b12 – Festival for Contemporary Dance and Performance Art

Research Instead of Performance

'Research or die' – this motto encapsulates the programmatic focus of the b12 Festival. While traditional dance festivals centre on performances, b12 prioritizes research: How do choreographers and performers develop new movement and performance languages? What risks, both physical and emotional, are necessary for this? The festival operates as a four-week workshop process, with workshops being the primary format, complemented by performances and public presentations.

DOCK 11 and EDEN Studios

The main venue is DOCK 11 at Kastanienallee 79 (Prenzlauer Berg, Pankow district) – one of Berlin's most important studios for contemporary dance, featuring two theatre halls and several studio spaces. Additionally, the EDEN Studios are located at the same site. Both venues have significantly shaped Berlin's dance development over two decades and serve as an international showcase for the Berlin dance scene.

Format: Workshops, Performance Series, Residencies

Over 80 workshop leaders from around the world teach in various formats: 8-, 6-, and 4-day intensive research workshops, performance projects with established choreographers, somatic practices, and mentoring sessions. The content ranges from classical contemporary dance to film, text, acrobatics, theatre, and experimental and futuristic forms.

Performance Series

Parallel to the workshops, curated performance series are held, which are also open to the Berlin public: b12 Mavericks (four curated performances), Critical Mass (four experimental events), Asteroids (three three-day collaborative projects), and Sungrazers, along with other special formats. This makes the festival a public showcase of a four-week workshop process.