Wunderland
Opening Weekend Party with Guy Dermosessian am 23 August
Wunderland is the beating heart of Ruhrtriennale! Set under the water tower, nestled cosily between Pumpenhaus and Jahrhunderthalle, this striking pink structure designed by architect Olivier Goethals awaits you: children and adults alike. Starting off the Wunderland weekend on Friday evening you can witness rising literary local talents at Spoken Acts. On Saturday, things start heating up – fun and free Do-It-Yourself-Saturdays, workshops for big and small in the early afternoon and as the sun starts to set, regional musicians take the stage with Ruhr Diamonds. You may want to grab a bite to eat at Pumpenhaus, catch a show at Jahrhunderthalle, and return for the glorious Down The Rabbit Hole party. Renowned DJs from here and abroad take you along for a rhythmic ride – disco balls, neon lights, and summer drinks setting the mood.
Every Sunday we start the day with a Sunday Dancers workshop, for dancers at any level. Body activated? Great, it`s time to jump start the mind – at our discourse series Brave New Voices with significant authors, theorists and public figures. Or perhaps you join us later, at an afternoon Relaxed With ... where artists from our festival present an additional programme, this time in a setting attempting to cater also to accessibility needs of neurodivergent visitors. We invite you to linger a while longer – lounge chairs, refreshments, table tennis await you at Wunderland to close off the weekend.
Down the Rabbit Hole X Opening Weekend Party am 23. August
with Cute Community Radio
seren.a (live)
seren.a is an electronic artist and sound engineer from Düsseldorf. As co-founder and DJ of the all-female collective Get Over It, she pioneers the representation of queer women on stage and behind the decks in Germany. After playing (classical) guitar for 20 years she switched to hardware synths to orchestrate her own soundscapes. She is composing music for dance and theatre productions.
As a DJ she serves a juicy blend of 90s rave driven hardtechno and house beats, sprinkled with hyperpop. Synthgasms guaranteed.
Frau Beji
The up-and-coming artist Frau Beji from Dortmund combines North African roots with Afro-electronic music, bringing a unique blend to the stage. As a DJ, she takes the audience on a journey with her music and give them emotions and a feeling of inspiration. Frau Beji feels deeply connected to Afro-electronic music and plays genres such as Afrohouse, Afrotech and Melodic House & Techno. However, her sets are not only characterised by musical diversity, but also by a spiritual atmosphere, taking us on a journey and offering an unforgettable experience. By integrating her North African roots with modern sounds, she creates a unique musical vision that builds bridges between cultures and brings people together. She is a member of the DJ collective BARULHO WORLD from Dortmund.
ROPA.
Based in Munich, Germany, ROPA. has carved a niche for herself, captivating audiences with her magnetic stage presence and eclectic mixes rooted in African electronic elements — AfroTech, AfroHouse, Amapiano, Gqom, and touches of soul.
ROPA. hears beyond the music. Her musical palette is built on a strong foundation: self-taught in three instruments, songwriting, and choral arrangements. She fuses diverse genres to create immersive auditory experiences that draw deeply from her Southern African heritage.
Supporters Ruhrtriennale
Main Funder RAG-Stiftung.
Funded by the Stiftung Mercator.
Spoken Acts
What moves the young scene in the Ruhr area? Spoken Acts is our new stage for the spoken word by young actors from the Ruhr area. Between slam poetry and comedy, readings and talks, our acts negotiate issues that concern them and their generation in very different ways. Together they find the words to resist reality and relentlessly name their utopias. Every Friday at 5 pm, Wunderland becomes a refuge for young word art from the Ruhr area.
Do-It-Yourself Saturdays
A festival centre should be a meeting place. A place to participate and exchange ideas. With our Do-It-Yourself Saturdays workshop series, we offer workshops for big and small every Saturday at the Wunderland festival centre. There is room for creative minds in this centre with a variety of activities to get involved in.
Ruhr Diamonds
Ruhr Diamonds offers unique opportunities to get to know talented musicians from the Ruhr region. Every Saturday evening, up-and-coming musicians from the Ruhr region perform in the festival centre at the Jahrhunderthalle. The concerts in Wunderland not only offer free admission, but also the chance to discover and experience new, creative sounds from the region.
Down The Rabbit Hole
Cute Community Radio is a radio station, community space and hybrid platform for diasporic and migrant pop culture. Its weekly contributions present music, art and ideas from different communities and are received and celebrated worldwide. Guy Dermosessian, the Beirut-born DJ and founder, invites you to the Down The Rabbit Hole party series for cute club nights to celebrate these multiple perspectives together!
Sunday Dancers
What languages does the body dance? Every Sunday, Sunday Dancers offers the opportunity to move the body together and to gain an exciting insight into the dance language of international dancers. Renowned choreographers and dancers from the various festival productions will give a workshop on movement and dance. The techniques and approaches of their artistic practice invite you to join in.
