Dear supporters and friends of villa\wigman,
dear neighbours,

it's a busy late summer for us, and we're delighted to take you along with us a little!

In this newsletter we look back on two residencies hosted with us as part of funding from the Fonds Darstellende Künste, and warmly invite you to the upcoming showings. We're also opening our doors again on 13 September for the Tag des offenen Denkmals (Open Monument Day), giving visitors their first look at the newly renovated residency flat on the first floor. And we're excited to announce the premiere of "KÖRPER UNTER DRUCK. Ein anderer Wind" on 4 October at villa\wigman.

In September we'll be hosting an international residency from the Kulturstiftung des Freistaates Sachsen for the first time: performer Jiayi Hu from China will spend eight weeks with us in Dresden as part of the exchange programme with the Goethe-Institut China. Building work is also progressing: renovation of the two small halls in the Zwischenbau began in early July, with new suspended ceilings, ventilation systems, rigging points for future use, and an upgraded lighting system.

We hope you enjoy reading this, and look forward to seeing you soon at villa\wigman!

What bodies remember, what art dares: a look inside our residency work

This summer we were delighted to host two exciting research residencies as part of the Fonds Darstellende Künste's residency funding.

In August, author, performer and circus artist Romy Seibt joined us with her project "Poolreinigung" ("Pool Cleaning"). A former champion diver, she returns in the piece to the place of her childhood – the swimming halls of the GDR – exploring, together with an interdisciplinary team, the bodily memory of a dictatorship through a blend of Nouveau Cirque, theatre, text and documentary film.

Shortly before that, in July, Angelika Waniek researched her project "Mehr Musical, bitte" ("More Musical, Please") together with five performers, dancers and choreographers. At the heart of the work were questions about artistic role models in difficult times, and whether lightness in artistic work can be understood as an act of resistance.

Both residencies will be followed by showings/small workshop performances, offering insight into the artists' processes and ways of working. We warmly invite you to join us at villa\wigman:

• Romy Seibt – 3 September at 3.30pm (registration requested)
• Angelika Waniek – 9 October at 5pm

We look forward to an open and curious audience!

On 13 September, villa\wigman opens its doors once again for Tag des offenen Denkmals (Open Monument Day). From 10am to 4pm, with free admission, we invite you to tours, coffee, cake and conversation, offering a range of glimpses into and out of the listed building ensemble. New this year: for the first time, visitors can take a look inside the newly renovated residency flat on the first floor – once Mary Wigman's own living quarters. The first residents have already stayed here. Angelika Waniek, who worked there during her residency, describes the space like this:

"Ever since I was able to take up residence at villa\wigman, I've constantly been imagining different versions of what a place for artistic work could mean. In my mind I paint the ceilings and walls, sometimes silver, sometimes red, sometimes white. I watch how the light falls into a room in all sorts of different places, and think about how inside and outside can be connected. Virginia Woolf's own room becomes tangible at villa\wigman: a place for thinking, working and rehearsing."

We look forward to discovering a century of dance history together with you – as well as the latest chapters of the renovation.

More infos →

KÖRPER UNTER DRUCK. Ein anderer Wind