IETM Multi-location in Berlin

The local Plenary meeting in Berlin, Germany, will be hosted by our member LAFT - Association for the independent performing arts in collaboration with Performing Arts Programm Berlin as part of the 8th Get-Together of the Independent Performing Arts Industry. Please find below the introduction by the local hosts, as well as the local programme and practical information to help you plan your stay in Berlin.

Introduction by the local hosts

8th Get-Together of the Independent Performing Arts Industry: WE’LL SEE WHEN WE SEE!? – Flexibilities of an Independent Arts Community

We are dedicating this year’s event to the topic of “flexibility”. As an intrinsic, one-of-a-kind quality endemic to the independent performing arts community. As a neoliberal curse and independent blessing simultaneously. As a working method and demand for funding structures since the beginning of the performing arts. As a critical reflection of a phenomenon that everyone is talking about at the moment and thus as a continuation of our dealing with the idea of solidarity that was the focus of our last Industry Get-Together.

Due to the current restrictions in place on the gathering of individuals, the number of participants is strictly limited. Despite all of the flexibility, we will be doing our very best to ensure that the spaces and events of the 8th Industry Get-Together of Berlin’s Independent Performing Arts Community are barrier-free. If you have any specific suggestions or needs, we are always very happy to hear from you.

Over the course of numerous short presentations and artist table talks as well as cultural policy updates, the hybrid workshop format HOW TO…, a hackathon for the continued development of a sharing app for the independent performing arts community and diverse discussions and walks with representatives of the community, we will explore the state of current practices dealing with safeguarding, assembly, distribution or participation in the context of flexible needs and requirements.
 
Together, we will take a look at the discourses still to be held on the topics of feminism, sustainability and diversity, open new fields of discussion surrounding teaching, exchange and international relationships (e.g. to Prague over the course of the exchange program PRALIN as well as with a delegation of artists from North Rhine-Westphalia) and connect with IETM, which will be represented multi-locally/ decentralised this year, including in Berlin within the schedule of programming of the Industry Get-Together of the Independent Performing Arts Community.
 
At the end of each day, Anna-Lena Wenzel and Julia Bonn will be our constant, faithfully guiding us through the encounters, focuses and observations of the industry during their radio salon.

Registrations for this physical local meeting closed on 24 September but you can still register here for the full IETM Multi-location online programme.

Please note that registrations for this location are held directly on the Berlin Performing Arts Program website and are mandatory to access the meeting. Admission is free of charge.

Programme

The on-site programme of the local meeting in Berlin prepared by the local hosts will include the participation in the main IETM online programme (marked as working sessions on the page), to which all the locations of the Multi-location Plenary will simultaneously connect on 1 and 2 October.

Check out the complete local programme in Berlin for the 1 and 2 of October on Performing Arts Programm Berlin's website.

Note that, in addition to the schedule programmed during the Multi-location Plenary Meeting on 1 and 2 October, the Industry Get-Together of the Independent Performing Arts proceeds with further events on 3 October.

Programme highlights for international guests

Below are the highlights for international guests taken from the full progamme of the local Plenary meeting in Berlin.

To connect to the online sessions below, please click on the title of the session and you'll be redirected to the session page, where the link to connect is displayed.

CEST: Central European Summer Time (local time in Berlin)

Note that complete silence is not expected during the events. When discussing serious topics, the atmosphere can be charged or very concentrated. Anyone who needs a break can leave an event at any time. No loud music will be played.

For any question regarding the local meeting in Berlin, please get in touch directly with the Berlin Performing Arts Program - Get-Together of the Independent Performing Arts Industry on +49 30 / 33 84 54 51 or at branchentreff2020@pap-berlin.de.

Language

The events in the auditorium at Centre Français de Berlin will be interpreted simultaneously into English. For all other events within the schedule of programming, it is clearly indicated when an event takes place in English. Personal simultaneous translation is not allowed to be offered at the current time due to the hygiene regulations. The main language of the conference is German. 

Covid-19 regulations

Before booking your travel, please check the travel regulations of your destination. Please make sure you also check here the list of countries whose citizens can get into Germany without restrictions. Please also make sure to check the regulations of the country where you are based, which might still limit the destinations to which you can travel.

Please be aware that local Covid-19 regulations may affect your journey as well as the local meeting itself until the very last minute. For the latest information please feel free to check the official governmental information here.

This year, the Industry Get-Together can only take place with extremely limited capacities so that all participants can maintain a safe and reasonable distance from each other during the ongoing global pandemic. This will ensure that participation is safe for all attendees. 

In order to protect all participants and staff, the hygiene regulations of the Berlin Senate apply during all events at all locations during the Industry Get-Together. We ask here for your help, prudence and shared responsibility in helping to stop the spread of the pandemic and reserve the right to ask anyone refusing to cooperate and violating the regulations to leave the event. And, in general: if you have any symptoms – please stay at home! 

Registration & Accreditation

Registration 

The number of participants is extremely limited this year. As a result, we ask you to please register in advance. 

Participation in the individual events of the Industry Get-Together is only possible with confirmed registration in advance. Your registration confirmation must be presented upon request. If you do not have this confirmation, we ask you to refrain from attending the conference. 

We ask you to please be sure to arrive on time and to be certain to inform us in advance if you are unable to attend an event you have registered for. There will be waiting lists. We ask for your understanding in this matter as well and appreciate your help and support. 

Accreditation 

We ask you to report on arrival to the accreditation and information booth in the lobby of Centre Français de Berlin and/or the courtyard of Uferstudios / in studio 13. All participants will receive their Industry Get-Together ID, the schedule of programming and further information. Team members will be available here on all days of the event to answer questions and provide information about the Industry Get-Together - and the same is true for the entire team of the Berlin Performing Arts Program, of course.

Location

Centre Français de Berlin 

Müllerstrasse 74, 13349 Berlin

The Centre Français de Berlin (CFB) is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to contribute to international understanding in the fields of youth, education and culture in line with the European idea.

The spaces in Centre Français de Berlin are accessible via a narrow ramp. The floor in the entrance area is somewhat uneven due to flagstones. There are places for wheelchair users in the auditorium so that service persons can be directly nearby. 

A restroom with fixtures for people with limited mobility is available.
The seats in the cinema are lightly cushioned. Parking spaces in the direct vicinity are available for people with disabilities.

How to get there?

Metro line U6, stop: Rehberge
(Elevator and integrated guide system for visually impaired persons are present)

Metro line U6, stop: Afrikanische Straße
(Elevator and integrated guide system for visually impaired persons are present)

Uferstudios 

Uferstraße 23, 13357 Berlin, Germany

Uferstudios for contemporary dance is an historically protected area with 16 spacious studios, several offices and workshops. Between the two entrances at Badstrasse 41a and the smokestack at Uferstrasse 23, a large courtyard invites you to wander about, linger or attend an artistic event and provides access for persons with physical disabilities to almost all spaces. The building complex is wheelchair accessible. 

The flooring in the outdoor area is somewhat uneven. A restroom with fixtures for people with limited mobility is available. 

Some spaces at Uferstudios feature especially bright lighting. This can, however, be reduced simply by asking about it while at the respective location. Parking spaces in the direct vicinity are available for people with disabilities

How to get there?

Metro line U8, stop: Pankstraße
(Without elevator and without integrated guide system for visually impaired persons)

Metro line U9, stop: Osloer Strasse
(Elevator and integrated guide system for visually impaired persons are present)

Metro line U9, stop: Nauener Platz
(Without elevator and without integrated guide system for visually impaired persons)

S-Bahn line S1, S2, S25, S26, S41, S42, S46, stop: Gesundbrunnen
(Elevator and integrated guide system for visually impaired persons are present)

Accessibility

It is our aim to make IETM meetings as accessible as possible. However, it may not be possible to offer services at every location and, therefore, we recommend that you check the accessibility conditions of the location of your interest.

In order to meet the needs as much as possible, we collect your access requirements when you create your account and register for the meeting. Regarding speech-to-text captioning, we can only guarantee captions for the main IETM online programme (marked as working sessions on the page).

In the city

Berlin is generally considered as a fairly accessible city. Transport is equipped with lift ramps as well as with guidance systems for the visually impaired.  The city also has plenty of wheelchair accessible toilets available which you can locate with the Access Berlin app. For more details on the accessibility of the city, visit the Visit Berlin website. 

All accessibility details which are provided online are collected based on the information received from the venues' staff and their websites. If you need more information, please get in touch with the organisers directly on +49 30 / 33 84 54 51 or at branchentreff2020@pap-berlin.de.

At the meeting

The teams of the Industry Get-Together and the event locations are continuously working to supplement the existing offers and have their ears open at all times for questions and suggestions. Due to the measures to slow the spread of the pandemic, physical participation in the on-site events is extremely limited and poses great challenges to us all. 

We are working hard to offer alternative forms of accessibility and will document all content thoroughly and make it available in a timely manner. In order to further open access to the Industry Get-Together, there will also be a daily (web) radio broadcast. 

Alongside the transmission of the audio of the conference, content and positions will also be made accessible as web documents in order to compensate for the exclusions. We are happy to answer any further questions or receive your suggestions; please write to us at branchentreff2020@pap-berlin.de. 

Accessibility in the locations 

All spaces rented for the Industry Get-Together are accessible for wheelchair users and people using mobility aids with some restrictions. Please contact us if you have questions about accessibility during the Industry Get-Together or for specific event formats by sending an email to branchentreff2020@ pap-berlin.de.

Transports

By plane

Berlin has two international airports, Berlin Tegel (TXL) and Berlin Schönefeld (SXF).

There are no direct train connections to Tegel Airport. You can reach the city using specific airport bus lines such as the TXL Express Bus or the Express Bus X9.

Schönefeld airport is easily reached by express train. The train ride takes 15 minutes to Ostbahnhof and 30 minutes to Berlin’s central station.

You will find more information on airport transfers here.

By train or by bus

Berlin is easily accessible by train or bus. In total there are 5 main train stations and 2 bus terminals.

The city has direct train connections to Warsaw and Prague as well as connections to Amsterdam, Utrecht, Brussels and Paris via Frankfurt or Cologne. There is also a connection via Hamburg to Copenhagen as well to Austria, Switzerland and Venice via Munich.

Public transport

Berlin has a variety of public transport options with an extensive U-bahn network as well as trains, trams, buses. You may also get around using electric scooters or bicycles. You can find more about transport here.

All U-bahn and S bahn stations are wheelchair accessible, as well as bus lines. More information regarding public transport accessibility can be found here.

Travellers are required to wear a face mask on public transport or will be subject to paying a fine that can go up to 500 EUR. A 1.5 metre distance is mandatory.

Accommodation

Most hotels in Berlin have reopened so you should be able to book your stay via the usual booking platforms. New hygiene and guest tracking measures have been adopted. Check here for more information.

Food and drinks    

Catering 

Packed lunches will be available for all participants on both event days. Fresh fruit and drinks will also be provided. In doing so, it is a special challenge for us to practice sustainability in the sense of avoiding waste. To help us do so, we ask you to bring your own beverage containers. 

Out

Restaurants and cafés have reopened with specific hygiene measures in place. For updated information about safety measures when eating out please check out the official information here.

Contact

For any question regarding the local meeting in Berlin, please get in touch directly with the Berlin Performing Arts Program - Get-Together of the Independent Performing Arts Industry on +49 30 / 33 84 54 51 or at branchentreff2020@pap-berlin.de.

Image in banner: © Pablo Hermoso