Begüm Erciyas (b. Ankara, 1982) became involved in various dance projects in Turkey during her molecular biology and genetics degree and was part of [laboratuar], a research and project group for performing arts. Later she studied at the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance in Austria and was artist-in-residence at Akademie Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart (2007-2008), at K3- Zentrum für Choreographie in Hamburg (2009) and at Villa Kamogawa/Goethe Institute in Kyoto (2014).
Between 2014 and 2016, Erciyas worked on a long-term study of her own voice. This led to the performance 'Voicing Pieces' (2016).
From 2018 to 2020, Erciyas investigated the subject of artificial intimacies. In 'Pillow Talk' (2019), the audience is invited to enter into a discussion with an artificial voice coming from a pillow, while immersed in a large-scale collective scenography.
In 2020, during lockdown, Erciyas became interested in the tension between isolation and political collectivity in the letters Sam Melville wrote in prison. In 'Letters from Attica' the fragmented text is passed from mouth to mouth, from audience to audience, in the public space.
Spring 2022 saw the premiere of 'Forest Silent Gathering'. An intimate listening session at sunset, which causes us to reflect on the bond between people, forests and stories.
Begüm Erciyas is one of DE SINGEL’s in-house artists. In the past years she presented 'Letters from Attica', 'Forest Silent Gathering' and 'Voicing Pieces' in DE SINGEL.