IKF Award 2026 – Culture Connects People
The "Freiburger Leiter" Award Ceremony for Special Artistic Achievement with Get-together and Supporting Program
Monday, January 26, 2026, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Freiburg Exhibition Center, Entrance Hall 4 (Sick Arena)
6:30 p.m. – Admission with walking act parade and get-together
Conference rooms 6-9, 1st floor
7:00 p.m. – On stage
Cécile Verny, Christian Gutfleisch, and Peter Disch present their program “Singalong.”
Freiburg Ladder 2026 award ceremony with showcase
The winner will be honored this evening from the three nominations – TREI (music), Jane Mumford (performing arts), and Toy Toy Toy (theater in public spaces).
Julica Goldschmidt, presenter at radio station Baden.fm, will guide us through the program.
8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Closing
LIFE
Ah, youth! Who wouldn't love to be 16 years old again? I'll tell you who: Jane Mumford. As a child, the world seemed magical, but as soon as she left primary school the world filled up with
terrible tasks like: being part of a group, trying to be cool, looking for true love - all hard enough to do. And even harder if you spend your teens as a tapdancing goth, like she did! These days she asks herself whether she ever really got out of those years, or whether all those self-doubts and anxieties are still only one shadow's length away... waiting for her in those long dark nights of the soul.
Naoto Okada & Shu Takada
The yo-yo artists Naoto Okada and Shu Takada are exceptional talents who have transformed yo-yoing into a true art form. Both are multiple world champions, embodying Japanese precision, elegance, and passion in perfect harmony.
In 2022, they founded their company Toy Toy Toy: A duo that sets new standards with its creativity, precision, and vibrant energy. Their spectacular performance earned them the Silver Medal at the 44th Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain and at the Salieri Circus Festival in 2025.
When Naoto and Shu take the stage, body, rhythm, and technique merge into pure magic. Their uniquely well-timed show, lightning-fast tricks, dynamic choreography, and perfectly matched soundtrack turn every performance into a captivating experience full of energy and charm.
TRËI - ONE'S FOR SORROW, TWO'S FOR JOY
Mourners, midwives, seers, witches: TRËI sings songs of women who watch over the beds of the living and the dying. Crows, ravens and magpies accompany their stories and songs, predicting war and bringing good tidings. Poetic and honest, TRËİ deals with persecution, empowerment and femininity, honouring all those who have accompanied people on the marginsof life with their singing for centuries.
TRËI sings vocal folk from different cultures and their own compositions in 13different languages. In scenic concerts and interdisciplinary collaborations, the trio creates vocal and instrumental music that repeatedly revolves around the question of what it means to be human on a planet in turmoil. The three women weave together their different backgrounds and celebrate diversity.