The Berlin Performing Arts Festival: QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE – An Invitation to Talk About PAF, Audiences & Co.

Despite all of the challenges we are facing, we are still making plans for the coming year. One of the many things we are thinking about has to do with the local, national and international visibility of Berlin's independent performing arts community.
 
From 2016 to 2023, many activities were bundled within the annual, city-wide Performing Arts Festival of LAFT Berlin. How are things supposed to be continued now, after the funding for the festival has been lost? What kind of festival do the members of the community in Berlin want, anyway? What other kinds of shared activities can be realized across all of the performance venues in order to sustainably attract Berlin audiences to the places of the independent performing arts? What do we actually have to know more precisely about our audiences in order to be able to address them and invite them more precisely? What meaning does community work have today and how can participation be realized in the broadest way possible? When do international visitors come to Berlin? What role in this do the many Berlin festivals, new and old showcases or other trade fair formats play in this? And why are networks and cooperations so important for international collaborations?
 
We are inviting all interested parties and especially all performance venues and event partners of the past year to an event focusing on information, exchange and mutual planning:
 
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE – An Invitation to Talk About PAF, Audiences & Co.
December 5, 2023 at 5:00 pm
Where: Hotel Continental – Art Space in Exile, Elsenstraße 87 12435 Berlin
Language: German spoken language, questions and comments made in English or other languages are welcome (please see the information about accessibility)

We have some things to talk about and some plans to make: the PAF festival team will tell you about the current publication about the 8 years of PAF and present the results of the participatory format The PAF of the Future and the plans for the festival networks Festivalfriends and Bridging the Scenes for the coming years. In addition, we will share some initial information about the new things coming to the Berlin Performing Arts Program from 2024 to 2026: from delegation trips to the lack of a Berlin trade fair to audience research, cultural mediation and support for youth, community and neighborhood projects to the brand-new Berlin Stage Month (working title).
 
As you can see, we have gotten a few things ready – and now we need you! Without your feedback, we can’t take things any further. How do we want to realize these plans in 2024 and in the future?
 
We look forward to seeing you and ask everyone interested in attending to please register for the event by December 3 by sending an email to: info [at] performingarts-festival.de

Information about accessibility

The event will take place in German spoken language. Questions and comments in English and other languages welcome. Languages spoken by members of our teams will be made known.
It is recommended that public transportation or bicycle be used in order to reach the event location. There are only a few parking spaces available in the direct vicinity. There is, however, sufficient space to stop briefly with a car, e.g. a taxi. The route from the street to the auditorium where the event will take place has no steps. There are medium-sized cobblestones in front of the entrance door. These can, however, be traversed with a wheelchair. There are no railings. The double doors of the main entrance open manually and open to the outside. When both sides are open, the entrance is approximately 170 cm wide. There is an elevator. The seating within the event space is flexible, meaning that as many wheelchair places can be offered as are needed. We would appreciate it if you could let us know if a wheelchair place is needed so that we can take this into consideration when configuring the seating in the auditorium. There are also five large beanbags available on-site and multiple cushions that can be used as alternative seats as well as two sofas in the lobby. The sanitary facilities are accessible and located about 20 meters from the entrance door and 4 meters from the conference room. We are at your disposal if you have any questions about accessibility and ask you to please let us know about your desires and needs so that we are able to orient ourselves more strongly to the needs of the participants.

Contact: Toni Zahn
Email: info [at] performingarts-festival.de