Photo: René Omenzetter Ⓒ Pina Bausch Foundation

SAVE THE DATE: Fellowship Ideas Lab

22 – 24 May 2026 | Wuppertal

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Pina Bausch Fellowship for Dance and Choreography, the Pina Bausch Foundation and Kunststiftung NRW invite you to an Ideas Lab on the future of artistic practice in Wuppertal. In the anniversary year 2026, the fellowship programme will deliberately pause to create space for reflection, exchange, and collective learning.

From 22 to 24 May 2026, fellows from different generations, international guests, and members of the local dance and cultural scene will come together to share experiences from ten years of the fellowship and to jointly reflect on how artistic practice shifts, opens up, and transforms under changing political, social, and economic conditions. Within the Ideas Lab, fellows from previous cohorts will shape the programme through keynotes, performative contributions, and discussion formats. Insights generated during the Ideas Lab will inform both the development of the emerging Pina Bausch Center and the future orientation of the fellowship programme.

The event will take place at the former Schauspielhaus / future Pina Bausch Center in Wuppertal.

Further information on the event programme will follow.

MEET THE NEW FELLOWS 2025!

We are delighted to announce the five recipients of the Pina Bausch Fellowship 2025:

Aida Rodríguez, Darion Adams, Miguel Bolaños, Mounir Saeed, and Sarah Brahim!

From the Jury Statement:

"The five awarded fellows represent a broad artistic spectrum. Their cultural backgrounds are as diverse as their approaches to dance and choreographic expression. Their fellowship partners and mentors are equally exciting, helping expand our understanding of dance making across countries and cultures. We enthusiastically congratulate Aida, Darion, Mounir, Miguel, and Sarah, and we ask them to continue pushing our field forward, to continue progressing dance outside of its comfort, to enjoy the breathing room this fellowship gives an artist, and to use this room to doubt, to be curious, to be humble, and to dream bigger than before.”

Learn more about the fellows and their individual cooperation projects.

Fellows 2019

Marc Philipp Gabriel, Martha Hincapié Charry, Lee Méir and Ariel Moreira are the grant holders of the Pina Bausch Fellowship 2019.

More

The 2019 & 2020 Fellows Photo: René Omenzetter © Pina Bausch Foundation

Looking back to MEET THE FELLOWS! 2020

As every year, the new Fellows 2020 and the Fellows 2019 came to Wuppertal in January 2020 and exchanged experiences and presented their Fellowship projects to the visitors at the former Schauspielhaus.

Check out the video!

Photo: Sala Seddiki © Pina Bausch Foundation

This was MEET THE FELLOWS! 2019

In January 2019 we invited the Fellows 2019 and the Fellows 2018 to Wuppertal - to connect, to exchange experiences and to share their fellowship projects with the audience.

Watch the video

Another look: MEET THE FELLOWS! 2018

It was a celebration when in January 2018 the fellows hosted a get to know you event for the Wuppertaler public. The video trailer is online for all to see especially for those that were unable to attend.

Watch the video

New video online

The very first recipients of the Pina Bausch Fellowship got started in 2016. We are introducing Anton, Ayelen, Euripides and Jared once more in a short film and show glimpses of their travels during the fellowship.

Watch the video

Marie-Lena Kaiser, Alexandre Achour, Kareth Schaffer, Scott Elstermann (f.l.t.r.)

The 2018 Fellows

Alexandre Achour, Scott Elstermann, Marie-Lena Kaiser and Kareth Schaffer are the grant holders of the Pina Bausch Fellowship 2018.

More

The video clips of our Fellows are online. Meet Alexandre, Anton, Antonio, Ayelen, Eurypides, Jared, Kareth, Marie-Lena, Scott and Shika and learn more about their motivation, their projects and their experiences.

watch the videos