Only Dead Fish Go With The Flow

Going with the flow is convenient. It demands less effort than moving in another direction. Because so many people are going with the flow, it feels safe to join them. It is an excellent place to hide. And now, imagine a crowd suddenly running in panic. Following the flow doesn’t look so safe anymore.

When we try to move somewhere else, like sideways, against the current, or simply stop and choose our own direction, we discover how much strength it takes. It can be exhausting. It can be lonely. And so, we might return to the flow, quietly waiting for another opportunity.

Performance art has always been interested in what happens when we interrupt the expected. When we stop following the given direction. When we use our bodies, imaginations and presences to create other possibilities.

We cannot create a convenient performance art workshop. We never have. Therefore, in PAS #103, we want to explore what it takes to recognise the currents around us and choose where we want to go. Through artistic experiments we will develop tools for moving differently, changing direction, stopping, starting again and finding our own way. We won’t provide you with a swimming suit. We will give you oxygen – and ask you to swim.

The circumstances for creative work can be challenging, and changing direction can seem almost impossible when we are on our own. But resistance changes when we create it together. Sometimes, swimming in a different direction means finding others who are willing to swim alongside you.

EARLY BIRD PRICE: €310 (lunch included)
REGULAR FEE: €360 (lunch included)

Price does NOT include travel and accommodation costs, but we try to connect participants to share accommodation costs – simply let us know about it in your application form.

EARLY BIRD PRICE: 4 October 2026
CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 8 November 2026
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, meaning that studies may fill up before the closing date.

Maximum 12 participants

17 November 2026: official start at 12:00pm, at Expo Bart
17 – 22 November 2026: practical studies and research (10:00 – 18:00)
22 November 2026: public performance presentation – departure suggested on 23 November

Visit our Library to take a closer look at our previous Studies documented in a process publication.

• pedagogical, artistic and technical guidance of experienced artist and performance art professor BBB Johannes Deimling with assitance of visual artist Monika Deimling
• exploring performance art through a variety of unique performative exercises, experiments, games and assignments
• collaborating with other like-minded people with different experiences, backgrounds and nationalities
• program adjusted to the group dynamics and individual needs
• contacts with artists, curators and art institutions
• final public presentation at Expo Bart in Nijmegen, Netherlands
• photo documentation by Monika Deimling and video documentation of the final presentation
• tons of inspiration, practical and theoretical knowledge, new experiences
• and many more that is dependent on your engagement

We are very happy to collaborate again with POPOP Art in Nijmegen (NL) and also with Expo Bart for PAS #103.

POPOP ART

‘POPOP Art is a platform for the development and presentation of performance art in Nijmegen, as well as a curator of engaging exhibitions at various locations. With a commitment to showcasing diverse artistic talent and fostering a dynamic artistic community, POPOP creates opportunities for artists to experiment, develop their practice and connect with audiences.

In addition to exhibitions and performances, POPOP organizes performance art workshops, residencies and an annual Performance Night at various locations. For this workshop, POPOP is a guest at the Nijmegen art venue Expo Bart, where participants will develop and present their work. These initiatives provide artists with opportunities to explore new ideas, refine their creative practice and engage with Nijmegen’s artistic community. As a platform in motion, POPOP continues to explore new locations, collaborations and ways to bring performance art to audiences in Nijmegen and beyond.’

EXPO BART

‘Expo Bart is an art platform for experimentation, wonder and connection. We believe in the power of art as an instrument for wonder and enrichment. Art broadens your perspective and gives you the space to look at the world anew. At a time when digitalisation, acceleration and polarisation narrow our view of the world, we see art as a catalyst to broaden our perspective and reconnect with the empathy and connectedness that make us human.

It is our mission to convey the value of art as enrichment
for your life. We work from a substantive framework in which we focus on the human condition: the fundamental
experiences and qualities that make us human. It is our starting point that art is, above all, the instrument for bringing about unknown experiences; experiences that you feel in your body, even before you can put them into words. It is this ‘affective’ quality of art that we employ in our programme to open the conversation, broaden the perspective and enrich life. We see artists as
researchers who question the world around them and contribute to a collective understanding of our time. They find the nuances, the peripheral areas of our mind, and give them material form. If artists are the researchers, then Expo Bart is the laboratory for an art practice that resonates with the world of today.’

By Farnoosh A. Nik
“You managed somehow to ACTIVATE my creative spirit and provided the opportunity to expose it to others and to hear from them and to look into other’s mind and to WATCH ACTIVELY and to LISTEN RESPONSIVELY which are amazing skills that I forgot I have and I forgot to pleasure them.“

By Kevin Meehan
“I very very very much appreciated the “there is no wrong or right” motto and you sticking to it! I have heard these very words from other teachers and then very quickly it is revealed that there is in fact a “wrong”. But throughout the PAS Study I felt a growing freedom, a deeper confidence, and a respect for my gut impulses.”

By Veronika Merklein
“And there it was: “Trust your image, your action, yourself!”. PAS empowered me to take MY (performance) art more serious, called my attention to the structures of performances, co-performers in performances and especially really precisely to materials and objects. All in all, I learnt a general attentiveness and it gave me the needed boost to grow up and risk.” – (Veronika Merklein)

For more feedback visit this page.

In the case of cancelling the confirmed spot, the Participant is entitled to a full refund, if PAS | Performance Art Studies receives a notice about it via email, 14 days before the program. If the notice is shorter than 14 days before the program, the fee is going to be returned only if a replacement is found by the Participant.

If the program is cancelled by PAS | Performance Art Studies, the Participant receives a full refund of the fee.

– How to register?
Please fill the form to register for the classes: here. Wait for the confirmation, transfer the fee and you are ready to go.

– I registered but didn’t cover the fee. Is my workshop spot reserved?
Unfortunately not, your place is fully booked only when you cover the fee.

– I am interested in Performance Art but have not much experience, can I take these classes?
Of course, you can, moreover, you should 😉 The PAS teaching method is structured in a way, that no matter what stage you are in you will gain from the process and can further develop your interests.

-I am already an experienced performance artist, will I learn anything new?
Yes, you will, under one condition – you will attend the class with full dedication 😉

– I would need a letter to apply for covering my participation fee / accommodation / travel. Can you provide such a letter?
No problem with that. You just need to provide us with some details and we can send you the letter.

– Can I apply for a scholarship?
Unfortunately, we cannot provide scholarships. We can support you by sending invitation letters if you want to apply for some grants. Besides, we offer payment by instalments.

– I am an art student at a university. Is it possible that my whole class takes part in this course?
Yes, reach out to us and we will help you with further steps.

Were your questions still not answered? Write us an email: pas@bbbjohannesdeimling.de