Mime Centrum

The Mime Centre Berlin

Our work: theatre in movement.

The MIME CENTRE BERLIN offers open space for further learning and training, cooperation and international exchange. It sees itself as a modern service institution for theatre-makers, and also as a mediating point between art process and public. The MCB concentrates on questioning the basis of movement in theatre. This aim is connected with a certain phenomenon of separation, still persistent in German thought: theatre is text, and dance is movement. Challenging this point of view creates a scope of work with greater dimensions: from the question of the basis of movement in “text”” theatre, to the role of theatricality in dance. To this end, our work is about the physical and psychical presence of an actor, and about movement as the ground and connection of several different ways of creating theatre. The term “Mime”” seems appropriate if one considers that modern mime, as it arose with Decroux, focuses on this question and investigates it: “Only if the actor gives up the idea of entering the stage with one’s body as a companion, can he abstain from studying the art of body.”” Meyerhold examined the same problem, calling his investigations Biomechanics. His research became a starting point for a new theatre and a new type of actor.

Working space is situated on one theatre studio. In the studio, groups or soloists develop their MOVEMENT TRAINING and PRODUCTION WORK , and workshops and demonstrations are held.

The DOCUMENTARY aspect of the MCB consists of a Media Libary for Dance and Theatre. The documentations of artists, groups, festivals, European theatre schools and training centres offer a wealth of INFORMATION and contacts. Furthermore, VIDEO PRODUCTION plays an important role as a means of representation and analysis for movement theatre; in the video studio we record, edit and document selected performances. The MCB hosts WORKSHOPS with national and foreign lecturers. In one to several weeks’ work the fundamentals of body and movement theatre are taught; mimes, actors, directors and choreographers hold project seminars on Mime Corporel, Biomechanics, Object Theatre, etc. Aesthetic and educational concepts of theatre are illustrated in WORK DEMONSTRATIONS , video lectures and discussions. Among the lecturers in the past few years were Yoshi Oida, Yves Marc (F), Susanne Linke, Michael Diekamp, Benito Gutmacher (D), Jennifer Tipton, Dana Reitz (USA), Ide van Heiningen (NL), and Gennadij Bogdanov (RU).

In addition to the short-term workshops, the MCB carries out in-depth THEATRE RESEARCH projects on special topics, dealing with the relation of theatre and movement, and synthesizing practical work with theory. Training, working and production methods are tested as well as analysed through theatre-historical, dramaturgical and aesthetical viewpoints. The results are offered to the public in demonstrations, performances, publications and video documentations. In the last few years MCB has been focusing on Meyerhold’s Biomechanics and has published, together with Alexander-Verlag Berlin, a book and a video. Some projects over the course of the research led to cooperations with national and international partners: International Biomechanics Seminar 1993/GITIS Moscow; “Reconstruction. Innovation – Decroux. Meyerhold. Schlemmer”” 1993/European Mime Federation (EMF) / Academy of Arts, Berlin ; Moving Academy for Performing Arts (MAPA) 1994/95 / Netherlands Theater Instituut / Hebbel-Theater Berlin / Tanzwerkstatt Berlin ;””a/skin”” Tanzfestival 1997/Tanzlabor Berlin; “Hanging Man”” 1997/””Alfred ve dvore”” Theater, Prag und Dock 11 , Berlin.

Mime Centre Berlin works together with private and state theatre schools, city theatres, off- groups, academies, institutes, festivals and theatre networks. It has been supported by: Nederlands Mime Centrum, Amsterdam; Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Den Haag; Interior Ministry ; Senat of Science, Research and Culture, Berlin; Foundation Kulturfonds Berlin; German-Chech Future Foundation und Förderband e.V .

MIME CENTRUM BERLIN

Kunstquartier Bethanien, Mariannenplatz 2, 10997 Berlin