A new space for art: Opening of the Small Stage in the East Wing

On September 14, 2025, HELLERAU celebrated the opening of its newly designed east wing as part of Open Monument Day, transforming the building into a lively place of encounter, exchange, and artistic curiosity for an entire day.

The festivities kicked off with a dance performance by the In Presence Dance Company in front of the Festspielhaus, followed by Berthold Brauer leading the audience into the east wing with his trumpet solo.

In the newly renovated Small Stage, Annekatrin Klepsch (Deputy Mayor for Culture, Science, and Tourism of the State Capital Dresden), Franziska Brech (Head of the Culture and Tourism Division at the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture, and Tourism), Romy Eichler (Head of Construction Strategy, Office for Building Construction and Real Estate Management of the State Capital Dresden), and Carena Schlewitt (Artistic Director of HELLERAU) welcomed the audience with words of greeting. Their speeches made it clear how much the east wing is not only an architectural addition, but above all a promise for the future: new spaces for artistic research, for encounters, and for the audience of tomorrow.

The opening was accompanied by a musical performance by Alberto Arroyo and Olaf Katzer with music by Monteverdi, Arroyo, and Bach and interpretations by artists from the AuditivVokal Dresden and Continuum XXI ensembles. As a highlight, Carena Schlewitt unveiled a 1.20-meter-long loaf of bread baked in-house by the Hellerau market baker, which was then traditionally served with salt to the visitors. 

Throughout the day, the program invited visitors to experience the diversity of the East Wing. The audiovisual installation “Kaltdach mit Fledermaus” (Cold Roof with Bat) recounted the long journey of the building from demolition to completion and made it clear that architecture also carries memories. Workshops with Polymer DMT and the Sebastian Weber Dance Company gave visitors the opportunity to get moving themselves.

Whether through basic movement principles or the rhythm of tap dancing, the East Wing became a place for shared experimentation on the very first day. Other artistic contributions such as “Clouds for tomorrow” by Miller de Nobili and “RETROMANIA” by the go plastic company also opened windows to the future: choreographic miniatures that dealt with social fractures, digital aesthetics, and the desire for new forms of expression.

Music and dance carried us through the whole day – from the rainy start with the In Presence Dance Company in front of the Festspielhaus to the DJ sets by David Le Thai and Max Rademann in the evening sun. Katja Erfurth's walk “da I sein – STADT.GESCHICHTE.TANZ.” was particularly impressive, combining history, body, and urban space and building a bridge between the past and present of the garden city of Hellerau.

The opening of the east wing was not just a ceremony, but an invitation to perceive the space as a living organism, sustained by artistic practice, audience, and shared experience. The fact that this was achieved in such a diverse way on the very first day gives an idea of the significance this place will have for Dresden's cultural landscape in the future.