International dance art, powerful artistic voices, and an enthusiastic audience
Awards presented at the 18th International SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends in Cologne
The 18th International SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends, presented by Barnes Crossing – Freiraum für TanzPerformanceKunst, concluded with an awards ceremony on May 31, 2026. In the anniversary year “20 Years of Barnes Crossing,” the festival once again presented outstanding contemporary dance and performance works from Germany and abroad.
From more than 150 applications from 18 countries, 17 solo and duo productions were selected and presented in Cologne on May 29 and 30. The international jury, consisting of Vivianne Rodrigues del Britto (NL), Bébé de Soares (BR), and Leandro Kees (ARG/D), awarded five prizes.
The winning works particularly impressed the jury with their distinctive artistic styles as well as their engagement with contemporary social, political, and aesthetic issues.
The 2026 Award Winners (Jury Award):
AWARDED DUO + Residency
MUGA (Rotterdam, Netherlands)
Choreography: Francesco Paolino
Dance: Francesco Paolino and Tom Blanc
AWARDED DUO NEWCOMER
Project G2 Post Traffic Femtasy (Essen, Germany)
Choreography: Tabea Jung
Dance: Shauna Fischer, Merel Bastiaans
AWARDED DANCER
I could also be a black swan (Kassel, Germany)
Choreography/Dance: Klil Ela Rotshtain
AWARDED SOLO NEWCOMER + Residency
this is not an accident (Cologne, Germany)
Choreography/Dance: Cilai Herrmann
AWARDED SOLO + Residency
Sorry, one more thing (Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany)
Choreography/Dance: Leonie Greta Hardt
The jury’s full laudatory remarks can be downloaded with the press release.
Audience Awards
The audience also presented its own awards on both days of the competition.
May 29, 2026
• Audience Award Duo: Dustkind – Giacomo Liam Durante and Sofie Sochorcová
• Audience Award Solo: The skin remembers – Einav Berkovich
May 30, 2026
• Audience Award for Duo: MUGA – Francesco Paolino and Tom Blanc
• Audience Award for Solo: I could also be a black swan – Klil Ela Rotshtain
With MUGA and I could also be a black swan, two works were honored by both the expert jury and the audience.
Festival Team Award
To mark the 20th anniversary of Barnes Crossing, a Festival Team Award was presented for the first time this year. The non-monetary award went to the solo work BOLOKO by Karel KOUELANY (Vitry-sur-Seine, France).
Full press release & laudatory speeches as PDF
Hallo liebe kunst- und tanzinteressierte Menschen sowie jene, die es werden wollen!
Wir freuen uns, mit freundlicher Unterstützung der Stadt Köln, auch in diesem Jahr Audiodeskription und DGS-Verdolmetschung für das SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends bereitzustellen. Alle Information zur Barrierefreiheit und Anreise findet ihr im Audio-Flyer sowie auf der Website. Außerdem sind wir telefonisch und per E-Mail für euch zu erreichen.
Am 29. und 30. Mai 2026 zeigen wir 17 internationale Kurz-Choreografien des Zeitgenössischen Tanz bei Barnes Crossing im Kunstzentrum Wachsfabrik. Am 31. Mai findet die Preisverleihung durch die international besetzte Jury statt. Wir freuen uns drauf, euch bei uns zu begrüßen!
Herzlich
Eure Ilona, Künstlerische Leitung von SoloDuo
18. SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends Internationales Tanzfestival
Barnes Crossing 29. bis 31. Mai 2026
Tickets 29.05.2026 https://rausgegangen.de/events/soloduo-festival-new-friends-0/
Tickets 30.05.2026 https://rausgegangen.de/events/soloduo-festival-new-friends-1/
Booking for the awards ceremony on 31 May 2026: https://rausgegangen.de/events/soloduo-festival-nrw-friends-0/
SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends
Since 2009, the SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends has been an annual international dance festival dedicated to presenting contemporary dance productions – with a particular focus on emerging artists. The festival offers a unique platform for emerging choreographers, promotes artistic exchange among international participants as well as between participants and professional dance practitioners, and creates career opportunities.
Each year, the festival presents 8–10 contemporary solo choreographies with a maximum duration of 6 minutes and duo choreographies with a maximum duration of 9 minutes. We welcome international applications, particularly those for mixed-ability productions. Two duos and three solos are selected from the programme by the international jury to either take part in international festivals organised by partner organisations or to benefit from a residency lasting several weeks at the “Quartier am Hafen”.
From 29 to 31 May 2026, the International SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends will take place for the 18th time. The festival is organised by Barnes Crossing – Freiraum für TanzPerformanceKunst, which has been providing an important platform for contemporary dance and performance for two decades.
This year, too, the festival underlines its international significance: over 150 applications were received from 18 countries, including France, the Netherlands, Brazil, Taiwan, Poland, Italy, Finland, Israel, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Greece, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, the USA, Portugal, England, Sweden and Germany.
PROGRAMME for download
Organiser
Team
Artistic Directors: Ilona Pászthy, Gerda König
Festival Assistants: Even Wainscoat, Joschka Heed
Selection Jury: Diana Treder, Ilona Pászthy
Graphic Design: miegL
Jury: Vivianne Rodrigues del Britto (NL), Bebé de Soares und Leandro Kees
Technical Support: Garlef Keßler
Sound Engineering Assistant: Simeon Kuhn
PR and Communications: Mechtild Tellmann
Workshop Leaders: Yvonne Hardt, Nina Patrizia Hänel
Photo/Video Documentation: Alessandro de Matteis
The jury for the awards are Dutch artist Vivianne Rodrigues del Britto and Bebé de Soares and Leandro Kees.
In addition to the competition entries, the festival offers a diverse supporting programme that focuses on artistic exchange. Discussion panels between participants and the jury provide opportunities for reflection and networking. The programme is complemented by two workshops: on Saturday, Yvonne Hardt will lead a discussion on current issues in dance policy, and on Sunday, Nina Patrizia Hänel will lead a practical workshop in the field of dance.
Awards and grants
The SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends will award the following prizes in 2026:
awarded Solo: €400 and a residency grant at Quartier am Hafen
awarded Duo: €800 and a residency grant at Quartier am Hafen
awarded Newcomer Solo: €400
awarded Newcomer Duo: €800
awarded dancer: €400
In addition, a further residency place will be awarded to a production selected by the jury. All prizes are sponsored by the KunstSalon Stiftung Köln in cooperation with the Quartier am Hafen.
Accessibility as a lived commitment
Thanks to renewed funding from the City of Cologne, comprehensive accessibility formats can also be offered in 2026. These include, amongst other things, audio descriptions (upon registration), a pick-up service from the nearest train station, and special services for deaf people. The venue is fully accessible – the festival thus sees itself as an inclusive cultural offering for everyone.
An audio flyer will be available on the website shortly.
Anniversary: 20 years of Barnes Crossing
In 2026, Barnes Crossing celebrates its 20th anniversary. The festival is part of this anniversary programme and will mark the occasion with special highlights. Visitors can look forward to additional programme items and surprises, particularly during the awards ceremony.
Practical information:
Competition performances:
Friday, 29 May 2026, 8.00 pm
Saturday, 30 May 2026, 8.00 pm
Awards ceremony
Sunday, 31 May 2026, 3.00 pm
Tickets
Tickets €19.00 / concessions €12.00 / €6.00 with Tanzcard (ZZT students) per festival day (limited availability), all prices subject to booking fee. Award ceremony: Free admission
Tickets available via rausgegangen.de
or at the box office (we recommend booking in advance, providing your name, address and telephone number, as only a limited number of tickets are available for general sale. Tel.: 02236-963588, barnescrossing@web.de