Quality Street – 14. May 2025

An artistic parcours at Bears in the Park, Simmering. Free and open for all.

For the forth time, Bears in the Park invites everyone to a public gathering in Simmering. Quality Street is a curated mix of performance, reflection, and celebration.

We begin in the garden with a screening of “Bridges of Belonging” by Ukrainian dancer and choreographer Maria Shurkhal and Amin Ebrahimi. The film follows two young ballet dancers living through war — one in Kyiv, the other at the Vienna Opera Ballet School — and explores how conflict shapes identity, art, and connection. Maria will be present to introduce the film.

Next up in the Big Hall: Lîla Collective, connecting House with Contemporary Dance, followed by a bold performance by Helena Araújo who takes us to an emotional crisis center. After a short garden bar break, Schmusechor takes over with over 30 voices in concert.

Francesca Centonze opens an exhibition of site-specific contemporary works. Outside, Sambattac brings the energy with ten percussionists shaking the walls with Afro-Latin rhythms.

To close the night: a DJ-Set & Live Vocals by MALENCIAGA.

This program is about connection — artistic, political, human. At Bears in the Park, we believe gathering like this matters, especially now. Let’s share space, listen, and move together. Check out our past Quality Streets here.

Line-up:

• Film screening:  Maria Shurkhal & Amin Ebrahimi
• Dance duet: Lîla Collective
• Performance: Helena Araújo
• Choir concert: Schmusechor
• Art exhibition: Francesca Centonze
• Drumming session: Sambattac
• DJ-Set & Live Vocals: DJ MALENCIAGA

Info:

• The entrance is free of charge
• Open from 7pm
• Unfortunatley our space is not accessible by wheelchair yet.
• Address: Eyzinggasse 12/2 1110 Vienna (entrance at corner Otto-Herschmanngasse)

 

Works:

Bridges of Belonging – short documentary film by Amin Ebrahimi and Maria Shurkhal

Taisiya and Fadei are two teenagers who share a dream of becoming ballet dancers. Due to the war, they left their hometown of Kharkiv to pursue professional training in Kyiv and Vienna. Navigating the challenges of displacement and the pursuit of their art, the two reflect on the invisible scars that war leaves on a young person and the sheltering role of art in their journey.

“With the kind support of the City of Vienna’s Department of Culture, the British Council, and the Ukrainian Institute as part of the UK/UA Creative Partnerships programme, in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Ukraine. The film is part of the Takflix Original x NOWNESS series.”

Patchworks – by Lio Jakob and Betty Pester aka Lîla Collective

Where do contemporary dance and House Dance begin and where do they end? How far can we go without losing the essence of the styles? ‘Patchworks’ goes in search of the “Sweet Spot” between House Dance and contemporary dance and tries to find a movement language in which the styles merge seamlessly. When Drama Knocks the Door – solo version

When Drama Knocks the Door – by Helena Araújo

When Drama Knocks the Door – solo version- is an unapologetic explosion of emotions in all their chaotic, theatrical glory. Set in an imaginary emotional crisis center, this cabaret-style performance swings between heartbreak and hilarity, embracing the absurdity of grief, joy, and everything in between. Through dance, storytelling, and outrageous theatricality, Helena Araujo navigates the spectacle of feeling too much, celebrating too-muchness, and turning breakdowns into breakthroughs.

SambAttac – the loud voice of Attac

SambAttac is the loud voice of Attac Austria. We bring enthusiasm and joie de vivre to demonstrations, protests and festivals – and everyone can join us.With Afro-Brazilian rhythms we are on the way to conquer the public. To encourage intellectual debate and critical thinking. And to create a piece of the world we want to live in. Here, now and tomorrow.  Artistic director: Stefan Eibel

Schmusechor

Don’t act like you don’t know us! The Schmusechor – the most thrilling choir since the invention of harmony – is a sizzling blend of pop music, performance, haute couture, and pure passion. According to legend, it was founded about nine years ago in a shared bedroom in a Vienna flat, and today, it’s an unmissable part of the music scene. Under the artistic direction of Verena Giesinger – exceptional conductor, heartbeat, rhythm, and baton of the Schmusechor – the group delivers a spectacular range of brilliance that’s truly one of a kind.

MALENCIAGA – DJ Set & Live Vocals

Malika Fankha (MALENCIAGA) works internationally as a dancer, sound poet and DJ. Their sets are a sensuous journey full of textures, breezes and shivers, ranging from tearjerking amuse-gueules to protest anthems, from rapturous beats to percussive techno slappers, understanding each frequency as a practice of sonic activism and collective empowerment.

24 Hour Theater Festival – 12. April

For the first time, on Saturday, April 12, we at Bears in the Park will host the 24-Hour Theater Festival, organized by Butterfly Effect. Join us to experience the results of this unique artistic journey!

The premise: 6 teams (each consisting of 1 writer, 1 director, and 8 performers) have only twenty-four hours to write, rehearse, and perform an original piece of theatre.

The catch: the participants won’t know who they’re working with until the day of the festival! The festival is a space for collaboration, experimentation, and creative freedom.

The result: chaos, mayhem, and, most importantly, fun!  Come to the final show and see what our teams have created!

When: 20:00 on Saturday, APRIL 12, 2025

Where: BEARS IN THE PARK (Eyzinggasse 12/2, 1110 Vienna)

 

About the organisers:

Butterfly Effect is an independent, non-profit collective of actors, directors, and creatives. Founded in Taiwan in 2014, we are now based in Vienna. We believe in the power of storytelling, and that even the smallest of ideas can spark change. We produce exciting, relevant theatre, offer workshops and classes, and work to foster community.

The 24-Hour Theatre Festival brings together creative communities to produce original plays that are written, rehearsed, and performed in just twenty-four hours!

 

Further information:

Reserve tickets at this link.
Entry is free (suggested donation of 15€ at the door)
Main languages of the event: English, German.

Handle with Care

We are thrilled to once again be part of the Handle with Care series at the imagetanz Festival by brut with our Huggy Bears! Over two weekends, we invite those interested to join us at Bears in the Park for the first public Work-in-Progress Sharing of our Bears. In 20-minute presentations, the artists will give insight into their fresh creative processes, followed by a Q&A session with the audience. In the spirit of Handle with Care, this format offers a wonderful opportunity for emerging artists to gather feedback and experience working with an audience during the development phase of their work.

Handle with Care Part I: March 29 + 30 2025, 16:00 – 18:00

With François-Eloi Lavignac “Fifth Position”+
and Flora Renhardt & Maria Melotti “sk8er grrrl”

Handle with Care Part II: April 5 + 6 2025, 16:00 – 18:00

With Simone Lorenzo Benini & Miriam Budzáková “The Sandpit”
and Laureen Drexler & Giorgia Scisciola “PIERRE”

General Info

Location: Bears in the Park, Eyzinggasse 12/2, 1110 Vienna

Admission: Pay-as-you-can. Registration through brut Website.

More information about HwC and the imagetanz festival you can find on the brut website.

Fifth Position

Discipline, rigour, control, craving and vulnerability: François-Eloi Lavignac’s solo performance Fifth Position tackles classical ballet, institutional power and the dynamics of sexuality. Based on personal experiences and using movement and language, the French dancer/choreographer draws parallels between the structures within the ballet industry and the pressure society places on matters regarding body and identity

sk8ter girl

Skateboarding, dancing, balancing, bouncing, breaking clichés, trying movements: sk8er grrrl identifies as a tribute to FLINTA* in the skating scene. Exhibiting some real punk attitude and a lot of DIY, Flora Renhardt and Maria Melotti will turn the Bears in the Park Art Place into a skatepark. They will be assembling, screwing, constructing and deconstructing. On the trail of the feminist Riot Grrrls movement, the two artists find their freedom in skating, creating a space for aggression and friction as well as for softness.

The Sandpit

Sand is a material able to create and at the same time erase many shapes. Manipulation turns sand into a substance out of which an endless number of stories and images can be made. In a way, sand preserves memories. It hides and reveals, leaves only details visible and invites us to imagine what may lie beneath them. In The Sandpit, Simone Lorenzo Benini and Miriam Budzáková examine this material as a metaphor for the body – a wreath for endless possibilities of exploring the ambiguity of our memories, which are often unclear and blend with fantasies, fears, desires and other forces.

PIERRE

In PIERRE (which is French for ‘stone’), Laureen Drexler and Giorgia Scisciola explore the balance between structure and freedom as they delve into the complex dynamics of oppression and self-liberation. In this world that imposes rigid social expectations, we tend to forget how to live in harmony with our inner voice. PIERRE is about relearning life and reconnecting with intuition and emotion, about how the act of listening to oneself can become the key to liberation and about vulnerability being a source of power rather than weakness.

On our website you can also find out more about the Huggy Bear artists.

Credit image: imagetanz 2025 Artwork – Design: @fondazione.biz; Artwork: @maryaudreyramirez, Devil (Candy Candy Candy), 2022, Courtesy the artist and @petramartinetz, Cologne

Workshop: Soccer Sensuale

Soccer Sensuale is an in-between of a performance and a workshop. It is a space open to any FLINTA* body who wants to unleash their inner drama queen, king, or prince-ss as an act of radical connection with their emotions. We will deconstruct and re-enact high-scale male soccer gestures, playfully creating our own heroic narrations with no time to think. This is a space to have fun, make fun, and feel the heat!
Soccer Sensuale is part of the “not quiet spring yet” event, curated by Charlotte Bastam (Bears in the Park). As part of this, the second half of the workshop will be open for audience observation.

Concept, Performance and Mediation: Luisa Pisetta
Co-Mediator and DJ: Rey Molina Joichl

When and Where?

• 17:00 – 19:00
• Saturday, 22. February 2025
• at Bears in the Park, Eyzinggasse 12/2, 1110 Wien

What will the participants do?

First of all, participants will engage with a warm up built around gendered moves in the realm of workout videos on you tube. This is supposed to be physically intense but can also be taken gently. It’s up to the needs of the participant.  After that, the major task of the workshop is to copy a soccer match. Tasks will be given throughout this phase.  It follows a phase that is more free, where we use the gestures that we want and need.

How long will it last?

The workshop runs for two hours. It begins with an introduction and a warm-up session without an audience from 17:00 to 18:00. Starting at 18:00, the audience will gradually arrive for the event. Participants will receive tasks to work on for 30 minutes, trying them out in front of the gathering audience. Following a 10-minute break, the session will continue with 20 minutes of freestyle performance. Of course, you are always free to step out at any time if needed.

Further Information?

• Prior knowledge of movement practices is not required.
• The participation in the workshop is reserved for FLINTA* individuals only.
• Participation is free of charge
• Please register before with charlotte@bearsinthepark.org.

What about the audience?

While the participation is for FLINTA* individuals, during the Soft Opening everyone is welcome as an audience to cheer and celebrate!

 

not quiet spring yet – 22.February

In the spirit of up-coming spring we have invited up-coming artists with fresh voices. We welcome you to experience a journey through diverse artforms and engaging performances.

From 18:00: Soft Opening

Luisa Pisetta Ravanelli  with Rey Molina Joichl – Soccer Sensuale
Soccer Sensuale is an in-between of a performance and a workshop. It is a space open to any FLINTA* body who wants to unleash their inner drama queen, king, or prince-ss as an act of radical connection with their emotions. We will deconstruct and re-enact high-scale male soccer gestures, playfully creating our own heroic narrations with no time to think. This is a space to have fun, make fun, and feel the heat!
Audience: While the participation is for FLINTA* individuals, during Soft Opening everyone is welcome as an audience to cheer and celebrate this playful exploration!

Luisa Pisetta Ravanelli: concept, performance/mediator.
Rey Molina Joichl: performance/mediator, DJ.

FYI: If you want to register for the workshop (starting at 17:00 already) send an email to: charlotte@bearsinthepark.org. Here you find more information on the workshop.

From 19:00: Performances

Verena Frauenlob – Die Entstörerin
In the multi-part performance, the artist moves on and with self-made milking stools, whose shapes are inspired by traditional, agriculturally used stools. Their forms serve as a starting point for movement, music, and provocative reflections on questions such as: How do I deal with the ‘male gaze’? How can I perceive my body as erotic—and why do I find that empowering and amusing?
Sound by Fabian Schober.

Els van Houtert – Oh porous membranes…
When I go in the water, we work together and exchange. Melt at some places. I am not capable with my mind to recognise or describe what is exchanged or changed, but I sense it with my body. I know that we share, at this moment, more than usually. I trust that marks are left, memories are activated, remade. Children are born. — I give the door a nod, Els van Houtert, pp. 42, 57, 81, 107.
The performance “Oh Porous Membranes…” is an intimate sharing of sensory water experiences. It explores the relationship between the human Els and the entity water, making clear how the notion of the “I“ appears, changes, and dissolves in the perception of the other. How does this multitude of bodies work together and exchange? Can they merge at some places?

From 20:30: Concert

RENT
Rent’s sounds refer to industrial ecosystems, interconnections, dark landscapes and their stories. At the same time, it is the processes of sound creation itself that emerge in Rent’s compositions: sounds influence each other, reinforce each other, cancel each other out, dissolve and become noise, sound like the city, a car alarm for example. Then everything gets lost in the fog again. Together with the Viennese Label Ventil Records Rent released their first LP Kill A Phantom in June 2024 after releasing the EP As Cold As Sunlight in collaboration with TRANSFORMER andWilhelm Show me the Major Label in 2023. Building from a reputation of thrilling live performances Rent breaks new ground with Kill A Phantom, evolving from the tropes of industrial and noise to forge cinematographic scenes of dark matter and metamorphic bodies. What first appears as confrontational music undergoes a idiosyncratic alchemy. Harsh sounds collide with digital remains and field recordings and form an ephemeral unity whose story unfolds and changes over time, while at the same time revealing genuine vulnerabilities. Rent aka Katrin Euller is also part of several artistic collaborations and member of Doom band EAERES.

Link to soundcloud.

From 21:30: DJ-Set

 

Ongoing: Exhibition Opening

Malashree Suvedi: Die Deep
Die Deep is part of an ongoing collaboration between the real artist Malashree Suvedi and the imagined artist Rekha Bhatta. It is an unfinished spectacle to death. The abstracted and figurative monsters of anger, of joy, of sadness are our friends…even feelings usually deemed negative hold great virtue. The spectacle, as it is currently, was created at the Bears in the Park residency and will be opened by the artist with a song.

 

Further Information

• The entry is free of charge!
• Main spoke language in performances will be English, partly German.
• Entry and exit is possible at all times.

Location:

Bears in the Park,
Eyzinggasse 12/2 (entry at corner to Otto-Herrschmanngasse)
1110 Wien

Open Call – Sound

We are pleased to announce an open call for short and long-term residencies for sound artists and musicians.

Residency Details:

Duration: Residencies can last from two weeks up to several months between March and December 2025, depending on the nature of the project.

Studio Access: Artists will have full access to our 35m² studio, equipped with the following:

◦     2 x MR624m Studio Monitors (6.5”)

◦     2 x LS Stinger 8G Active Speakers

◦     MAKi 1402VL Set Pro (Mixer)

Location: Bears in the Park is located in Simmering, Vienna, just a 4-minute walk from Gasometer metro station.

Costs: The residency is for free. We cover the rent, energy and internet costs.

Opportunities for Public Presentation: There are also opportunities to present your work through concerts or other public events during your residency.

Eligibility: We are particularly interested in sound artists and musicians working within the realms of:

•            Contemporary and experimental music

•            Electronic and avant-garde compositions

•            Unconventional and innovative popular music

How to Apply

Please submit the following documents by February 15th, 2025:

• Project Description: A brief description (max 1 A4 page) of your project, including your artistic vision and objectives.
• Audio/Video Samples: Examples of your previous work (audio or video).
• Duration & Frequency: The desired duration of your residency and how often per week you would need the studio space.
• Motivation Letter: A letter of motivation detailing why you are interested in this residency and how it will contribute to your artistic development.

Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by a jury consisting of:

•            Philipe Riéra (Bears in the Park)

•            Ariadne Randall (Musician, Performer, visual artists)

•            Samuel Benoni Schaab (Musician, Sägezahn)

Please send your application to:
Email: philipperiera.2016@gmail.com
Subject Line: [sound and music Residency Application – Your Name]

Huggy Bears Days 2024

We are thrilled to announce the Huggy Bears Days 2024! On November 14th and 15th at WUK performing arts, and from November 21st to 23rd at Studio Brut, our supporting program artists will take center stage for their opening nights. This year, we’ve had the privilege of accompanying three incredibly diverse and captivating artistic projects over the course of several months. From the very first public work-in-progress showings, through rehearsals and in-depth feedback sessions, we’ve witnessed their evolution into fully realized performances.

Each project delves into unique and thought-provoking themes. The artists have explored everything from the highs and lows of being an artist, to themes of healing, community, individuality, and the (im)possibilities of finding the “right” way to live. Now, we invite you to join us on this artistic journey and see what Vienna’s emerging performance art scene has to offer. Experience these three remarkable paths as they converge for their grand unveiling.

For more information on the artists visiti our Huggy Bears section on our website.

14.11. – 15.11. WUK.performingarts:

For Tickets  visit WUK.performingarts.

Ale Bachlechner: Ruin your Life

How can a life be summed up? As an inspiring success story, a romantic comedy, a heroic struggle, a major disappointment, or simply a complete mess? By the time of the eulogy, it becomes clear which decisions, events, and traits our loved ones considered significant. In Ruin Your Life, installation-based video works with quirky explorations, performative miniatures, and moments of direct interaction with the performers invite the audience to engage in a humorously critical reflection on powerful norms and ideologies, personal hopes and experiences, cautionary tales, and the relentless economy of (life)time.

Concept, Direction, and Video Work: Ale Bachlechner
Development and Performance: Ale Bachlechner, Isa Conrady, Bryce Kasson, Jonathan Kastl, Olivia Platzer
Technical Concept: Jonathan Kastl
Music: Bryce Kasson, Jonathan Kastl

Additional Info
The performance and video installation Ruin Your Life will be open for four and a half hours on both event days. Depending on their own preferences, the audience can either actively engage in the stories with the performers or remain passive. Visitors are free to leave and return at any time after their first entry. A stay of at least one hour is recommended.

Entry to Ruin Your Life on both days will be available at the following times:
16:00 | 16:30 | 17:00 PM | 17:30 PM | 18:00 PM | 18:30 PM | 19:00 PM | 19:30

MO-ZA-IK: Elevate
Rosa Perl, Viviane Le Tanzmeister, Jamali Abale, Mátyás Kántor

The performance Elevate opens a space for experimentation and transformation, where care and tension meet. It explores how the individual influences the collective and vice versa. The central questions are: Who holds the control? Who follows whom? Whose desires and needs are being met? In Elevate, MO-ZA-IK focuses on individual and collective struggles for liberation and how they affect one another. Inspired by personal experiences and house culture, the performance uses dance, music, and club culture to explore these questions. In times of political division, war, injustice, and discrimination, MO-ZA-IK questions communal practices and seeks to reimagine them. Freestyle dance and DJing are key elements of the performance, with the physical and acoustic dimensions of house dance used to reflect societal and intimate interpersonal interactions.

Performance: MO-ZA-IK Collective
Production: Rosa Perl
Sound Concept: Mátyás Kántor
Choreography: Jamali Abale
Creative Direction: Viviane Le Tanzmeister

Starting time: 21:00

 

21.11 – 23.11 studio brut:

For Tickets visit brut.

Helena Araújo: and it gets better

In her solo performance and it gets better, Helena Araújo uses humor, disobedience and comedic extravagance to dismantle the tough life of the art market. The performer invites the audience to a beach that throws a warm spotlight on the mental health of culture workers in the performing arts. Riding the toxic waves of the art market, she challenges the underrepresentation of precarious working conditions, constant traveling and harsh criticism in the field. Or is it simply a beach after all?

Concept, dramaturgy and performance: Helena Araújo
Dramaturgy: Ana Rocha
Assistant, set, costume and lighting design: Evandro Pedroni
Sound design Luis: Ramirez Mũnoz aka Lulu, Zeynab Kirikou Gueye

Starting time: 19:00

Sägezahn x Bears in the Park – 19. October

ARTIST INFO:

Ariadne Randall | live

Ariadne Randall is an American artist, composer and writer based in Vienna. Her work has

been heard widely, from Lincoln Center and the Vienna Volksoper to countless basements.

Her Reverse Cowgirl Trilogy of performances rides her gender transition towards larger

questions of identity and becoming; its second chapter features McKenzie Wark and

premieres at Brut Wien in 2025. Her debut record under her chosen name was released in

2024 on Oxtail Recordings. She is represented by Peter Gaugy (Brussels/Vienna).

https://linktr.ee/ariadnerandall

________________________________________________

The Boiler | live

The Boiler is one of the numerous solo projects of Kristina Pia Hofer, musician and media

theorist based in Vienna. Kristina has been playing punk DIY shows since age 15, teaching

herself a number of instruments along the way. On the album BODY=DEATH, The Boiler

reckons with precariousness, change, vulnerability, resilience, and loss of close relations; by

way of maltreating a 22kg, 1965, manipulated Philips Philicorda organ (and her own body).

________________________________________________

Beyond the Beat | live

Judith Schwarz: Extended Drums

Arthur Fussy: Modular Synthesizer

Where does the beat begin? This is the central question that drummer Judith Schwarz and electronic musician Arthur Fussy explore in their performance “Beyond the Beat.” Their starting point is the exploration of rhythm’s boundaries, resulting in a constantly evolving symbiosis of acoustic and electronic sounds.

This cycle of solo and collaborative pieces reflects long-standing ideas the two musicians have explored in their work together. When does the ear and the mind recognize a pattern? How abstract can it become while still providing enough structure and coherence for listeners to grasp? Is rhythm also melody? How far can the imitation and contrasts between acoustic and electronic sounds go? What new formats emerge when these diverse sound qualities and techniques merge, creating a cohesive dramaturgical arc throughout the performance?

________________________________________________

Salvatore Viviano | performance

Salvatore Viviano studied art, history, anthropology and literature at the University of

Palermo, Italy, where he was born. After living in Paris for 10 years, working in the fashion,

cinema and TV industries, he moved to Vienna in 2010. Since then, he’s actively working in

the field of contemporary art as visual artist (mostly performance), curator and educator, for

Austrian and international art projects. In 2014 he opened the One Work Gallery in Vienna,

an art gallery project which exhibited one art work at a time (he curated more than 50

exhibitions until 2017.) As an artist, he’s exhibited locally and internationally since 2009. He’s

currently teaching at the Art University of Linz. For SÄGEZAHN Salvatore will perform his

piece „Performance, Anyone?“ for and with the audience.

________________________________________________

Cäcilia Brown | visual arts

Cäcilia Brown’s work deals with the structures and hierarchies of public space. She chooses

the medium of sculpture with its own structures and hierarchies. Some of which are rather

profane- weight, volume, color, dirt.The artist welds and casts concrete, steel, plaster, clay

into objects that remind us of elements of the public realm- rubbish bins, fences, gates,

walls, weights…Destructive acts like burning, or throwing something out the window are as

much part of her methods as are copying and archivingDespite the massive materials that

formally characterize Brown’s oeuvre her works have an ephemeral, almost brittle character,

and incorporate found or collected elements. They build bridges to an ordinary world outside

the art space, quote it and refer to it.It seems as if she were setting up a trajectory that can,

not least, be found in the artist’s titles, e.g.: From the series of working girls: the authority, the

unionist; Entglasung (Devitrification); Intercity. Welcome to Parliament) (…).

She calls her spontaneous, almost intuitive approach ‘the translation of material logic’.

Cäcilia Brown’s work deals with the structures and hierarchies of public space. She chooses

the medium of sculpture with its own structures and hierarchies. Some of which are rather

profane- weight, volume, colour, dirt.

The artist welds and casts concrete, steel, plaster, clay into objects that remind us of

elements of the public realm – rubbish bins, fences, gates, walls, weights… Destructive acts

like burning or throwing something out the window are as much part of her methods as are

copying and archiving.

________________________________________________

Pablo Chiereghin & Peter Kraus | RAUM S | installation

A performative installation where dimensions and depth are disrupted by the whiteness of

the inner landscape. Black structures and sound break the limbo in which the spectator is

suspended, much like the bass guitar hanging from the ceiling.The sound performance

unfolds in waves, enveloping in the space the spectator who stands as structure, reflecting

sound and light.

 

Open Call – Huggy Bears Program 2025

Bears in the Park is seeking innovative Vienna-based artists and collectives to join the next round of the “Huggy Bears Supporting Program.” This program is designed for emerging artists who are either already working in performance art and/or dance or who want to expand their practice into performance art. The aim is to create a special transdisciplinary learning environment, fostering shared knowledge and collaboration.

The program runs from early 2025 until autumn 2025, offering participants project support, including administrative, technical, financial, and artistic help. Regular feedback sessions with the group and the Bears in the Park team will create an intensive learning atmosphere. Along the way, participants will showcase their working process at various events. Collaborations with brut, WUK.performingarts, and ImPulsTanz are part of the program, which culminates in a final premiere at WUK.performingarts and studio brut. (For reference, this year’s Huggy Bears days are from November 14-15 at WUK.performingarts and from November 21-23 at studio brut).

From research to rehearsal to performance, the different phases of creation will be met with care, curiosity, and professional guidance. Each year, 3-4 projects (either individual artists or collectives) are selected. The program’s goal is to place these artists on Vienna’s performance art map and help them build connections with audiences and other professionals.

The program is led by Philippe Riéra and Charlotte Bastam. To learn more about the team, past Huggy Bears artists, and the activities of Bears in the Park, go to our Huggy Bears and Team section and visit our Instagram page.

The Supporting Program includes:

• • Monthly feedback sessions with Bears in the Park staff and fellow Huggy Bears participants.
  • Dramaturgy and coaching support upon request.
  • Opportunities to showcase work-in-progress, such as during “Handle with Care” at brut Wien’s imagetanz festival in March/April 2025.
  • Prioritized access to studio space for the entire 7-8 month period (24/7 availability).
  • Networking opportunities with Vienna’s performance art scene and programmers.
  • Exclusive workshops on production, outreach, sound, video, and lighting at WUK.performingarts.
  • A week-long residency at studio brut during the summer.
  • Free workshops and free tickets to join the ImPulsTanz Festival 2025.
  • Administrative and financial support (e.g., BMKÖS Jahresprogrammförderung für Darstellende Kunst).

Who can apply?

We invite transdisciplinary artists, theater-makers, performers, dancers, and creatives working in time-based art forms to apply. Applicants should keep in mind that their projects should be designed for premiers on the stages of brut and WUK.performingarts.

It is essential that the project leader is based in Vienna, as attending feedback sessions, workshops, and events is mandatory. We place a lot of importance on building a supportive group, so both giving and receiving feedback are key parts of the program. Therefore, attending meetings and participating in all aspects of the program is essential.

How to apply:

Applicants should outline how they plan to use the supporting program for their proposed project. This should include not only the project’s content but also ideas on how to bring it to life.[1]

Application requirements (first round):

• CV and artist bio for each team member.
• Project description (maximum 1 A4 page).
• Portfolio with only relevant material (photos, video links, etc.) of previous and current work. Maximum 4 pages.
• Motivation letter explaining why you want to join the program and how you plan to use its resources.
• Only one project submission per person/group is allowed.

Please submit all materials as a single PDF, labeled with your surname, by November 15, 2024, to charlotte[at]bearsinthepark.org.

Second round: Successful applicants will be invited for an interview between December 9-13, 2024. The jury includes Philippe Riéra, Charlotte Bastam, and dance artist, choreographer and former Huggy Bear Daphna Horenczyk.

Selected participants will be announced in early January 2025.

[1] Please, note that our working language is English, and sufficient proficiency is required for feedback sessions and general communication. However, projects with German as the main language are welcome as well.

Here you find the Open Call as pdf.

Quality Street! – 5. September in Simmering

QUALITY STREET!… The diverse art event is coming to Simmering!

Come visit this series of various art forms, ranging from dance, sound installation, films and performances among others. We have put together a delightful and diverse program for one rejoicing evening. Whether you’re an artist, an art lover, or someone who simply enjoys creative experiences, this event is for you!

Bears in the Park has just moved to Simmering and we are eager to build a space that is rooted in the community of the arts as well as in the neighborhood. Through this very first Quality Street in Simmering, we hope to connect and engage more deeply with our new neighborhood, all while sharing the activities and creative initiatives we’re passionate about.

If you are curious what might await you, check out our latest Quality Streets!

 

Knowing the past, embracing the future. Together with:

Luigi Guerrieri “DEINE MUTTER!”

DEINE MUTTER! is a choreography of insults, an insulting choreography about my mother and yours! It is the celebration of the cathartic power of cursing and swearing, beyond the stereotypes of aggression and violence. How can I talk about my mum while insulting yours? How many times do I have to repeat “son of a bitch” till it looses its linguistic and cultural meaning? Till your and my private patriarchal system will crash? This performance is a collective liberating moment. I curse for you and for me, at the rhythm of my high heels. FUUUUUCK!

Idea: Mor Dovrat

Concept and Performance: Luigi Guerrieri

Coaching: Silvia Salzmann

Costume: Anna Maria Civitareale (meine Mutter!)

Created in the frame of Changing Space Residency 2019 – Im_flieger Wien and netzwerkTanz Voralberg, KarteNoire2502 – Biel/Bienne Switzerland

The movie is a BECK/KREIS production.

L’AUTRE CHIEN Kollektiv- “NUE”

The businesswoman Almuth comes across a homeless person’s cardboard and gives her some alms. Irritated by the fact that the homeless person doesn´t show up, she becomes insecure and starts a conversation in which she reveals her own need for identity. She is saved in a gesture of women solidarity.

a short movie by

idea: Alice Schneider | production: Studio Bischof Production |

director & screenplay: Alice Schneider, Thomas Bischof, Philippe Riéra |

cinematography: Judith Stehlik aac

Peter Kraus & Pablo Chiereghin – “RAUM S”

a Performative Room Installation

A performative space installation where dimensions and depth are disrupted by the whiteness of the inner landscape. Black structures and sound break the limbo in which the spectator is suspended, much like the bass guitar hanging from the ceiling. The sound performance unfolds in waves, enveloping in the space the spectator who stands as structure, reflecting sound and light.

LOD COLLECTIVE – “DREAMER”

Is there such a thing as reality at all? DREAMER invites us to question what makes us human and what reality truly is. The performance reminds us that we all have a dreamer inside us, and that it is the ability to feel and experience emotions that truly sets us apart as humans. Intimacy and sensuality are explored through the human connection, acknowledging that human emotion is universal. DREAMER emphasizes that connecting and belonging are vital aspects of the human experience.

choreography by Laureen Drexler & Rebeka Mondovics

performance by Laureen Drexler & Giorgia Scisciola

musical arrangement by James King

stage design by Marie Therese Fritz

costume design by VIS A VIS

photography by Florian Moshammer

Martina De Dominicis & Evandro Pedroni & Manuel Riegler – “HOW TO ENTER A STAGE” – According to ChatGPT

In how to enter a stage the performers flirt with the tool of ai generated text. In this first approach to the topic, they specifically asked Chat gpt how a dancer should enter a stage. The tension between the interpretation of such instructions and the disclosing of the process of choreography in which the audience itself will have agency, becomes the base of an ironical playground situation that questions modes of production and its possible tools.

Concept: Martina De Dominicis

Performance: Martina De Dominicis, Evandro Pedroni

Composition, live sound: Manuel Riegler

 

When and Where:

• From 7pm, Performances start at 8pm.
• Entry is free of charge. Just come by and be curious.
• At Bears in the Park, Eyzinggasse 12/2, 1100 Vienna.
• The event is happening partly outside.
• Unfortunatley our grounds are not fully accessible by wheelchair yet.