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| News 07.04.2024 |
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| The boards that mean the city |
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50 years of independent performing arts in Düsseldorf |
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The new captivating and largely amusing book "Die Bretter, die die Stadt bedeuten: 50 Jahre freie darstellende Künste in Düsseldorf" tells of the vibrant history and dynamic development of Düsseldorf's independent theatre and dance scene, which has undergone an impressive transformation since the 1970s. Wanting alternatives to the traditional stages of the Schauspielhaus and the opera, the protagonists talk about the emergence of today's iconic institutions such as zakk, tanzhaus nrw and the Forum Freies Theater and the active players in and fighting for them - this book delves deep into the evolution of a scene that has developed from the unimaginable to reality over the course of 50 years.
From the humble beginnings, when theatre and dance took place exclusively in large theatres, private theatres or as amateur productions in schools and community halls, to the rise of a lively and creative independent theatre scene, "Die Bretter, die die die Stadt bedeuten" offers an unprecedented insight. Readers are taken on a journey that includes names such as Theater Jhawemirc, Theater der Klaenge, Theater Kontra-Punkt, Neuer Tanz, Half Past Selber Schuld, Cooperativa Maura Morales, the Asphalt Festival and many more, and discover the stories and personalities behind the extraordinary growth of this free cultural movement.
Based on interviews with 40 protagonists of the independent scene, historical narratives and anecdotes that capture the vibrant energy of this scene, "Die Bretter, die die Stadt bedeuten" is the definitive compendium for anyone interested in theatre, dance and the current cultural history of Düsseldorf. This book is not only a tribute to the artists and institutions that have shaped independent theatre in Düsseldorf, but also a living testimony to the power of creative communities to transcend boundaries and create new cultural landscapes. (in german) |
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Droste Publisher |
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| The Book "Palimpsest" is published |
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Tredition Verlag |
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The 2024 dance theatre production "West-Land-Tänze" by Düsseldorf's THEATER DER KLÄNGE was preceded by an extensive research phase in 2023.
The book "Palimpsest" summarises the research results on the subject of folk dance, folk music and folk in the Rhineland and Westphalia on almost 90 pages and thus offers a comprehensive compendium on cultural dance and music practices in West Germany, enriched by specialist essays by renowned academics and journalists.
"Palimpsest" serves as an up-to-date reference work on questions of folk music and folk dance. By combining the academic research and artistic practice documented in this book, "West-Land-Tänze" has become an original event that presents the cultural roots of the region in a contemporary light. (in german) |
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Tredition Shop |
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| Raising a hand is a tremendous event |
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New Dance Movie |
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We are delighted to announce the completion of the artistic dance film "Raising a hand is a tremendous event", capturing the essence of human movement and interaction in the breathtaking polar region of Norway.
This audio-visual art-movie is the result of an inspiring artist residency (DAVVI) in Hammerfest in August 2023, where dancers Karianne Andreassen and Sophia Otto came together with choreographer Jacqueline Fischer and director Jörg U. Lensing have come together. Together they have created a remarkable exploration of space, time and physicality anchored in the compelling and raw beauty of the Arctic landscape. This film is not only a celebration of dance, but also a profound commentary on human connection and isolation in extreme environments. The 15-minute short film is currently being submitted to film festivals and will be released online in late 2024. |
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Video-Trailer |
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| The Performing Human Being in a Media Interaction Space |
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Multi- and intermodal productions by the Düsseldorf Theater der Klänge |
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J.U. Lensing, the artistic director of the theatre, provides a profound insight into 35 years of innovative collective work.
The ensemble is dedicated to multimodal and especially intermodal performances, as Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, the Bauhaus master, called for in 1925 for a forward-looking theatre. The focus is not on the primacy of a single genre, but on the fusion of theatre and music, dance, scenography, video art and lighting design into a holistic stage event. Lensing explains the founding of the ensemble in 1987 on the basis of a Bauhaus stage postulate, the significance of the first two productions, which were inspired by Bauhaus stage ideas of the 1920s, and the connection to the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. The article sheds light on the transition to intermodal stage approaches, in which the stage was equipped with sensors as an interface for electronic reactions in music and video scenography, discusses approaches to sensorised stages, their suitability and further development. Finally, the significance of such actions and the status and definition of performers in this form are analysed. |
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Articel form J.U. Lensing in Art&Style No. 10 |
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| Historical Bauhaus Stage Productions Actualised for Our Time |
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Articel from J.U. Lensing in Art&Style No. 1 |
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In J.U. Lensing's article "Historical Bauhaus Stage Productions Actualised for Our Time", (translation Don MacDonald), the timeless relevance of Bauhaus stage art is illuminated.
J.U. Lensing delves deep into the world of the Bauhaus and shows how the sketches, reports and texts of this era continue to inspire today and awaken a longing for community, vision and optimism in an increasingly visionary and individually torn society. Especially in times when the Bauhaus and its ideals are being critically re-evaluated, the article pleads for a return to the positive, utopian aspects of this cultural movement. The THEATER DER KLÄNGE in Düsseldorf, founded in 1987, illustrates this approach by reinterpreting historical works such as the "Mechanical Ballet" from 1923 and "The Mechanical Eccentricity", a sketch by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy that was never realised until 1987, for the present day. J.U. Lensing argues passionately against the current trend towards iconoclasm and emphasises the need to work towards a hopeful, optimistic future instead of lapsing into defeatism or nihilism.
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Art&Style No. 1 |
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| Virtual Theatre |
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A Corona project in 2021 - with the support of the Performing Arts Fund with funds from Neustart Kultur - was the construction of our "Virtual Total Theatre of Sounds". It was opened on 3 October 2021 after six months of construction and has been open to the public ever since.
Until now, only the foyer, the theatre restoration on the first floor and our gallery could be visited free of charge. For a tour through all the rooms of the virtual theatre, a ticket had to be booked at the box office in the foyer, as well as for a visit to the archive library in the theatre, one of the workshops offered in the two rehearsal studios or the booking of one of our 29 performances (as a complete video) in the auditorium of the theatre. Currently, our last production "hoppla, wir spielen noch" from 2022 can also be booked in its entirety (as a 3-camera recording) in the auditorium. On the occasion of this 30th video, which is now bookable and thus viewable in the theatre, we are releasing the free viewing of all rooms. So at the box office in the virtual theatre, a complete tour can be booked for 0.- €, which takes you through all the rooms we converted (according to plans by Walter Gropius from 1927). In this way, you can walk through the Total Theatre for Erwin Piscator in our realisation, both architecturally and interior design, online.
We are of course all the more pleased if this framework is used to book and view one of our performances. |
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The virtual total Theatre |
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| Exhibition |
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Man and Art Figure in the Sphere Theatre |
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Our exhibition "Man and Art Figure in the Sphere Theatre" has been open in our online gallery since 15 March and can be visited there around the clock.
The exhibition includes a total of 42 purchasable highly aesthetic paintings, as well as a poster and a video trailer integrated into the exhibition. When the sound is turned on, one hears an audio guide in the form of a mini radio play.
The exhibition is expected to remain open until the end of the year. |
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Kunstmatrix-Exhibition |
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