With this release of TANZTAGE BERLIN PODCAST we would like to celebrate 25 years and 30 editions of the resilient history of our festival. The four episodes are based on interviews with the former artistic directors of Tanztage Berlin: Barbara Friedrich, Inge Koks, Peter Pleyer and Anna Mülter, conducted in spring 2021 by the current dance dramaturge of the Sophiensaele – Mateusz Szymanówka.

Initiated in 1996 by cultural producer Barbara Friedrich and initially held at the alternative cultural centre Pfefferberg in Prenzlauer Berg, the festival was the first event in the city dedicated entirely to young choreographers. It also provided space for dance artists who moved to Berlin to present their work to local audiences for the first time. As a result of the renovation of the Pfefferberg in 2001, the festival found its new home at Sophiensæle, where it still takes place today. Over time, Tanztage Berlin has managed to successfully mirror the state of the local dance scene while reflecting on the ever-changing intersections of body, identity, politics and their manifestations in contemporary society.

In PLOTTING FUTURES TOGETHER, the history of the festival is the starting point for a critical reflection on the role of Tanztage Berlin for the local dance scene, working cultures, the tasks of a curator, the importance of personal agendas and utopias in curating, and the possibility of dreaming and creating futures. The series takes a close look at the threads picked up from each other and the thoughts travelling through time and space.

The episodes with Barbara Friedrich and Anna Mülter are available in German. The episodes with Inge Koks and Peter Pleyer in English.

Recording, editing and voice over Mateusz Szymanówka Final editing and music Marc Lohr Special thanks to Barbara Friedrich, Inge Koks, Peter Pleyer, Anna Mülter, Franziska Werner, Franziska Schrage, Johanna Withelm and Sonia Fernández Pan