What about Connection?

Pina Bausch Zentrum under construction, Bundesallee 260, Wuppertal
COMBINATION TICKET 5.11.2026 for Welcome, Vocal Warm-up und Performance: 15,- € plus advance booking fee

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How can connection, a sense of belonging, and community become possible and tangible? The fourth edition of the School of Experience, taking place from Thursday, November 5, through Sunday, November 8, 2026, in Wuppertal and Düsseldorf, is dedicated to this question. The series was developed by Düsseldorf-based choreographer Ben J. Riepe and his team and brings together perspectives from science, art, and somatic practice. The body takes center stage.

In an era characterized by acceleration, digitalization, and isolation, people are simultaneously more interconnected than ever before. And yet they experience loneliness, alienation, and the loss of community. The School of Experience takes this tension as its starting point with this year’s guiding theme, What about Connection?

The School of Experience kicks off on November 5 and 6 at the Pina Bausch Zentrum under construction in Wuppertal. With this guiding principle, Ben J. Riepe’s laboratory fits perfectly with our theme of community for 2026 and also marks the start of FRAGILE 2026. On November 7 and 8, the event moves to Studio Ben J. Riepe, FREIRAUM, and the Malkasten Artists’ Association in Düsseldorf. In addition to the public events, there are numerous workshops for students from the participating universities.

For further information:
www.benjriepe.com

05.11.26, 5:00 p.m. Welcome

with a keynote by Markus Schrenk (Heinrich Heine University) followed by a meditation led by Ben J. Riepe

05.11.26, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Vocal Warm-up / Cui

Singing together, discovering the power of the voice, and getting moving: Vocal coach and singer Cui invites us into the world of Vocal Vibes. With sensitivity and humor, she’ll work with us on one or two songs. From many voices, a vibrant pop-up choir emerges—carried by a strong sense of community.

05.11.26, 7:30–9:00 p.m. Performance

HOLY SHIT – A Human Experience / Ben J. Riepe

The latest work by choreographer and dancer Ben J. Riepe is both a theatrical experience and a guided session, situated somewhere between a cathedral, a lounge, and an artificial horizon. Based on the figure of a seer—at once human and superhuman, vulnerable and authoritarian—a performance unfolds that straddles dystopia and utopia, destruction and promise. Reimagined for the Pina Bausch Center, the audience is invited not only to watch but also to become part of a shared experience that requires physical presence and willingness. A physical transition emerges from text and music, sound and light landscapes that influence our nervous system, as well as AI-generated video worlds and live images. HOLY SHIT is conceived as a proposal for a new experience—somewhere between beauty and the absurd—that engages all the senses.

Followed by an artist talk (with light refreshments), moderated by Maren Butte and Timo Skrandies (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf)

An event organized by Ben J. Riepe, supported by the Kunststiftung NRW, the Cultural Affairs Office of the State Capital of Düsseldorf, and the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, in cooperation with the participating venues and universities and the FRAGILE 2026 Wuppertal Festival. Special thanks to the FFT for its support.