THE BEAR presents: MATRIARCHS & MUSES - stories of the women who shaped us

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re turning the spotlight toward the women who have served as our anchors, our antagonists, and our North Stars. While the world celebrates the icons of the past, we want to hear about the icons in your own life.

We invite everyone—men, women, and non-binary tellers—to share a story about a woman who moved the needle of your life. How did she challenge you? Did she push you to grow, or did you have to fight to be seen by her?

📍 EVENT DETAILS

• WHEN: Thursday, 19 March 2026
• TIME: 19:00 (7:00 PM)
• WHERE: Theatre Pool, Boxhagener Straße 18, Berlin
• HOST: Esther de Bruijn | MUSIC: TBA

🎤 CALL FOR STORYTELLERS We are looking for true, personal, 5-minute stories focused on a "moment of impact."

• Men: Show us who you became because of her influence. Focus on the friction or the realization that changed your perspective.
• Women: Take us to the threshold. Share the moment you claimed your space, broke the silence, or recognized your own power.

How it works: The evening features a blend of curated stories and our signature Open Stage. Put your name in the hat for a chance to share your story live!

🎟 TICKETS Entry is by donation (Recommended: 15–20 €). Your generosity keeps our community stage independent and open to all. More if you can, less if you can’t.

AUDIENCE QUESTION: Who is a woman you’ll never forget, and how did she change the way you see the world?

Join us for a night of connection, conflict, and consequence. See you at THE BEAR!

THE BEAR presents is made possible by the generous performances of our storytellers, our team of volunteers, and the “Verein zur Förderung der Kunst des biographischen Geschichtenerzählens e.V.” .

Special thanks to our partners on Youtube and the public speaking training company as well as , , and . More info: www.THEbEAR-storytelling.de

If you miss this show, you can have front row seats to beautiful stories made by THE BEAR with love, our podcast season 1, wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

A cum laude graduate of the Academy of Theatre and Education in the Netherlands, Esther de Bruijn brings a powerful blend of theatre, education, and intercultural communication to THE BEAR stage.

Through her organization, , Esther’s mission is to empower women to speak with clarity, presence, and purpose. But her coaching style—honed across sectors from healthcare to science—is built on a foundation that is curious, honest, and deeply human. Esther believes that every person has a story worth telling. She is an expert at creating the kind of safe, joyful space where vulnerability becomes strength. Whether you are a woman finding your voice or a man sharing a tribute to a woman who changed your life, Esther is here to ensure that every story is heard with compassion and every teller feels at home on our stage.

James is the creator of award-nominated podcast Filter Stories, a show that uses our morning coffee as a lens to understand the world. His narratives explore history, science and sustainability, and he writes the piano music that underscore the stories. 

His podcasts have been heard hundreds of thousands of times, and he has produced narrative podcasts for a wide array of clients, including Porsche (Driven Minds), Duolingo (Spanish Podcast), World Coffee Portal (5THWAVE), Specialty Coffee Association (World Coffee Championships), and others. 

Growing up half Italian in Sydney, he’s lived in Hong Kong and Rome and began his career working for the Bank of England in 2009. However, his passion for coffee was simply too strong to resist, and in 2016 moved to Berlin to become The Barn Coffee Roaster’s Wholesale Manager, and then in early 2018 hopped on a flight to Guatemala to dive deeper into the world of specialty coffee as a documentary podcast producer.

When he is not traveling around the world, James generously accompanies storytellers at THE bEAR adding another delicious layer to our evening.

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