Introducing...

Since the founding of the Berlin Performing Arts Festival the combination of Ballhaus Ost, HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Sophiensæle and Theaterdiscounter have presented exciting new artists in and for Berlin. Together, the artistic staff of the institutions selected six emerging artists from 165 applications and will present them in their schedule of programming for the festival as the series Introducing….

In doing so, acquaintanceships are made on a variety of levels: artists introduce themselves to a local independent performing arts community, artists present themselves to a new audience, artists encounter the profiles and structure of Berlin’s production institutions and the artists mutually get to know each other. They also introduce themselves to the Berlin audience and get ready for their first date – with all of the accompanying butterflies in the stomach and exciting curiosity about the unknown.

This year, the extroverts among us can look forward to a very inspiring and international round of performances. All six positions are negotiating for themselves the question of gender roles, intersectional self-empowerment and political frameworks for action and within these they weave a shared net of queer-feminist images and solidary actions. Six existing positions of the performing arts that now seek to connect with Berlin.

In addition, the mentors from the Berlin Performing Arts Program will provide their rich expertise to the invited position this year as well as and provide them with insight into  Berlin’s independent performing arts community! Over the course of a Safe Space Breakfast on the day after the performance, the mentors (Silke Bake, Anna Bergel, Monika Gintersdorfer, Eva Hartmann, Knut Klaßen und Johannes Müller), the festival director as well as the dramaturgs of the respective performance venue will talk with each other about potentials, connections and questions within Berlin’s independent performing arts community.