Theatre

Theater of Things

'Theater der Dinge' is and annual festival of contemporary figure and object theatre - a type of theatre where the inanimate object is more than a prop. This art form can range from the traditional puppetry to a more experimental or abstract form of object manipulation, using even the simplest everyday items for the most varied visual narratives.

This years' theme is 'Spielraum' (wiggle room), which refers not only to the metaphoric sense of freedom and flexibility, but also to the literal meaning of a space for creativity. A total of 12 international productions and 6 German ones will be featured, including some premieres.

Every year, all the performances will be held at the Schaubude Theatre, located in the Prenzlauer Berg district. The festival will take place between 3 – 9 Nov. The programme is available here.

Family and Kids

Halloween and more

All Saints Day is not a holiday in Berlin, but within our multicultural city the day is still celebrated by many, especially by the Mexican community.

Around the days we now mainly associate with Halloween, the Humbolt Forum, located in the new Berlin Palace near Museum Island, will organize a 'Fiesta de Día de los Muertos', with a temporary exhibition on the cultural practices and relevance of this Mexican religious holiday.

There will be live music and dancing, workshops, kids activities as well as the Ofrenda itself – a lovingly decorated altar to the deceased being welcomed back on this day where the dead are allowed to visit with the living. On the 1st of November an authentic traditional Mexican market will be held in association with the cultural association Calaca e.V..

The programme is available here.

For St. Martin's day, on 11th Nov, the museum-village Düppel, located almost halfway between Berlin and Postdam, near the Grunewald forest, will offer special tours with an emphasis on traditions and German fairy tales and superstitions related to this mystical time of the year. There will also be entertainment with jugglers, as well as kids’ activities, such as the making of the traditional St. Martin lanterns, but also magic wands. Additionally, there will be historical children's games, and other entertainment.

Aside from this event, the Museumsdorf Düppel is generally worth a visit any time of the year, with kids or without. The village shows not just the everyday life in medieval Berlin, the architecture and the clothes worn, but also ancient crafts in live action, from smithing to beekeeping. There are fresh food and beverages, as well as a gift shop with local products.

Details here.

Science

Berlin Science Week

This event brings scientists and innovators from all over the world together with the public, for 10 days, for science-related events across the city. However, do not let the name fool you, there are also plenty of art events focused on the relationship between technical innovation and artistic creativity. These will be hosted in the 'FORUM Art & Science', at Holzmarkt 25 – a cultural centre on the banks of the river Spree, near Ostbahnhof train station. Theme of the Berlin Science Week festival is 'Dare to Know: Creative Science, Precise Art', and will include art installations, performances and a small fair of art and science.

The Berlin Science Week takes place between 1 – 10 November, in several locations. More information on the official website.

Gastronomy

eat! Berlin - Gourmet food festival

This gourmet food festival is every foodie's dream. It will include live cooking events with international and German chefs – many of them with more than 60 Michelin stars accummulated last year – as well as more hands-on activities for attendees, such as workshops and tastings.

Something special on this year's programme is the tasting Cabaret performance by Tobias Sudhoff, a household name in the German food industry. The event will take place in the Theatre am Palais, near the German History Museum, where he will prepare some treats for the audience.

Between the 2 and 12 of November adhering restaurants, such as some of the most luxurious culinary venues of the German capital, will offer special menus during the festival. Just a heads-up: spots are very limited and set to sell out very quickly.

More details here.

Trade Fairs

Veggienale & FairGoods

The plant-based, ethical and organic food and lifestyle industries are expanding at increased speed, particularly given the current ecological and sociopolitical climate and subsequent growth in both public interest and private investment. The Veggienale & FairGoods fair offers visitors an inside look into the current innovations, projects and discussions, through a series of events ranging from product demonstrations to workshops and lectures. The obvious focus on sustainability is the thread that binds the various sectors present, so fair trade products, slow fashion, upcycling will all be the focus.

The fair takes place on November 17 and 18, in the Loewe Saal, an ample event space sort of half-way between our Miniloft Mitte location and the Charlottenburg palace.

Further information here.

Music

Jazzfest Berlin

This year Berlin's jazz scene will celebrate the 60^th edition of Jazzfest Berlin. Aside from local musicians there will be extensive international talent of different backgrounds, ages and traditions, showcasing the ever avantgarde nature of Jazz music and its new dialogues with other sounds and cultures.

Aside from concerts, the events will extend to film presentations and artists’ talks. These will take place not just in the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, but also across other prominent venues, such as the clubs A-Trane and Quasimodo, and even the half-ruined Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. All between 2 – 5 Nov. The programme here is available here.

If you do not manage to get tickets, the concerts will be broadcasted via radio in partnership with the ARD and Deutschlandradio.

Baroque Days

The 'Barocktage' festival is held every year since 2018 by the State Opera, in the Unter den Linden boulevard that connects some of the city's most recognizable monuments. The emphasis is, of course, on the European music of the 18^th century, with a few works from the late 17^th century.

The programme is comprised of not just opera, like Theseus and Medea, but also concerts, including some for children, performed by the chamber orchestra Akamus – the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin ensemble.

The festival takes place between Nov 17 – 26. The programme is available on the official website.

Architecture

Taste is the Lack of Appetite - Hybrid Approaches to Architecture

This year marks 25 years since the founding of now well-established and reputed architecture firm GRAFT. To commemorate, this exhibit will delve into past and current projects that best highlight the processes and dimensions of the type of engaged architecture and design for which GRAFT is recognized. One of these interventions is the 'Solarkiosk', a mini mobile solar power station that secures the energetic needs of rural areas in developing nations and doubles as a commercial or community space.

The temporary exhibition takes its name from the quote 'taste is the lack of appetite' by critic Dave Hickey, which refers to the observation that the concern with taste often prevents curiosity and experimentation, concepts focal to GRAFT's mission.

The exhibit will be held between Oct 28 – Dec 5, not too far from our Miniloft Mitte location. The venue is the Architecture Forum within the Aedes Network Campus (ANCB). More details here.

Arts & Multimedia

Lee Ufan exhibit

Just a few minutes walking from Miniloft Mitte is Hamburger Bahnhof, the former terminus of the Berlin-Hamburg Railway which is now museum of contemporary art. The brand new retrospective of Lee Ufan's work marks the impact of this important figure in minimal art, especially Japanese and Korean. His philosophical, methodological, and technical approaches to visual art helped shaped its contemporary expression and its autonomy from Western movements.

Although his life's work includes undeniably significant critique and theory, this retrospective hinges on some of his equally relevant and impressive art masterpieces. The temporary exhibit shows 50 creations from the last 50 years, from painting to sculpture and installations.

The Lee Ufan retrospective will run from the end of October, well into next year. More information here.

Cinema

A plethora of film festivals

'Portuguese Cinema Days' is exactly what it sounds: The initiative aims to showcase the best of Portuguese film, from cult films to the newest works making the rounds around all the relevant festivals. This year, the film cycle will take place at the independent movie theatre Moviemento Kino, between 11 Nov and 10 Dez. The programme is available here.

Berlin will also welcome plenty of other cinema festivals in November, namely the 'Italian Film Festival' (7-12 November), the 'Lithuanian Cinema Goes Berlin' festival (10-12 November), the 'French Film Week' (23 – 29 Nov), the 'Afrikamera' - African film festival (14-19 November) as well as the 'International Short Film Festival Berlin' (14-19 November). More details here.

Miniloft picks: Events in Berlin - November 2023