BAM! Festival in Neukölln: Answering questions about the future of the music scene

BAM! Festival in Neukölln: Answering questions about the future of the music scene

This year's Berlin Festival for Current Music Theater (BAM!) will be held under the motto “Where do we go from here?” take place. This ambiguous theme not only reflects artistic aspirations, but also comments on the political situation and the challenges of the independent scene in Berlin. The fourth edition of the festival is being organized by the Zeitgenössisches Musiktheater Berlin (ZMB) association under the direction of Annalisa Derossi, who is new to the team, and co-founder Roland Quitt. The BAM! aims to present the diversity and internationality of independent music theater in Berlin, as Tagesspiegel reports.

This year the festival is taking place in Neukölln, a district that has been less affected by gentrification in recent years than other areas such as Mitte. The festival will take place over four days, from November 20th to 23rd, in various venues, including the Neukölln Opera and the Heimathafen. Rainer Simon, the new artistic director of the Neukölln Opera, generously made his space available for the festival.

Diverse productions and regional reference

The response to the BAM! is clearly reflected in the number of applications received. Over 100 artists and groups submitted their works, indicating the high demand and interest in the scene. This year a total of 16 productions will be presented, including some particularly notable projects.

• „B-Ebene. Underground-Stories Neukölln“: Erstellt in Zusammenarbeit mit Schülern des Albert-Einstein-Gymnasiums.
• „War Whispers“ von „Sounding Situations“: Eine Stadtraumerkundung in Neukölln, die das Publikum auf eine erlebnisreiche Reise mitnimmt.
• „Papuče Pantofi Power“ im Puppentheater-Museum: Ein interaktives Musiktheaterexperiment, bei dem die Besucher ihre Hausschuhe mitbringen und über Heimatsfragen nachdenken.
• „Weltenwandern“ von DieOrdnungDerDinge: Diese Produktion richtet sich an ein junges Publikum und erzählt von Zugvögeln und menschlichen Migrationsbewegungen.

That BAM! Taking place in Neukölln should be a conscious decision that reflects the rich and diverse art scene in this district and offers a new perspective to the entire Berlin cultural landscape.

Networking and future visions

The festival also offers a program that encourages producers and festival organizers from different countries to network with the Berlin scene, which is what makes the BAM! becomes clear. The initiatives surrounding the festival are not only intended to stimulate creativity, but also to show concrete perspectives for the future of musical theater in Berlin.