Conjunctio – a choreographic workshop presentation by IPtanz

/ by and for people of all visual abilities, with audio description and a tactile tour.

 

Saturday 25 July 2026, 3:00 pm

An event as part of the Barnes Crossing anniversary year 2026

Memory is not an archive, but a movement of images, feelings and traces. How does memory manifest itself in the body beyond the visual? A diverse ensemble of sighted, blind and visually impaired performers explores truth, perception and transformation. Conjunctio conceives memory as a living process. The open rehearsal at the end of the first rehearsal process invites you to encounter this fragile fabric and engage in conversation.

An AUDIOFLYER is available in GERMAN here.

What remains once a moment has passed? Conjunctio—a choreographic workshop presentation by IPTanz with and for blind, visually impaired, and sighted people. On July 25, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. at Barnes Crossing, Industriestraße 170, Cologne-Rodenkirchen. Barnes Crossing is accessible via Line 16 to the Michaelshoven stop; a pickup service will be available at the stop starting at 2:30 p.m. After the presentation, there will be time to discuss the experience.

Due to limited seating, we ask that you register in advance by calling 0157 57930117 or emailing karten@ip-tanz.com. Admission is free. Assistance dogs are welcome and can be looked after in the foyer.

Conjunctio was funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Cultural Office of the City of Cologne. IPtanz is funded by the Rheinenergie Foundation for Culture.

 

30 Years of DIN A 13 Dance Company

MOVEMENT UNBOUND

Documentary film by Miriam Jakobs and Gerhard Schick

Friday, October 9, 2026, 7:00 p.m.

MOVEMENT UNBOUND is a moving journey into the lives of dancers with and without disabilities who, through the art of dance, transform our perception of diversity in society.

MOVEMENT UNBOUND celebrated its world premiere this past May at DOKfest Munich. DOKfest Munich is Germany’s largest documentary film festival and one of the most important platforms for documentary film in Europe. “It’s a wonderful honor that the film is being shown there,” says Miriam Jakobs.

And not only did MOVEMENT UNBOUND make it into the festival program, but the film was also nominated for the All Inclusive Documentary Film Award 2026, which honors film productions in which filmmakers with disabilities play a leading role.

As part of a theater tour, MOVEMENT UNBOUND will be shown in several cities and numerous schools throughout Germany, making it accessible to a wide audience.

Dance and Paint! Instant composition with dance and painting

 

Saturday, 31 October 2026, 5.00 pm – 7.00 pm

Alert and curious, playful and precise – this is how the magic of the moment is created: Instant composition.

Through the combination of dance and painting, an inspiring evening unfolds in which the various artistic languages interweave, layer, fold, challenge one another and continually surprise and reinvent themselves.
This evening is explicitly not a ‘classical’ performance but an invitation to get involved yourself or to watch as the creative process unfolds in the very moment.
In doing so, we explore through improvisation – in ever-changing constellations and over varying durations – both the communication between the dancers and performing artists and the interaction with the visual artists.

Dear dancers and painters: Come along and dance with us, or paint with us, or watch us dance and paint, or simply switch from one to the other!
And please bring whatever you need. We’ll be setting up a framework with both structured and free-form improvisation, and we’re looking forward to exchanging ideas with you. Please register with us by 28 October 2026 if you’d like to take part by dancing and/or painting. That way, we can prepare everything to suit your needs.

Dear audience: Throughout the evening, you’re free to choose new spots whenever you like, both to discover fresh perspectives on dance improvisation and to experience the various artists at work up close. Just pop along – you don’t need to prepare anything; we simply ask that you register to help us plan better (though spontaneous guests are also very welcome).

After the ‘Tanz Mal!’ sessions, we’ll round off the evening with a warm soup; what you’ve experienced, seen, learnt, danced and painted can all sink in at your own pace.

The paintings and sketches created during the evening will be exhibited on Sunday 1 November 2026 [feel free to link to the other event page!] as part of the Wachsfabrik’s Art Sunday.

Please register or direct any enquiries to Andrea Lucas on 0163-9719837

You can also register via rausgegangen

 

Tanz Mal! Exhibition

Sunday, 1 November 2026, 2.00 pm – 6.00 pm

During Art Sunday, you can admire, experience and view the paintings and sketches created by the visual artists the previous day at ‘Dance Away! Instant Composition’ [please feel free to link to the other event page!] on the grounds of the Wachsfabrik Art Centre in our premises at Barnes Crossing.
Do pop along – we look forward to seeing you!

 

Price information: ​Pay what you want tickets (suggested: 6€ / 10€ / 15€)​ are available at the box office (Abendkasse) from 19:00. To make a reservation, please send an email to creation.jvnpetrovska@gmail.com – READ MORE

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

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

Summer Celebration – we’re having a garden party!

Sunday 28 June 2026, from 5.00 pm

An event as part of 20 years Barnes Crossing – JUBEL!

Local dance scene Meet & Greet – We warmly invite you to a relaxed summer evening as part of our JUBEL events at Barnes Crossing!

On Sunday, June 28, 2026, we would like to take the opportunity to get together in a casual atmosphere, make new connections, and see familiar faces again. Look forward to a laid-back meet & greet featuring light snacks, cold drinks, and good conversation. Let’s enjoy a relaxing summer evening together!

Your Barnes Crossing Team

Admission is free. To help us plan, please let us know if you’ll be attending by emailing tickets@barnescrossing.de – thank you! We have a plan for bad weather, too; so do come along – we are prepared.

Info and reservation: 0163 – 9719837 or post@wolkenstein-theater.de

 

Most of the time, Willi the raccoon and Laila the owl are very comfortable in their forest home, and they have been good friends for a long time.
And yet there’s always something to decide all day long: who gets to play the drum, that’s my apple, where are the wellies again, stop strumming, is there lunch now, you don’t know what you want anyway, but you already had the little guitar yesterday and you always know everything better…
Laila and Willi find joy in their own voices and self-determination between not-right-at-all and right-at-all. And, of course, they find out how to make decisions together.

Summarized in adult language:
Owl and Raccoon play around the children’s right to participation and use lots of music and humor to educate daycare children about democracy.

Supported by NRW Landesbüro FDK, NRW Ministry of Culture, Cologne Cultural Office and the Victor Rolff Foundation.