to me that as an artist and theatre maker, there was something more that I could do for these young women than merely correct their grammar.

In September 2023, with the help of many generous donations we premiered AY KASH / کاشکی / IF ONLY in several locations in Berlin, Germany. Since then, the project has travelled to venues in Germany, Poland and Türkiye raising awareness as we go. We need your help to keep the momentum of the project going and ensure that the voices women in Afghanistan are heard in as many places in the world as possible.

What will your money fund? :

Please give generously, so the world may hear the voices of these incredible young women and move them closer to securing both their education and their freedom.

THANK YOU