The 2026 Berlin Performing Arts Market

On May 12, 2026, the Berlin Performing Arts Program will put on the third edition of the Berlin Performing Arts Market. This year, the Market will focus on the relationship between artists and curators and/or presenters as well as the qualities of this collaboration.

These connections are important, especially in times of funding cuts and smaller budgets. With this in mind, the Berlin Performing Arts Market specifically invites national and international festivals, networks, trade fairs and institutions to present their work and develop shared paths of collaboration to bring the independent performing arts into the future. 

With this in mind, it will not only be Berlin-based artists who pitching during this edition: curators, presenters and national networks will also present themselves and their work. Over the course of exchange formats, we invite you to search for the types of relationships that will carry the independent performing arts into the future. How do artists and curators find each other? What connects them, what do they need each other for and how does collaboration take place?

The Performing Arts Market is part of the event Common Grounds – A Get-Together Examining National and International Collaboration in the Independent Performing Arts on May, 11 and 12, which will invite national and international members of the independent performing arts community to Berlin for two days in order to deepen the exchange regarding international collaboration.
 

Schedule of Events

10:00 am: Welcome & Warm-Up
With: Franziska Werner (Vorstand des LAFT Berlin – Landesverband freie darstellende Künste Berlin e.V.) as well as Catherine Launay und Tubi Malcharzik (the Berlin Performing Arts Program)

1:00 am: Keynote Presentation on Berlin’s Independent Performing Arts Community
With: Tatiana Saphir (performer, theater maker and DJ)

11:30 am: Pitching Session – Part 1

12:45 pm Lunch Break

1:45 pm Pitching Sessions – Part 2

3:15 pm Pitching Sessions – Part 3

5:00 pm: Information and Exchange Tables with National Networks
In a decentralized exchange format, different networks and initiatives present their work and invite discussion. The focus is placed on questions of distribution, national networking as well as the exchange of resources and knowledge.

With, amongst others, 

• Aerowaves (Hub for dance discovery in Europe) (https://aerowaves.org/)
• Information Center LAFT (https://pap-berlin.de/en/what-we-offer/information-center)
•  Bundesagentur für Arbeit/ ZAV-Künstlervermittlung Berlin (Federal Employment Agency / ZAV Artist Placement Agency) (https://zav.arbeitsagentur.de/DE/Standorte/Berlin/berlin_node.html)
• Circus Hub Berlin
• FestivalFriends (Association of independent German theatre festivals)  (https://festivalfriends.de/)
• Netzwerk Freier Theater (https://www.netzwerkfreiertheater.de/)
• Netzwerk spielorte Brandenburg (A project of Freie Darstellende Künste Brandenburg)
• PADA (Alliance of Agents, Distributors, & Producers) – (tbc)
• PAMPA (Producers, Agents, Managers Performing Arts)
• produktionsbande (Network for production managers, producers, art workers, strategists) (https://www.pampa-network.org/home)

6:00 pm: Closing Remarks and Presentation of the Pubication On Tour! Tools, Tips and Strategies for Distribution Work

Moderated by: Olympia Bukkakis and Maria F. Scaroni

Artist and -groups | Pitchings Sessions Performing Arts Market 

With AABA NAIA, Alvin Collantes, Carlos Aller & Cecilia Bartolino, Chicha Express, Eli Simić-Prošić & Lisa Marie Stojčev, Erratum (Sascha Cowan & Hadrien Daigneault-Roy), Jäckie Rydz, Juribonke, Katrina E. Bastian,
Markus&Markus, Núria Frías Corrius, Post Paradies, Shlomi Moto Wagner (House of Mazeltov), Tesmo Kollektiv.
 

Festivals, Plattformen und Netzwerke | Pitching Sessions Performing Arts Market 

• Arina Bartha, Coordinator, Sibiu International Performing Arts Market – Romania (www.sibiuartsmarket.ro)
• David Harold, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Festival Off in Avignon – France  (www.festivaloffavignon.com)
• Flora Mackeddie, Head of Programming, Assembly Festival, Edinburgh – Scotland (https://assemblyfestival.com/)
• Franziska Werner, Artistic Director, Impulse Festival for performance, theatre and dance in Düsseldorf, Bochum, Müllheim an der Ruhr and Köln – Germany (https://impulsefestival.de/en)
• Gritt Uldall-Jessen, Curator, festival organizer and a co-founder - Selected Works Festival (Det Frie Felts Festival) – Denmark (https://detfriefeltsfestival.com/en)
• Lorenzo Pappagallo, Curator, creative producer & collaborator for international affairs – Dferia San, Performing Arts Fair in San Sebastián – Spanien  (https://www.dferia.eus/en/)
• River Lin, Artist and Curator, Asia Discovers Asia Meeting for Contemporary Performance, ADAM – Taiwan (https://tpac.org.taipei/en/adam)
• Tine De Pourcq, Cofounder, Mestizo Arts Platform / WIPCOOP (Work In Progress Cooperation) – Belgien (https://mestizoartsplatform.be/en/)
•  Tomasz Kireńczuk, Director - Santarcangelo Festival – Italy (tbc) (https://www.santarcangelofestival.com/en/)

The full program will be available shortly

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Language
The 2026 edition of the Berlin Performing Arts Market on May 12 will take place in English spoken language; simultaneous interpretation is not being planned for this day.

Accessibility
The event will take place at ZK/U – Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik (Siemensstraße 27, 10551 Berlin). The hall, terraces and conference rooms are barrier-free. Access is possible via a ramp on the northern side as well as an elevator. An accessible restrooom is located on the ground floor.