Czech–German collaboration Connecting/Stations in Zittau and Liberec

The site-specific movement performance Connecting/Stations entered the railway halls in Zittau and Liberec, linking dance, music, and public space as part of the Czech–German Mandava Jazz Festival. Once again, the project activated spaces where people usually only pass each other by - this time on the Czech–German border, itself a powerful symbol of movement, encounters, and crossings.

Together with our excellent partners - Hillersche Villa and Varnsdorf Municipal Theatre - we prepared the presentation of the project in the tri-border region (Dreieck), on the Czech–Polish–German border. This region proved to be an ideal setting for a site-specific performance exploring themes of travel, transience, encounter, and shared space.

A huge thank-you goes to Steffen Tempel for the precise organisation and sensitive anchoring of the project in Zittau. The local railway station has a truly distinctive atmosphere, where the everyday flow of train and bus traffic blends with the tourist attraction of a historic steam narrow-gauge railway. For Connecting/Stations, it was an ideal living organism.

Two performances took place in Zittau, followed by discussions in English and German, with a third performance held in Liberec. The discussions opened up a rich space for sharing—about humanising the railway station as a public space, about the unique connection of music, dance, and acrobatic partnering, and about how art can momentarily change the rhythm of a place that otherwise serves only as a passage from point A to point B.

One of the strongest moments came from small coincidences that cannot be planned in this type of space. One such moment occurred when, precisely during a dance scene inspired by large backpacks, a big group of travellers passed through the station carrying exactly those kinds of bags. Reality briefly merged with the performance—exactly as the creators had intended.

Both German and Czech audiences were exceptionally attentive and curious during the performances. Their reactions, questions, and the way they perceived both the space and the performers confirmed that the language of movement and music truly functions as a barrier-free bridge of communication.

The Connecting/Stations project once again confirmed that contemporary performative art belongs beyond traditional theatre venues, and that public space can become the most vibrant site for genuine encounters.

Photo: Rafael Sam Pedro

The project was supported by public funds from the Arts Support Fund, the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, and the Czech–German Future Fund.