VAP at Tanz im August 2025
The days at the Visiting Artist Programme passed quickly, offering participants a multifaceted introduction to Berlin’s contemporary dance landscape. A first performance visit to Trailer Park by Moritz Ostruschnjak at Radialsystem on the first evening already set the tone for the artistic diversity that would follow.
The official start followed on Thursday afternoon with a welcome and a joint introduction, hosted by the artistic director of Tanz im August, Ricardo Carmona and Petra Poelzl, curator for dance and performance at HAU Hebbel am Ufer. This moment of gathering naturally flowed into a generous Sharing Session, where artists exchanged working practices, experiences and insights from their local scenes. In the evening, the group headed to the Haus der Berliner Festspiele for Borda by Lia Rodrigues – a performance whose intensity sparked new conversations that lasted long after the show.
Friday began quietly with coffee and croissants at the festival centre before the group travelled, together with other curators and festival guests, to nearby Potsdam to explore Étape Danse – an international residency programme – and mingle with fellow artists. While part of the group went to explore the residency programme, others joined a workshop led by J Neve Harrington at St. Elisabeth-Kirche. The relaxed workshop provided practical insights into the “Screensaver” work practice, which explores a neurodivergent attentional space.
The day continued with an evening double bill: participants of the workshop, along with their peers who had spent the day in Potsdam, attended J Neve Harrington’s Screensaver Series: Sleeper Softwares, followed by Jeremy Nedd’s evocative piece from rock to rock… aka how magnolia was taken for granite at Sophiensaele, where the day ended with a drink in the cosy courtyard.
Saturday brought a deeper immersion into Berlin’s choreographic infrastructures, beginning with venue visits to Tanzfabrik and Uferstudios in the late morning. In the afternoon, the group explored the spaces of Sophiensaele, gaining insight into yet another crucial node of Berlin’s dance ecosystem. The festival weekend culminated in two evening performances: Fandango Reloaded by Inka Romaní and Some Thing Folk by Cullberg / Ligia Lewis at the stages of HAU. The day – and the programme – concluded with the big closing party at the festival centre, where conversations, shared dances, and new friendships merged into the energy of the festival night.
What tied these days together was not only the dense schedule, but also the countless encounters: spontaneous exchanges between fellow artists, presenters, and cultural workers from Berlin and across Europe; discussions that arose while walking between venues; quiet moments of reflections after performances; and shared instances of curiosity and laughter. This blend of exchange, insight, and mutual inspiration is what truly shaped the spirit of the programme.
The Tanz im August festival was greatly enriched by the exciting young artists and their perspectives. The artists themselves reported that the programme offered an encounter full of openness and genuine artistic curiosity – an experience that continued beyond the festival days, as connections carried on.
