© James Bantone
Deborah Macauley is a young neurodivergent West African and Afro-Austrian hybrid artist, performer, actor, theatre educator, DJ, and poet working across film, culture, theatre, and anti-racism education in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). Born in The Gambia to a mother from Sierra Leone and a father from Ghana, she describes herself as a “West African Titi” (a Krio word for girl*/woman*). She sees herself as a networker who creates connections and weaves together interpersonal threads.
Her recent work includes the collaborative project CANCEL ME – “Erasure Of Community”, presented at the Wildwuchs Festival in 2025. She co-directed, among other productions, S’Läbe – Alltäglich at Schauspielhaus Zürich (2023) and MAXIM BRANDNEU? at Maxim Theater Zürich (2022). As a performer, she has participated in numerous film, theatre, and performance projects, including Pinocchio by Wu Tsang and Moved by the Motion, Heart Fruit by Kim Allamand, and When The Body Says Yes by Melanie Bonajo, presented at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Her literary work encompasses theatre texts, short plays, and contributions to publications and exhibitions, including Das Fest (2022) and Die Bar (2018).
Under the DJ name E-F-U-A Born On A Friday, Deborah collaborates with numerous cultural institutions and festivals and is actively involved in anti-racism education. Her current focus is on theatre education projects and the development of lisanga – we dey ya, a Black and Afro-diasporic youth theatre club in Zurich.