The measures planned by the Berlin Senate to consolidate the state budget announce drastic budget cuts for the coming years. The cultural sector, but also related areas such as education, social affairs and science, are particularly affected.

We still do not know at this stage to what extent the budget cuts will affect our specific work at Ballhaus Ost. However, we are very concerned about the Senate’s priorities and the policy of social coldness that they reflect. Concerned about the future of Ballhaus Ost and the many people with their diverse life stories with whom we work. Concerned about the future of Berlin.

There are many people involved in the fight against the Berlin Senate’s short-sighted and socially unjust cost-cutting agenda. We have collected particularly important initiatives and statements whose concerns we support and share in the following (constantly updated) link list:

https://unkuerzbar.de

http://berlinistkultur.de

https://www.bbk-berlin.de/news/16122024-pressemitteilung-von-berlinistkultur-zu-den-dezentralen-aktionstagen-vom-16-181224

https://diversity-arts-culture.berlin

https://stiftung-kulturelle-weiterbildung-kulturberatung.berlin.de

The dance piece combines stories about African rainmaking rituals with the poetic representation of climate data of melting glaciers in Europe. In this way, two phenomena of “disappearance” are brought into context and made tangible with the help of three-dimensional projections.

Christoph Winkler has created more than 80 dance pieces as a freelance artist since 1996 and is one of Germany’s most distinguished and versatile choreographers. His work covers a wide spectrum of formats and ranges from very personal to political themes. Under the umbrella of Company Christoph Winkler, he brings together dancers from all over the world to work together as temporary collectives on a broad spectrum of content.

There is always a dispute in the forest of mythical creatures. No two of them ever agree. But it’s not the arguments that are the problem, it’s how we deal with them. Tricky situations call for mouse courage, squirrel humour and peace techniques. Together with the animals, the audience tries out the conflict management toolbox.

Sebastian Mauksch develops theatre productions, primarily for children and young people, as a shared space for experience and discovery. The productions are created in a collective departmental working method with various artists, who this time also perform themselves.

In addition to »Warum der Hund das Fleisch durch den Fluss trägt« (2023, HKF funding, longlist Augenblick mal! 2025) realized Sebastian Mauksch &Team in cooperation with Ballhaus Ost, »Normans Norm« (2024, Senate funding), »Junge Leute« (2022, HKF funding, longlist Wildwechsel 2023), »Fennymore oder wie man Dackel im Salzmantel macht« (2019, HKF funding, invitations to the festivals Augenblick mal! and Wildwechsel 2021), »Karl & Knäcke lernen Räubern« (2020, Senate funding). The focus of his artistic research is »The Art of Adolescence« and its principles of self-empowering theater work. He is a juror at the »Theatertreffen der Jugend« and develops various artistic projects at Berlin schools. http://sebastianmauksch.de/

Times are tough! But did you know that tragedy + time = comedy? If not, you’re probably not a comedian. These troubled fools know how to walk from their pain to your pleasure. If you’ve ever wondered what it sounds like when life-shattered comedians process their selves – join us at JOKEHAUS OST! From freezing your eggs, growing up in war, or just their daddy’s leaving them – trauma dumping is our love language! You’ll be glad that times are rough when these international comedians have you laugh your pain away! 

With Anna Beros, Gözde Güngör, Palma Palacios and Mila Panić

Curated by EXPERT BY IDENTITY

ACCESS NOTE
The event room is only accessible via stairs.

Gathered under the title »Souls Out«, the final semester projects of Prof. Janina Audick’s stage design class at the Berlin University of the Arts deal with the socio-political and aesthetic urgencies of our present day and create multimedia-based spatial productions that allow contemporary issues to be explored using artistic means. The presentations can be seen on February 14 and 15 between 3 and 10 pm.

http://buehnenbild-udk.xyz/
Instagram: @audick_udk_buehnenbildklasse

Welcome to a living room that turns into a smouldering scene of remembering and forgetting. Here, between a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer’s and her daughter, worlds collide: an interplay of anger, sadness, despair and disorientation.

The performance is part of a cycle of work by theater and filmmaker Tobias Yves Zintel, in which he deals with various facets of his own family history: in »Mental Radio« (2012) and »Autistische Spiele« (2020/2021) he explores aspects of neurodiversity and social exclusion; In »das ist dunkel, das ist hell« (2017) he sheds light on the fragility of memory and the construction of spaces of remembrance in the context of the Nazi era, family and the narratives that emerge from it, interlocking them with contemporary perspectives; in »Damage Done« (2025) he deals with dementia, ruptures in memory and family dynamics. His works combine personal biography with socio-critical reflection and question established narratives through a multi-layered, cross-media artistic practice.

The performance on 22.02. will be followed by an artist talk with Theaterscoutings Berlin.

لکچر-پرفورمنس «تاریخ اجرا» از آثاری می‌گوید که توسط هنرمندان در بند در زندان‌های ایران شکل گرفته و اجرا شده‌اند. چگونه می‌توان یک تمرین هنری را در محدوده‌های یک زندان حفظ کرد؟ چه اشکالی از اجرا در چنین شرایطی قابل تصور هستند؟ هنرمندان چه نقشی در فرآیندهای تحول اجتماعی ایفا می‌کنند؟

 در تاریخ هفتم مارچ، پس از اجرا گفتگویی با مریم پالیزبان و آزاده گنجه برگزار می‌شود

The Lecture-Performance »Date of Performance« reports on performances staged by imprisoned artists in Iranian prisons. How can an artistic practice be maintained within the confines of a prison? And what forms of performance are conceivable in such conditions? What role do artists play in social transformation processes?

The performance on 07.03. will be followed by a talk with Maryam Palizban & Azadeh Ganjeh.

»Trouble is an interesting word. It means ‘to stir up,’ ‘to make cloudy,’ ‘to disturb.«
(Donna Haraway: Staying with the trouble)

We have made clouds and expose ourselves to storms. We ask: How do we remain stable in the eye of this tornado of information and unsettling news? We often feel powerless in the face of all this trouble. Sometimes we would just like to hide and pull the covers over our heads. But: We don’t want it to stay that way!

Inspired by stories and figures from the wonderland of Oz, five performers between 11 and 44 years of age look for ways to deal with the gloomy scenarios we encounter daily on all channels.
Can cotton candy, magic tricks or poems by Kae Tempest help? How can we respond together to all the trouble? And how can we become strong without hardening ourselves?

The performance on 28.03. will be followed by an artist talk.

N O T E S:
There are intense light and fog effects as well as dazzling lights and reflections. In some places there is loud and sudden music, loud noises and loud screaming.
In one scene, magic tricks are performed (sawing, sword swallowing) but nothing happens to anyone.
In some dialogues, threatening future scenarios are told that deal with the climate crisis and war.

The work is inspired by the examination of historical and contemporary concepts of control concepts of control, security and cleanliness — individually and socially, as an engine of civilization, as a means of emancipation and oppression.
»REINHEIT« meticulously recontructs a seemingly endless, compulsive loop of hand-washing from the heyday or the Covid pandemic.
 

Oliver Zahn is a theater maker and performer. His work is always based on extensive research – ethnographic, archive-based and embodying self-experimentation.