Spotlights

Under the label „Spotlights“, special thematic focuses, events shown in full length or programme offers specially designed for the IKF are presented.

Artists from the ZAV-Künstlervermittlung in the AHOII Bar

• Pablo seduces with pantomime and disarming clowning
• Marcelo causes a sensation with a wide variety of contemporary costumes on stilts
• Francoise Cruchot animates as a walk act in various funny roles 
• Die Ladies entertain with charming feminine female power at a height of 3 meters. Also with various walking acts and children's program 
• Flüstergesang by The fabulous Stereo-Sisters - the best word-of-mouth advertising for your event!
• Toni Bartl plays the stick blender violin, an egg slicer zither or the soup pot xylophone. Highly amusing and Bavarian!
• Miriam & Sebastian show dynamic juggling and cocktail show on the trolley. Immortalize yourself with funny polas at the photo booth.
• Marco Miele enchanted as a high-flyer in the magical sky

With Zirkus ONstage, the creative alliance for circus arts - Zirkus ON will be presenting three circus creations from the last Zirkus ON editions to a German and international audience of experts at the Internationale Kulturbörse in Freiburg (IKF) from January 20 to 22.
Groups of artists selected by an expert jury and supported for two years by the Zirkus ON creation alliance with mentoring, residencies, presentations, knowledge transfer formats and networking will perform. Zirkus ONstage is the final format of the creation program and creates a bridge between creation and distribution.
The IKF 2025 will open at the IKF-Night with the awarding of the Freiburg Leiter to Diana Salles for the piece DELUSIONAL - I Killed a Man and with the WIP-Showing Drift by the Less Kuerdas collective.
Zirkus ONstage presents two curated circus projects that are ready to tour: NORA by 7 Women Company and OMÂ by Cie بلبل bolbol.

Overview Zirkus ONstage

ZIRKUS ON e.V. | Booth 2.8.01

60 minutes, from 14 years, English spoken language, indoor, circus tent 
Premiere: 11.4.2024, Pfefferberg Theater, Berlin
To the website
Teaser

Central Foyer | Mon., 20.01.24 I 19:00 I Freiburger Leiter Ceremony

represented by: ZIRKUS ON e.v. | 2.8.01

DELUSIONAL “I Killed a Man” is a contemporary circus solo show that embarks on the journey of a trans woman. The show explores the agonizing feeling of having murdered one's former self, a common experience for many trans women as they leave their assigned gender behind. Through a multidisciplinary repertoire of aerial acrobatics, dance, song and movement theater, Diana Salles invites us to reflect on the physical and emotional strength it takes to honor one's deepest truth.  “A heartbreaking circus show reveals the profound beauty of self-discovery''. Winner of the Amsterdam Fringe Festival 2023/International Bursary Award.
Diana Salles completed her studies at the renowned ESAC in Brussels. She has been awarded several prizes, including the Bronze Prize at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris and the International Bursary Award at the Fringe Amsterdam Festival. In her solo debut, Diana Salles combines aerial acrobatics with dance and song to create a spectacular physical theater performance that invites the audience to reflect on the physical and emotional strength required to answer the call of one's true self.
 

40 minutes no age limit without spoken language indoor, outdoor
Premiere: October 18-19, 2025, Zirkus quartier in Zurich (Switzerland)
DRIFT Copy - Less Kuerdas
Less Kuerdas (@less.kuerdas) - Instagram photos and videos

More informations

Hall 4 | Mon,. 20.01., 20:00 - 20:30 | IKF-Night

represented by: ZIRKUS ON e.v. | 2.8.01

Less Kuerdas is an all-female contemporary circus collective based in Germany. The collective consists of Laia Picas, Bryony Fowler, Caro Wuttke and Mira Hirtler. The three rope artists met at the same circus school, the Flic Scuola di Circo in Italy, where a shared passion turned into a deep friendship. Driven by their shared circus discipline, the rope, they create their first project

Drift explores the meaning of collectivity on and behind the stage. It is the connection between four women, three vertical ropes, a musician, the stage and the audience. Drift plays with alternative audience perspectives and questions the responsibility people have both during a performance and within a collective.

70 minutes, from 8 years, without spoken language, indoor blackbox, circus tent
Premiere: 15.11.2024, Pfefferberg Theater, Berlin
Zur Webseite        
Teaser

Central Foyer | Di., 21.01.2025 | 18:00 - 19:00 Uhr 

vertreten durch: ZIRKUS ON e.v. | 2.8.01

NORA is a 60-minute piece about strength and vulnerability, fear and courage, doubt and decision. Director Anna-Katharina Andrees brings together 6 female artists to visualise inner worlds of experience for the audience in an episodic collage. Through circus, dance and theatre, accompanied by a live original soundtrack, the inner conflicts of the protagonists
are brought to life and made comprehensible on stage. The 7 Women Company from Berlin works and researches at the crossover between theatre and circus. The women who portray NORA are between 27 and 57 years old. Each brings her own life experience and expertise to the performance. Together they are NORA and each is a part of what Nora feels. The name
NORA is inspired by Hendrik Ibsen's play "Nora - A Doll's House".

Indoor, 55 minutes, from 8 years, outdoor, 45 minutes, from 6 years, in German, English or French spoken language depending on the audience.

Zur Webseite
Teaser

Hall 4 | Wed, 22.01.2025 | 15:00 - 15:55 Uhr 

represented by: ZIRKUS ON e.v. | 2.8.01

OMÂ is a one-woman circus piece. Multilingual and multi-layered, personal and political. It tells of the imaginary meeting of two grandmothers, one Iranian and one East Frisian. A reason for her granddaughter to come to terms with the coincidence of her origins and her privileges. In her attempt to juggle categories and twist clichés, she juggles and twists herself, sometimes absurdly and comically, sometimes seriously and poetically, but always with a good dose of self-irony and honesty.
OMÂ is a subtle autofiction, sensitive and yet steeped in world events, taking place in the here and now and characterized by the different presence of each audience member.

Hall 1 | Mon., 18:30 - 18:50 | Wed., 16:00 - 16:20

The Berlin musician junk-E-cat takes his audience into a fascinating world of pulsating beats and melodic saxophone and bass clarinet sounds. With a unique fusion of acoustic and electronic elements, he creates soundscapes with which he is at home both in the club and on festival stages. junk-E-cat's shows are a Gesamtkunstwerk of music, light and movement created by him alone. In addition to classic stages, he is always on the lookout for new thrills and spectacular new locations for his performances. Roofs, cranes, cherry pickers and his own mobile fire department stage “Harry” - his creativity and curiosity for special productions knows no bounds. The masked figure is surrounded by a certain mysticism that makes his performances even more exciting.

Represented by:
junk-E-vents UG 

Hall 1 | Tue., 4:30 - 6:45 p.m. 

ALBERT JUNG - Stage Junk E cat 4:30 p.m.
People often forget that music must remain a pleasure and a passion - an exchange of feelings and energy. After a difficult journey with Banditminuit, Albert returns to his roots: “I don't want to hide behind a bandit anymore, I want to be who I've always been,” he says. With piano, guitar and his powerful voice, he will speak to you in the intimacy of his music and make you laugh and cry.

YEND - Junk E Cat stage, 5:15 pm
Yend, an artist from Algeria and Guadeloupe, combines her Afro-diasporic heritage with hip-hop and house. She has been shaping her musicality since the age of 18. She released the YEKRIK EP in 2023 and will release new singles at the end of 2024. She won the talent contest “Rappeuses en Liberté” and performs at Les Ardentes in Belgium and in Paris, among others.

MELISSA WEIKART - Junk E Cat stage, 6:00 p.m.
Melissa Weikart, singer and keyboardist, uses her music to heal and find deeper answers to life's questions. In 2022, she won the Nancy Jazz Young Talent Award and the Instrumentalist Prize of the Concours National de Jazz à la Défense. Her experimental approach combines improvised music with pop euphoria, exploring love and fragility in her songs.

KG - Junk E Cat stage, 6:45 p.m.
KG oscillates between the ridiculous and the sublime and never ceases to surprise. His first solo album “Ein Mann ohne Feind” offers danceable electronic instrumentals with retro-futuristic sounds. KG combines different styles and languages without committing himself.

Conference room 1 | Wed., 10:30 - 11:35 a.m. 

Alchemy comes to life: In Prof. Bubbles' laboratory, bubbles are transformed into pure laughter! This whimsical show mixes visual magic with a journey of discovery, featuring helium-filled, flaming, and fog-filled bubbles that whisk the audience away to curious and astonishing new worlds. From a bubbly symphony, Prof. Bubbles dives into vibrant underwater realms, soars through stormy skies, and finds himself in a surprising rendezvous with bubbling cocktails. Every moment is packed with delightful surprises that will leave both kids and adults in awe and laughter.  

Represented by: 
Prof. Bubbles | Booth 2.10.05

Konferenzraum 10 | Mo, 16:00 - 17:05 Uhr 

The GTD Comedy Slam takes place regularly in 15 cities, with over 200 comedians participating. This makes it the largest comedy competition in Germany. At the IKF Freiburg, a Speed Slam is showcased as a special event.
Host and comedian Andy Sauerwein presents the hottest newcomers and comedians who face a relentless competition. Each participant has a limited time on stage to showcase their talent and must adhere to strict rules: no reading from notes, only original jokes, and maximum hilarity. Those who fail to follow the rules are disqualified. At the end of the evening, the audience decides who will be crowned the winner. Each winner receives a unique trophy, such as "Best Goalkeeper," "Most Beautiful Saint Bernard," or "Most Active Rabbit" — whatever happens to be available on eBay Classifieds at the time...

represent by:

Andy Sauerweins Gag Test Dummies | Booth: 2.8.11

Hall 3 - Side Stage I Tue., 21.01. + Wed., 22.01. I 12:45 - 13:20

Who wouldn't want that - to soar high up in the air? To escape gravity, to be intoxicated by the dizziness of height and the boundless freedom that only exists at the very top?
But let's get back down to earth - surely people can't really fly?
At least not alone. But together as a group with their Flying Trapeze, Omnivolant create their own universe in which gravity is also just a law of nature.
And so every member of the audience can stick their head in the clouds and catch at least a glimpse of what it means to enjoy the freedom of weightlessness for a moment.
Omnivolant is one of the few groups to master the art of flying trapeze. Installed on a free-standing hanger, it immediately attracts everyone's attention as an independent work of art.
Length 12min short version or 30min long version

Represented by: 

Omnivolant |Booth 2.4.08

Conference room 5 | Mon. 16:00 - 17:00

Whether large-scale productions, site-specific performances, dance, audio walks, performance or contemporary circus - the ShortCuts provide insights into the artistic work of the actors, arouse interest in artistic productions in public space and network artists and organizers.

represented by: 
Bundesverband Theater im Öffentlichen Raum // BUTIÖR | Booth 2.0.6

Hall 1 | 1.1.05

This exhibition influences and undermines each other in a comical way. But what do photography and comedy have in common? 
Both seek unusual perspectives on the world. For a long time, photographs were regarded as authentic, as a depiction of reality. However, in times of AI and image editing that distorts content, people are increasingly distrustful of images. But only if the photographed subject actually exists, which is the case in this exhibition, can an image provoke new thoughts and raise questions. How was this photograph taken? What is the significance of the motif? What does the picture mean for my idea of “reality”?  But are these thoughts only a consequence of the snapshot or are they also its cause? Sven Kemmler explores this question. And as soon as you ask it, you are “at sea”. You are standing on the ground of reality, but this ground is swaying. 

www.sven-kemmler.de

Sven Kemmler, born in 1968, works as an author, director and photographer and toured as a solo cabaret artist for 20 years. He took his first 35mm photograph at the age of six and stood in the darkroom for the first time at 17. He now uses the instincts he later acquired as a comedian to capture new perspectives on the world. His first photographic artist's book “Pensées or 77 Wisdoms of Zven Buddhism” was published in 2020.

Hall 4 | Tue, 18:30 - 20:00

ZAV-Künstlervermittlung Berlin presents “Young & Fresh”, a kind of stand-up variety show. In a contemporary show, selected artists demonstrate the full range of their skills.

Among them is L-Silba, a versatile artist who performs as a mental magician and singer. The duo Kraoul offers a rope-skipping show as well as cascade-like dance acrobatics. Luzie Lou demonstrates her skills in aerial ring and pole artistry with power and dance elegance.

The duo Marly presents their art with passion on the aerial ring. Charlotte Fischer impresses as a solo act on the flying pole. Rosa Lisa can also be seen with her new act “Lady in White” - an elegant contortion performance that underlines her versatility as an artist. Valerie Sealey presents impressive contact pole juggling, in which she shows how versatile a simple paddle can be.

Robert Wicke aka Drop Bert, a comedian, beatboxer and juggler, will lead through the evening with humorous and entertaining interludes.

All artists can be booked via the ZAV artist agency. You can find further information at: www.zav-kuenstlervermittlung.de

represented by: 
ZAV-Künstlervermittlung  | Booth 2.9.13