(For actual performance dates see menu above under current programme.)

The International Performance Festival

…takes place every year (since 2009), usually from the last weekend of April until the first weekend in May. Funded by the Kultursommer Rhineland-Palatinate, the festival has become an essential/established/valued part of the cultural landscape of Mainz. Seven to eight international performance groups, mainly from neighbouring countries, are chosen from hundreds of applicants to perform their individual acts at our festival. In addition to publishing an official open call for artists, we research new groups on the internet, attend other festivals and re-invite artists, who already performed at our festival in previous years with their new pieces. This way we can offer a diverse programme each year, presenting new found wonders (fresh discoveries), re-comers and performers who have become part of the pad family, as we continuously invite and support them.

In addition to the performances, the programme includes meet and greets combined with open discussions with the artists after each show, workshops and sometimes even installations or film screenings. Homemade meals provided for all artists are a special bonus. What makes this festival so special is its focus on intercultural communication and exchange. That, and its cosy/familial atmosphere and personal flair make the festival popular among audience and artists (which manifests itself in constantly growing numbers of applications as well as artists and audience keen to come back).

The organisation of the festival starts as early as October or November with the launching of the call for artists and other preparations. Each year a group of 5 to 7 interns (usually students of the University of Mainz) then helps out in the last months leading up to the festival. We promote the festival via large posters in the inner city and thousands of programme flyers that are handed out and placed on campus, in the inner city, in bars, pubs, restaurants and public institutions like cinemas and libraries.

The Dance Weekend

…has been taking place every year since 2014, usually on a long weekend in June or July. This relatively new event, which is funded by the Kultursommer RLP, is organised and curated in combination with the International Performance Festival. It is subject to the same conditions, has the same organisers and sponsors as the festival and is being structured in a similar way. However the Dance Weekend consists – in contrast to the festival – of two to four dance productions only. This extreme focus also means that we look especially closely for innovative performance character and therefore only choose performances, we consider exceptional and outstanding.

The Mainz Long Night of the Museums in pad

…takes place biannually at the end of May or the beginning of June. It is hosted and organised by the Kulturamt (cultural office) of Mainz City. The pad has been part of the Night of the Museums for many years now, namely with a durational performance improvisation of eight hours length: nonstoponstage by Schmitt&Schulz. The audience is free to come and go, whenever they like. Everyone can gather as many impressions of the performance as they wish.

The annual in-house production by Schmitt&Schulz

…are usually produced in the time period between late summer and autumn and mostly staged in November. This full-length performance is partially financed with/by project funds of the federal state ministry. Sometimes the in-house production is staged within the framework of a themed week. We then invite guest groups and curate an accompanying programme of lectures, discussions, installations, exhibitions, film screenings etcetera. The annual in-house-production is advertised with billboards and flyers.

Watch&Eat

…is our durational improvisation performance format nonstoponstage in a four hour version with an extra of catering for the audience. On stage Schmitt&Schulz improvise performative abstract scenes, while their mothers serve homemade soup in the foyer. The audience is free to come and go between 6 and 10pm whenever they want. Everyone decides for oneself, how much soup and performance art he or she wants to consume. According to consumption and personal approval everyone pays a chosen amount of money that he or she thinks is appropriate. Watch&Eat is solely funded by these admission fees. We offer Watch&Eat roughly six times a year. On most occasions, it centres on one particular topic. These topics will be published on our website. Watch&Eat is advertised with flyers and on facebook.