Very specifically, Easter has something to do with techno for me. Easter as the festival of resurrection is a festival of life. This is how I also understand techno culture. And a rave also has parallels to a worship service: The DJ and the preacher stand before a crowd, music and words translate into bodies.

In 2022, I directed "Judas" by Lot Vekemans in the Teerstegen Church in Düsseldorf; that was my first work in a sacred space. When we talked about the closing party on Easter night at the time, the idea of a "resurrection rave" flickered for the first time. And when I returned to Düsseldorf after my engagement at the Bamberg Theatre, it was clear to me that I wanted to pursue a continuation of my work in the church and approach the theme anew. However, an exclusive rave was out of the question for me as a theater maker, so I came up with the devilish idea of combining rave, worship service, and performance. I enjoy making theater in places where a friction with the text arises. With "Judas," it was immediately clear to me that the text had to be performed in a church, and the same goes for "EXULT!" – we are occupying a space that has its own purpose, its own rules, and its own history.

I myself am connected to the Protestant Church and was very involved in both children's and youth work as well as in committee work. But I am not the one who sits on the church bench on Sundays, so I try to find my place in the church with my art. My recent works have mainly dealt with queer themes, but faith and church are also an important topic for me. The performing arts have so far had no real place in the church – unlike the visual arts, literature, or music. I hope that we can set a sign with this project for the connection of performing arts and church and I am pleased that the Düsseldorf church district is progressing so progressively.

People experience the magical Easter night in a performative way, which is special as a link; it is the in-between between Good Friday and Easter Sunday – the day of resurrection. To make this in-between truly experienceable, we have chosen the conglomerate and compiled the overall event, which consists of three interlocking parts. To fully enjoy it, one should experience the complete journey: It begins with a service by Pastor Katharina Mutzbauer, who is also a yoga and meditation teacher. Then we transition into a two-part performance: The first performance consists of a piece that I wrote myself, "Eternal Limbo, Baby!" is the starting point for the spiritual shift at midnight on Easter night, dealing with the transition between death, mourning, light, hope, resurrection, and joy. We move like in a space installation into the in-between and encounter some figures from history, myth, and science. Finally, we cross the limbo and celebrate the rave: For this, we have curated a DJ line-up with three young artists from NRW: Kracck, ØSTRØ, and Chupa. After the first DJ set, there will be another artistic interruption, which will be created by the Canadian choreographer Daniel Smith together with the five performers. After that, the rave continues – until the early morning hours. This night also aligns with traditional Easter night services, as I have experienced in my home community. These services themselves contain something performative – so everything is already there, and we want to translate it into art.