In 2024, the Berlin Performing Arts Program initiated the pilot project Community and Neighbourhood Projects with the aim of strengthening the connection between the independent performing arts community and its audience in the long term. Berlin venues, artists and socio-cultural structures are developing diverse approaches to build new bridges in urban society - with formats that are based on active participation and promote exchange between the diverse communities.

Thinking about and actively reaching new audiences has long been part of the independent performing arts community's daily work. A stronger focus on community building is an important approach here: independent venues in particular can act flexibly and thus build closer relationships with their neighborhoods and the urban society in the immediate vicinity. The associated outreach approaches are not only important for audience development, but also underline the nature of theaters themselves - as third places where social participation takes place.

An open call was published in 2024 for the Performing Arts Program Berlin's community and neighbourhood projects, which met with a great response. A jury - consisting of Leyla Ercan (freelance cultural manager & consultant, speaker and lecturer), Ronan Favereau (freelance actor, theater educator and producer) and the PAP Berlin team - selected the following projects from numerous convincing submissions, which were then realized for the first time.
 

• Dance On – RAUS AUS DEM HEIM, REIN INS THEATER

• Dirty Daisy Performance Initiative – BiOtopia: Bewegt durch den Kleingarten

• Juliet Meding – Cripping Community Building

• Kysy Fischer – Tanz und Humor: Begegnung in Bewegung

• Lucia Marzec – Zeig mir, was Dich bewegt!
   

With a view to building long-term relationships with individual communities and the public in the neighborhood, these projects will be supported again in 2025. In addition, further projects from last year's open call are to be added, which will be announced here shortly.