What about Connection?

Pina Bausch Zentrum under construction, Bundesallee 260, Wuppertal
COMBO TICKET Nov. 7, 2026, for workshop, showing, lecture, and concert: €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

06.11.26, 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM Workshop “What Connects Us? – From Group to Community” / Patricia Carolin Mai

How do connections between people form? What does it take for a group to become a community without losing the individuality of each person? Patricia Carolin Mai, choreographer and artistic director of MAI:COMPANY, and Lea Hufnagel, a dancer with the company, offer insight into their work through a performative excerpt from “HAMONIM – What Moves the Masses.” Building on this, workshop participants explore the interplay between the individual and the collective through movement exercises and short “scores.” They will explore defense mechanisms and forms of cohesion, negotiate joint decisions, and develop a choreography based on individual impulses. In this way, trust, resilience, and collective action become physically tangible.

Whether or not you have prior dance experience—all bodies, perspectives, and experiences are welcome. Participation is free of charge. Register by Nov. 2 at billy@benjriepe.com

06.11.26, 7:30 – 8:00 p.m. Showing “What Moves Us” / Patricia Carolin Mai

What emerges when people share movement with one another? The choreography developed earlier in a workshop forms the basis for the showing. Participants will experience how individual impulses give rise to a shared movement and how a group becomes a community. The bodies interact with one another and coalesce into a collective presence in which the individuality of all participants remains palpable. The audience experiences how movement can foster connection and trust as the foundation for encounter and collective action. In her intergenerational and participatory works, Hamburg-based choreographer Patricia Carolin Mai explores movement as an empowering practice, placing participation and physical diversity at the centre.

06.11.26, 8:15 PM – 9:00 PM Lecture “On Sound as a Connection Between Worlds” / Bernd Brabec de Mori

Can sound create a connection to worlds that lie beyond the immediately visible? Music ethnologist Bernd Brabec de Mori takes us on a journey through various ritual soundscapes. He explores the role that music and the voice play in forging connections between people, nature, and other forms of being. His research focuses on the scientific study of indigenous musical cultures and healing practices in the Amazon region.

06.11.26, 9:15 PM – 10:15 PM Concert: Bára Gísladóttir & Skúli Sverrisson

Icelandic musician Bára Gísladóttir is one of the most sought-after composers of her generation and, as an artist who transcends boundaries, has already received numerous awards. In a duet with Icelandic bass guitarist Skúli Sverrisson, the double bassist captivates with her playing—full of intimacy and expansiveness, clarity and depth, fragility and intensity. Here, two stylistic trailblazers come together to open up acoustic and imaginary spaces. Their artistic collaboration is characterized by great openness; their music is a work in constant evolution.

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.