KNOCK, KNOCK!

If we are lost in a city, we usually take out our phone, check our location, type the place where we want to end up and simply follow the proposed route. Reaching the destination often becomes more important than the way itself. We follow the lines on the map and move through the urban labyrinth accordingly.

And we can assume we are not the only ones walking like this.

Others may no longer need these maps because they know their routes and shortcuts. And a cat moves through the city in a completely different manner – slipping through gaps, crossing territories and following invisible paths that humans would probably never consider.

In this course we will explore the city differently.

The term site-specific describes artistic production in close relation to a particular place. Since its emergence in performance art, the idea of the site-specific performance has influenced artistic practice and theory until today.
One could even argue that every performance is site-specific. A performance always unfolds within a spatial context and inevitably enters into a relationship with the environment in which it appears. Our bodies themselves cannot leave space – we are surrounded by it from the moment we begin to grow in the uterus.

But site-specific describes more than simply being somewhere. It is a working method – a way of researching.
Site-specific artistic research resonates with many fields beyond the arts: ecology, history, politics, social structures, human and non-human presence, memory and time. The site becomes a reservoir of diverse and seemingly endless artistic possibilities.

The dialogue between site and time plays an important role in this process. A performance created within a few hours will appear differently than one emerging from a longer process of observation and engagement. Day and night, weather, seasonal rhythms and everyday routines all shape how a site reveals itself.

Our research will take place in the neighbourhood southwest of Moving Station in Plzeň. Old villas, apartment blocks, student dormitories, temporary housing and areas of urban wilderness coexist here. The area is also inhabited by homeless communities and street cats. Different realities, rhythms and forms of life intersect within this relatively small territory.

During the course we will move through this environment as observers, listeners and performers. Through walks, exercises, discussions and artistic experiments we will investigate how a site can influence performative action and how performance can respond to the conditions of a place.

And perhaps, in this process, we will also try something simple: To knock.
To knock on spaces, situations, histories and encounters that we usually pass by.

Knock, knock! – Who is there?
Participants will develop individual or collaborative performance actions that emerge from their encounters with the site and the people, stories and presences that inhabit it.

Rather than following a predefined map, we will allow the site itself to guide the work.

EARLY BIRD PRICE: €200 until 28 April 2026
REGULAR FEE: €280 – it costs you just 5€ per hour 🙂
REDUCED PRICE: 4 spots for students from Czechia – €150
The price includes free acess to all performances at the festival.
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.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 8 May 2026
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, meaning that studies may fill up before the closing date.

Maximum 12 participants

18 May 2026: official start at 10:00, at Moving Station, Koperníkova 574/56, 30100 Plzeň, Czechia
18 May 2026: practical studies and research (10:00 – 17:00)
19 May 2026: practical studies and research (10:00 – 18:00)
20 – 22 May 2026: practical studies and research (10:00 – 16:00), afterwards attending the festivals program
23 May 2026: public presentation
24 May 2026: reflection and closing day, departure at earliest 15:00

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 the international festival of contemporary theatre and performance NASTEVŘENO, Plzeň, Czechia
• 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

With the 99th edition of PAS | Performance Art Studies we are invited to join the international festival of contemporary theatre and performance NASTEVŘENO in Plzeň, Czechia. The festival aims to activate the neighbourhood surrounding the former train station and to include this urban environment within its artistic programme.

For PAS this offers the possibility to connect with places and spaces in Plzeň and to approach them through a site-specific artistic process.

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?
If you’re a Czech student, we offer 4 spots with 45% discount. As for the other participants, 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