Something That Never Was - An Evening on Literature, Art and Censorship

Something That Never Was - literature and dance: Wednesday 21 October 2026, 19:00–20:30, Sydhavnens Bibliotek, Copenhagen. Admission is free.

Why do those in power throughout history attempt to control literature and narratives? What happens to a society when certain voices are silenced? And what does it mean to have the freedom to write, create and be heard?

On 21 October, performance art and conversation meet at Sydhavnens Bibliotek in an evening about censorship, literature, artistic freedom and freedom of expression. Censorship of literature and art has existed throughout history and continues today - the evening explores how those in power have attempted to control narratives and voices, what it does to writers and artists, and which mechanisms recur from history to now.

At 19:00, Ukrainian choreographer and dancer Anastasia Krasnoshchoka presents her solo dance work Something That Never Was. The work draws on poetry and music from a generation of Ukrainian artists called The Executed Renaissance, who were censored and persecuted in the 1930s.

At 19:30, a conversation and Q&A on censorship, literature, artistic freedom and freedom of expression follows, featuring a professor and former chair of Danish PEN (1983-90, 2015-22). Using the work as a starting point, the conversation examines how artists and writers throughout history have faced censorship and pressure, and what we can recognize in contemporary examples - including what it means for our ability to understand each other and the world around us.

SOMMETHING THAT NEVER WAS - CREDITS
Producer: Teater A
Choreographer & Performer: Anastasia Krasnoshchoka
Dramaturg: Maria Cornett
Composers: Lucie Cure, Viktor Kosenko, Mykola Leontovych
Sound Design: Lucie Cure
Music performed by: Lucie Cure, Anastasiia Kyshkovska
Set and Costume Design: Dicki Lakha
Photography: Sebastian Falck Stigsby
Supported by: William Demant Foundation, Louis Hansen Foundation, Ballettens Venner, Metropolis, København Danser, Sydhavn Teater

Free tickets are available and can be booked on the website.