In collaboration with Zeitgenössischer Tanz Berlin e.V. and external guests, the project RESIST! hosts weekly “Assemblies” from March 5 to May 7: every Thursday evening** from 5–7 pm, everyone interested is invited to gather at Uferstudio 5.

The assembly on 23 April is being organised by the Burnout Appreciation Society (BAS): the aim of the working group, which has existed since 2025, is to contribute to the discussion on burnout in cultural work and to critically examine this issue. Its focus is on the performing arts, where exploitation, precarious working conditions and hyperproductivity are often normalised. The group's current formats include working group meetings and reading circles. In addition, there is a desire to establish a long-term think tank that explores the interface between dance and performance art on the one hand and mental and social health on the other.

With the format of the “Assemblies,” we aim to offer the independent scene space and time for broader cultural and political exchange. While digital connections tend to encourage fast, largely anonymous and individualized expressions of opinion, we choose to invest in real social cohesion. Through the “Assemblies,” we create a solidaric setting in which reflection and discussion can take place live and on site. Together, we want to explore how we can sustainably defend artistic freedom — in the face of current cuts to cultural funding and the normalization of right-wing positions within wider society.

During each assembly, the Freelance Dance Ensemble Berlin will give a 10-15 minute presentation calling on all dance and cultural professionals to make their changed realities visible. More information here.

Official announcement text of the AG Burnout Appreciation Society (BAS):

"What if the goal is not to eliminate stress - but to move with it? 
Burnout often arises when the nervous system can no longer return to rest, remaining caught in ongoing activation. Many artists know this cycle, especially in fields shaped by intensity, precarity, and high demands. In this workshop, psychologist, musician, and Artistic-Systemic Therapist Heather O’Donnell introduces core processes from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a way of working with burnout. Rather than focusing on symptom reduction, the workshop explores how to shift one’s relationship to pressure and inner criticism - while also reflecting on the conditions we work within. Burnout is not a personal failure, but often a signal of environments that are difficult to sustain. Through somatic check-ins, guided reflection, and exchange, participants practice staying present, listening to the body, reconnecting with values, and taking small, meaningful steps towards change."