Performing Arts Festival Berlin@home
The Berlin Performing Arts Festival is proud to issue an invitation to its first online edition from May 19 to 24, 2020, bringing the performing arts right into each audience member's private living room. Over the course of an episodic documentary film, the artists and members of Berlin’s independent performing arts community will be presented within the own perspectives on the current situation. Within the Digital Showroom, the artist and groups will present themselves with the artistic works that had been programmed for the Performing Arts Festival while the performance venues will present their aesthetic profiles. Additional formats and opportunities invite the audience to discover, experience and encounter – around the clock and @home.
The festival kicks off on May 19 in the form of a digital get-together with opening remarks by Florian Bücking for the board of LAFT – Landesverband freie darstellende Künste Berlin as the entity responsible for organizing the festival as well as by the festival directors Sarah Israel and Tessa Hartig.
On the second day of the festival, the Digital Showroom provides an invitation around the clock to audience members to discover the works of artists, groups as well as a multitude of theaters and performance venues that make up the Berlin Performing Arts Festival this year as well. They provide insight into their work that had originally been scheduled for the festival, present new versions for the @home edition or provide glimpses behind the scenes.
On the evening May 20, following the awarding of the Tabori Prize of Fonds Darstellende Künste e.V., the first part of our multipart PAF Documentary Miniseries, which was created in collaboration with the artists of the festival, will celebrate its world premiere. Following this, Hans Unstern will perform two songs from his new album DIVEN live as an additional highlight of the second day of the festival.
The three episodes of the PAF Documentary Miniseries collect artistic voices on the current situation and make them audible and tangible to us all. In doing so, basic questions regarding the uses of performing arts in times of crisis, the reciprocal relationship and opportunities of the performing arts and the internet will be discussed and the future of the performing arts after the current restrictions will be examined. Conversations with selected artists and guests who will delve into the questions of the films in a more in-depth manner and further discuss them will follow each of the episodes. Following the PAF Documentary Miniseries on May 23, the Library of Voices will be opened, whichprovide the festival visitors with access to the unedited contributions to the film in their full length: raw & uncut.
In 2020 as well, the festival uses its platform Introducing… to pay special attention to artistic newcomers. The selected artists use Instructions for those at home to invite the audience to become active themselves and provide the audience with audio and/or video tutorials in which the newcomers give practical knowledge about their performances in order to make the digital theatrical experience analog and tangible in a multisensory way as well.
During the showcase and networking format PAF Show & Tell on May 23, ten selected artists will digitally present new ideas, concepts and production in short presentations and enter into conversation with the audience during speed networking. On two separate days, From Venue to Venue offers a digital trip and glimpses behind the scenes of performance venues in Berlin.
This year as well, (inter)national visiting industry professionals and interested audience members will again find acomprehensive selection of discussion and networking formats in the form of talks and presentations round outs the schedule of programming of the Berlin Performing Arts Festival@home; amongst many others, the Berlin Performing Arts Program will launch a new series exploring the issue of sustainability and independent artistic productions. The festival will close with a discussion featuring Janina Benduski (LAFT Berlin), the Berlin State Secretary for Culture Dr. Torsten Wöhlert, Franziska Werner (Rat für die Künste Berlin, Berlin’s artistic advisory council) and Stephan Behrmann (Allianz der freien Künste, the German National Alliance of the Independent Arts), exploring the question of The independent performing arts and the cultural landscape following the coronavirus pandemic.
Programme of the Berlin Performing Arts Festival @home
MAY 19 | 7 PM
Opening and digital get-together with Florian Bücking (LAFT Berlin), Sarah Israel and Tessa Hartig (Performing Arts Festival Berlin)
MAY 20 | 10 AM
Opening of the Digital Showroom
MAY 20 | 4 PM
Networking meeting Bridging the Scenes with the four partner festivals Malá inventura (Prague), Selected Works (Copenhagen), ACT Festival (Sofia) and the Berlin Performing Arts Festival (Berlin).
MAY 20 | 5 PM
Meet & Greet for visiting industry professionals from throughout Germany and abroad
MAY 20 | 7 PM
Award ceremony for the Tabori Prize of Fonds Darstellende Künste e.V.
MAY 20 | 7.30 PM
The first episode of the PAF documentary miniseries examining the question: Why do we need the performing arts in times of crisis? Followed by opening remarks by Sarah Israel and a more in-depth analysis of the question with Olympia Bukkakis and Siegmar Zacharias, followed by a live stream musical performance by Hans Unstern. Moderated by Yael Sherill.
MAY 21 | ALL-DAY
Digital Showroom
MAY 21 | 10 AM
Presentation: Introducing… - artistic newcomers to the Berlin Performing Arts Festival present Instructions for Those at Home.
MAY 21 | 11 AM
We're Not Here To Talk About Trees! Sustainability, Cultural Policy and Independent Artistic Production – discussion format of the Berlin Performing Arts Program about sustainability in the independent performing arts.
MAY 21 | 5 PM
From Venue to Venue: Representatives of the Berlin performance venues Theater o.N., Theater im Delphi, TATWERK | PERFORMATIVE FORSCHUNG, Berliner Ringtheater and Ballhaus Ost present their institutions.
MAY 21 | 7 PM
Second episode of the PAF documentary miniseries examining the question: What can the internet and the performing arts learn from each other? This will be followed by a panel discussion with Anke Schiemann and Marcel Karnapke on the topic: Extended Reality Narratives - A Conversation (in VR!). Curated and moderated by Fernanda Parente.
MAY 22 | ALL-DAY
Digital Showroom & Instructions for Those at Home by the artists of the newcomer's platform Introducing...
MAY 22 | 11 AM
Producing Sustainably! The Role of Associations, Initiatives and Funding Institutions. – Discussion format of the Berlin Performing Arts Program about sustainability in the independent performing arts.
MAY 22 | 5 PM
From Venue to Venue: Representatives from the Berlin performance venues Theater Expedition Metropolis, Centre Français de Berlin, SOX Berlin, Polymedialer Ponyhof and Sophiensæle present their institutions.
MAY 22 | 7 PM
Third episode of the PAF documentary miniseries examining the question: How can we use the performing arts to help us envision a hopeful future? Followed by Tessa Hartig in conversation with Noa Winter, Dr. Azadeh Sharifi and Lara-Sophie Milagro on the topic: (Re)-imagined – intersectional perspectives for the future from the independent performing arts.
MAY 23 | ALL-DAY
Digital Showroom & Instructions for Those at Home by the artists of the newcomer's platform Introducing...
MAY 23 | 10 AM
Opening: Library of Voices – Artistic contributions to the PAF documentary miniseries: raw & uncut
MAY 23 | 5 PM
PAF Show & Tell: Berlin-based artists present their works in video chat.
MAY 24 | ALL-DAY
Digital Showroom, Instructions for Those at Home by the artists of the newcomer’s platform Introducing… & Library of Voices – artistic contributions to the PAF documentary miniseries: raw & uncut
MAY 24 | 12 PM
Keynote speech on opportunities for action in times of extreme openness. Closing discussion with guests: Sarah Israel in conversation with Raul Zelik (political scientist, journalist and translator), Melanie Jame Wolf (artist and performer) and Tina Pfurr (co-artistic director, Ballhaus Ost).
MAY 24 | 2 PM
Corona Update # 1001 - The independent performing arts and the cultural landscape following the coronavirus pandemic: Janina Benduski (LAFT Berlin) in conversation with Berlin's State Secretary for Culture Dr. Torsten Wöhlert, Franziska Werner (Rat für die Künste Berlin, Berlin’s artistic advisory council) and Stephan Behrmann (Allianz der freien Künste, the German National Alliance of the Independent Arts).
Free admission to all events.
Further information at: www.performingarts-festival.de
The Performing Arts Festival Berlin is organized by LAFT - Landesverband freie darstellende Künste Berlin and is funded by the State of Berlin - Senate Department for Culture and Europe.
