b12 2021

welcome to b12

feeling electrified?

b12 - the festival for contemporary dance and performance art in berlin 2021 - is celebrating the power of you! you can experience an incredible four weeks this coming summer from july 2nd through august 1st, filled with workshops and performances. wether you want to see only performances or take workshops - b12 has it all. the performances are open for everyone who would like to see them! (to see what we are presenting, and what is open for everyone to be part of, please go to performances in the menu bar.) next to incredible shows to experience, we facilitate a professional platform for performers to work with and learn from an extensive array of sought-after artists from all over the world, sharing their knowledge in a stunning studio environment.

while advocating for the field of contemporary dance and performance art, b12 is bringing power to the unconventional and is dedicated to nurturing artists who are taking physical and emotional risks on and off stage.


creation at b12

a large array of approaches awaits you. don't be intimidated by the choices. all the teachers we feature are quite amazing in their very own unique way. there is everything to dive into: from film to text to movement to acrobatics to theatrical to experimental to the unexpected to the futuristic.

nirvana at b12

the elongated workshop times give you a chance to deepen your journey in search of artistic growth, and we welcome you to choose from over 80 workshops and research experts. is there anything left to say? here at b12 you become part of a curious community that cares about the untold. whether it's cerebral, physical or anything in between - including the daily vinyasa yoga classes, all free of charge - your stay in berlin will give you an experience you will never forget!


anchor at b12

this year b12 is organizing new discussion platforms to exchange and share your views, to connect with peers, teachers, and anybody who wants to pass by. please subscribe to our newsletter for updates! apart from our professional workshops, we invite anyone and everyone to our outreach workshops for the general community. in these workshops, you will develop an understanding of body language, self-esteem, teamwork, and finding your inner dancer.


b12 is devoted to curating controversial performances and hosting different types of performance approaches:

asteroids: b12 will present this very sought after format, performed by the participants of the performance projects. this module presents new creations from six bewildering choreographers that will premiere here in berlin. (on july 17th, 18th and 31st, and august 1st 2021)


sungrazers: we invite three artists who will each present an existing evening-length piece. (on july 20th, 21st, 23rd, 24th and 25th 2021)


critical mass: an informal studio showing of pieces, performed by the teachers/choreographers. (on july 6th, 13th, 22nd and 26th 2021 / free of charge)


we also curate two screenings for dance-on-camera short films during the festival for you to watch! ( july 19th and 27th 2021 / free of charge)



b12's school of thoughts

we encourage mental exchange on different topics and are excited to see discussions unfold. for that purpose, we developed two different formats:

deep space: come, listen to, and discuss with invited artists and theorists who share their thoughts on this year's topic of intersectionality. this panel discussion is happening three times during b12. (july 12th, 18th and 31st 2021 / free of charge) for more information on this please go here.

add-on for critical mass: many of you were asking, if, after some of our critical mass performances, we could add a moderated discussion with the artists. now we have!

to see performances or follow discussions at the b12 festival, you don't need to take workshops - everybody interested is welcome!


b12 and the world

b12 has been committed to sustainability ever since we started. here is what we do and what you can do:

b12 is part of a donation program to plant trees around the world - this year we will match the number of participants at b12 with trees: b12 is donating two trees for each participant who comes to berlin! this year we chose three locations - brazil, tanzania and madagascar. please follow the projects here:

brazil
tanzania
madagascar

we are hopeful and want to contribute to a sustainable world. if you like the idea of reforestation please consider donating as well.

we promote a plastic-free environment here at b12, asking everybody not to use or bring single-use plastic bottles, plastic cutlery, or plastic dishes. at the venue, you can find a cafe with vegetarian food and drinks - with sustainable tableware, as well as very good tap water to fill up your reusable water bottle.

when traveling from another country to b12, please consider the train instead of the plane. when traveling within berlin, please consider using a bike or taking public transport.

we are bringing artists from all over the world and we aim to minimize the number of flights for each teacher as much as possible. we bring one teacher to many participants instead of the other way around - saving a lot of energy and kerosine.

we decreased our printed promotional material for b12 to only two items! everything else is shared online. we are working in a mobile office, sharing resources as much as we can.

we are holding the festival in the summer, having literally no heating emissions and using very little electricity, trying to make use of daylight as much as possible.

we offer an online format called “planet b12” throughout the year. we connect you with your favorite teachers and artists while saving on travel and accommodation = saving energy.

we produce only fair trade and eco-friendly t-shirts and hoodies for our participants and teachers!