Tanzfabrik
Berlin
Stage
Stage

30.04.2026

Contested Freedom: Art, Politics, and the Rise of the Far Right

Open Studio · Discourse
by Tanzfabrik Berlin BÜHNE
In the frame of RESIST!: Assembly
Photo: Marina de Toro
Venue:
Uferstudios 5
Badstr. 41A
Uferstr. 23
13357 Berlin
Dates:
Info:
Duration approx. 120 Min
Free entry. First come, first served. 

Description

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.

At the heart of the assembly on march 30 lies the political force of artistic freedom: from where does the notion of aesthetic freedom arise, how has it unfolded across recent history, and how might we grasp both its potentials and its limits in the face of the global ascent of the new right? Through a theoretical introduction to its philosophical underpinnings and the historical expansion of its political significance, this workshop aims to cultivate an understanding of the contradictory condition in which artistic freedom presently finds itself. In smaller groups, participants will engage with a series of concrete political constellations in which artistic freedom is contested, appropriated, or redefined from the right. In this way, participants are invited to explore their own relationship to both the promise and the boundaries of artistic freedom, to reflect on the interplay between art and politics, and to collectively imagine future horizons of resistance.

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.

Accessibility
Studio 5 is accessible without steps, but has a raised wooden floor which can be reached via a 1.5% inclined ramp. Wheelchair spaces are available. 
The barrier-free toilet is located in the foyer of the studio, a few meters from the studio.
 
If you have any further questions about the access requirements for this performance, please contact: access@tanzfabrik-berlin.de
Further information on accessibility can be found on our website: https://www.tanzfabrik-berlin.de/en/barrierefreiheit# 
Credits
The project RESIST! is funded by the Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt as part of the programme “Residenzförderung Tanz 2025–2027”. RESIST! will also host Kristina Kusmina Dreit, Live Works Fellow 2026, supported by Centrale Fies and Tanzfabrik Berlin BÜHNE. 

*Zeitgenössischer Tanz Berlin e.V. (Contemporary Dance Berlin Association) 
**except during the Easter holidays 
 
Biographies

Tanzfabrik Berlin BÜHNE

At the Tanzfabrik Berlin BÜHNE in the Uferstudios in Wedding there is space for rehearsals and the presentation of artistic works, residencies, artistic research, discourse and communication to the public.  These diverse activities are condensed into curated programme series. In addition, Tanzfabrik Berlin has been organising the Biennale Tanznacht Berlin since 2000 as an important showcase for the Berlin dance scene in collaboration with changing curators.
Leonie Hunter (she/her) is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Basel. She earned her doctorate in philosophy at Goethe University and the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt am Main, and has held positions at Offenbach University of Art and Design, Princeton University, Istituto Svizzero in Rome, and Justus Liebig University Gießen. Her current research project “Technologies of Social Abstraction” examines, drawing on early Frankfurt School theory, the relation between aesthetic, social, and technological abstraction. Her books include Das Drama im Politischen: Hegels Ästhetik als demokratietheoretischer Traktat (2023) and Tragischer Liberalismus (2024).