Stadtbad Live!
Click here for more info

In April 2025, E-WERK has launched Stadtbad Live! - an open call for citizens of Brandenburg (only) to propose their own cultural intervention at Stadtbad Live Luckenwalde. The Stadtbad, designed in 1928 by Bauhaus architect Hans Hertlein, has been closed since 1991, and remained largely empty until 2019, when E-WERK and others began presenting cultural activities including the Golden Lion award winning beach opera Sun & Sea in 2021 and Riot Days by Pussy Riot in 2024. The Stadtbad will now be refurbished and reactivated as Stadtbad Live Luckenwalde: a cultural, event and production venue. The application period has ended, and the jury has chosen the winners.

Click here for more about the Open Call.

THE DROP OUT: TELL THEM I SAID NO at E-WERK and Stadtbad Live Luckenwalde, 2024, photo: Stefan Korte

Stadtbad Live! Sommerfest
July 12
12 - 23h

Zeig Deine Power, Brandenburg
Powered by E-WERK Luckenwalde

Drinks – Food – Bouncy castle – Rap – Comedy – Workshops – Round table – Contemporary witnesses – Techno – Karaoke by Alhambra – Energy!

On 12 July, E-WERK Luckenwalde is inviting you to the Stadtbad Live! Sommerfest. The festival will present a diverse cultural programme from across Brandenburg on the grounds of E-WERK and Stadtbad Live, inspiring visitors and showcasing ideas for the future use of the iconic Bauhaus Stadtbad. The Stadtbad is set to reopen in 2028 as a vibrant cultural centre powered by art.

Performance Programme

12:00 Doors open

13:00 - 13:40 Live Music: Music & Poetry Trio, Stadtbad Live! Stage

Jörg Holdinghausen and his fellow musicians Benno Schmitz (clarinet) and Markus Nass (guitar) will perform selections from Holdinghausen’s album Da Draußen – a poetic and emotionally honest work that brings the German language to life with gentle, melodic sounds.

13:45 - 14:15 FIESTA FINALE by artifact e.V.

An illuminated sound sculpture made of wooden modules whose lights react to music. There will be live performances from Potsdam artists, including rap by Livke, Tchegloff & Ritchie, and Mettis; an open mic with Marie & Meret; and sound art by Udo Koloska. There will also be DJ sets, with 50% of the line-up featuring FLINTA artists. Experience music, light and movement in a public space with artifact e.V., an art association from Potsdam that organises exhibitions and events, including at the Kornspeicher Rehbrücke (attracting over 2,000 visitors in 2022/23). The association supports artists at risk and promotes young art. The Stadtbad project is a collaboration between generations.

13:45 - 14:30 Author Nell Zink, Stadtbad Stammtisch

American author Nell Zink will read from and talk about her new novel Sister Europe, published in German by Rowohlt. Zink has lived in Germany since 2000, and in Bad Belzig since 2013. In 2025, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.

14:00 - 15:30 E-WERK & Stadtbad Live Luckenwalde Tour

Join artist and E-WERK co-director Pablo Wendel, contemporary witnesses Mr Schmiedl and Mr Seidel, and the newly appointed architects Hütten & Paläste to learn about the energy-efficient renovation of the E-Campus in Luckenwalde. Also, don't miss the E-WERK exhibition programme, featuring Love is the Message, the Message is Death by the renowned US artist Arthur Jafa, as well as the results of two summer schools on energy and regenerative material cycles. These took place at the E-WERK in July 2025, in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam and Bauhaus Erde.

14:30 - 15:00 Luckenkiener Karneval Klub e.V., Stadtbad Live! Stage

Founded in 1959, the Luckenkiener Carnival Club is one of the region’s oldest. Their mission is to uphold and share traditional carnival culture.

15:00 - 15:30 Speeches from CSD and E-WERK

15:30 - 16:00 FIESTA FINALE by artifact e.V.

16:00 - 16:35 Katzenkotze, CSD Stage

Training Session Katzenkotze – a band like a can of beer: tough exterior, lively core, stale finish. Balancing youthful dreams with the fight against capitalism and patriarchy, they seek out niches from which to launch punk rock hits straight into the heart of the beast. They're not real punks or original queers – just imitations. They don't take themselves seriously. They don't take you seriously either. But they are damn serious.

16:45 - 17:15 FIESTA FINALE by artifact e.V.

17:15 - 17:50 Faravaz, CSD Stage

Hailing from Iran, Faravaz is an artist, activist and cultural pioneer celebrated for her courage in expressing herself through music. Balancing tradition and innovation, her work challenges social norms and inspires a new generation to think, feel and create art without limits. On her album Azadi, Faravaz says: "Azadi is not just an album, it is an act of defence. Having lived under oppression and censorship for 28 years as a woman in Iran, this music represents my freedom. It is a tribute to our shared cultural roots, but also a call to break taboos and forge our own path. Wherever we come from, our struggles unite us." — Faravaz

17:55 - 18:40 Tamika Campbell, Comedienne, Stadtbad Live! Stage

Tamika Campbell brings comedy from real life – from the young to the old, no one is left out. Since 2007, she’s been shaking stages with sharp wit, real humor, and soul. Turning pain into laughter, she hits straight to the heart. Campbell has lived in Brandenburg since 2009.

18:40 - 19:25 Dozenstolz, CSD Stage

Dosenstolz is not actually a band; it's merely a pretext for getting paid for food and alcohol. However, as this requires a short stage programme, two to five members perform 'music' consisting of screaming poems, depending on their mood on the day. The content of their performances is mostly limited to rejecting wage labour, consuming narcotics, and insulting social majorities. Therefore, attending their concerts is strongly discouraged.

19:30 - 20:00 Magic Butter Show, puppet performance by flunker produktionen, Stadtbad Live! Stage

Baron von Butter among his loved ones. An extraordinary magician, dictator, and show-off who breaks all boundaries. A bit of magic – and suddenly something is broken: a leg, a soul, the entire rabbit. Set in his wild show, surrounded by nude acrobats, opera divas, and exhibitionist giant apes, he gets away with it. Show-offs live longer. Flunker produktionen has been based in southern Brandenburg for nearly ten years. The core team includes puppeteers Claudia Engel and Matthias Ludwig (both graduates of Berlin’s Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts, Department of Puppetry), and actress Andrea Post. Their productions emerge through collaborations with directors, performers, musicians, and visual artists.

20:30 - 21:00 Fisimatenten, CSD Stage

Cabaret, burlesque, theatre, punk or pure trash — you decide! No matter how skilfully we muddle through our eclectic repertoire, you'll definitely feel a little woozy by the end, and we'll be ready for a cigarette afterwards.

21:05 - 21:45 Dustie, Rap-Artist, Stadtbad Live! Stage

Dustie, aka Tim Sander, is 46 years old and lives in Luckenwalde. He’s been making music since youth – from punk rock to psychedelic pop. Eventually, he found his way to hip-hop, a genre he’s loved since he was 11. It’s not about clichés for him – it’s about honest storytelling over gritty, raw beats.

21:50 - 22:20 Artifact e.V.

22:25 - 23:35 SYNCOPE, A/V-Show by Haze & Lux, Stadtbad Live! Stage

SYNCOPE plunges you headfirst into an exhilarating dive through the tunnel. At its depths, pulsing beats and ethereal sounds merge with hypnotic visuals in a whirl of sensory experience. Between focus and dissolution, a fragile balance forms between chaos and control. Haze & Lux is a collective of passionate musicians and creative coders from Potsdam. They create immersive audiovisual live shows and interactive installations that explore the boundaries of art, science, and technology.

18:40 - 22:20 Alhambra Karaoke x Luckenwalde Kebab

The popular karaoke night of Alhambra e.V., Luckenwalde’s music and culture association, takes place this year as a special edition inside Luckenwalder Kebab.

Durational Programme (12:00 - 18:00)

Installation: SWEAT Circle by Rimini Protokoll, Stadtbad Live! Pool

SWEAT is a musclical piece about strength training, gyms, and the self. Initiated and co-produced by E-WERK Luckenwalde, this installation presents an excerpt of the ongoing project. Texts and sounds guide visitors through an imagined circuit training session – experienced by listening, station by station.

Film Discussion: Bündnis Demokratisches Teltow_Fläming, Stadtbad Live! Foyer

This alliance is a diverse group of citizens from the Teltow-Fläming district who believe that democracy thrives on active participation. Ahead of the mayoral election in Luckenwalde (September 28), candidates Jochen Neumann (Independent/The Left), Gordon Roth (GfL), and Matthias Grunert (SPD) will join local cultural figures and experts for a discussion with the public on culture and politics.

Workshop: Trash Tarot by Witches Wednesday, Stadtbad Live! Hair Salon 1

Trash Tarot invites you to seriously play with what has been discarded. Maybe it reveals something – or becomes a creative exploration using a curated selection of trash. Miss Leading will read your constellation, if you wish. Come with a question – or just curiosity.
Witches Wednesday is a queer, transdisciplinary collective from Lunow-Stolzenhagen blending performance, magic, and collective rituals. Their work is site-specific, sensual, and dialogic – exploring more-than-human alliances and how intuition and creativity shape new ways of being together.

Workshop: Zero Waste Bloom by Sarah Schultz, Stadtbad Live! Hair Salon 2

Zero Waste Bloom turns historical teaching flowers into participatory art. On rescued GDR-era paper, participants trace botanical objects, creating sustainable works. The project blends art, education, and ecology, critiques consumption, and decolonizes educational archives. Sarah Schultz studied art, philosophy, and religion in Brandenburg at the University of Potsdam (B.A./M.A., 2004–2010), shaping her artistic and pedagogical approaches.

FIESTA FINALE by artifact e.V., Stadtbad Live! Street

A glowing sound sculpture made from wooden modules responds to music with light. With live acts from Potsdam: rap from Livke, Tchegloff & Ritchie, Mettis, open mic with Marie & Meret, sound art by Udo Koloska, and DJ sets (50% FLINTA). Music, light, and movement in public space. artifact e.V. is an art association from Potsdam realizing exhibitions and actions – including at Kornspeicher Rehbrücke (2022/23, 2,000+ visitors). They support artists at risk and promote emerging art. The Stadtbad project is a cross-generational collaboration.

Super Duty Round Table

This informal gathering invites eyewitnesses from E-WERK and the Stadtbad to share memories. It's a space to exchange ideas, impressions, and inspiration around Stadtbad Live! and its dynamic transformation. Join the conversation!

Event on cultural promotion
Culture and economy: What benefits does a vibrant cultural scene bring to cities like Luckenwalde? What benefits does it bring to residents and the cityscape? What kind of support does culture need?
On 7 July from 5 - 6:30 ., experts, mayoral candidates and members of the public will discuss cultural promotion in Luckenwalde
Presented by Bündnis Demokratisches Teltow-Fläming

07.07.2025
5:00 – 6:30
Stadtbad Live Luckenwalde
Free admission

- Matthias Grunert, mayoral candidate for Luckenwalde 2025, SPD
- Jochen Neumann, mayoral candidate for Luckenwalde 2025, independent
- Nicole Nikutowski, Freie Darstellende Künste Brandenburg e.V.
- Gordon Roth, mayoral candidate for Luckenwalde 2025, GfL
- Andrea Schütze, DAS HAUS Niedergörsdorf Cultural Centre
- Bettina Wedde, Tourismus-Marketing Brandenburg GmbH
- Moderator: Norbert Poppe, Transformhaus

Economy – culture, culture – economy: What does a vibrant cultural scene bring to cities like Luckenwalde? For residents, the cityscape and revenue? What support does culture need? Discuss this with the mayoral candidates, supported by experts, and learn more about their plans.

Bündnis Demokratisches Teltow-Fläming
We are a diverse group of people. Democracy thrives when we all live it. We are convinced that strength lies in diversity and that a free society needs trust and respect. We want to work together to shape our region democratically. For a Teltow-Fläming for everyone!

Please register in advance for this event: info@kunststrom.com

Summer School, E-WERK Luckenwalde, photo: Laila Kaletta

Summer School: Energy Literacy for Just Transition
5 - 9 July

Please note the application process has now closed.

E-WERK will host a summer school for an interdisciplinary selection of masters and PhD students at E-WERK in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam with contributions from Bauhaus Earth and others to explore the questions: How can we understand the different ways energy manifests in landscapes, social relations, infrastructures and heritage spaces? What happens to energy production sites after they are decomissioned? How might we reimagine and rework the cultural, economic, and toxic legacies of petromodernity? How can we ensure the just transition is guided by and advances local concerns and grassroots initiatives? What role can citizens, creatives, and researchers play in laying the groundwork for regenerative practices?

This summer school invites 12 students (Masters, Research Masters, PhD) to explore these questions and contribute firsthand to the transformation of E-WERK Luckenwalde, a former brown coal power station turned contemporary art space just outside of Berlin. E-WERK now operates as both a biomass power plant and a gallery, providing energy and vitality to the Brandenburg region and offering an exemplary role for cultural institutions in the just transition.

The programme will kick off with a series of remote seminars exploring the intersection of the energy humanities, critical heritage and the just transition, featuring guest lectures and workshops led by experts in these fields. Participants will form self-study groups in preparation for the week-long field trip to Luckenwalde. During this convivial residency, the groups will document, narrativize and visualize the past, present and future of E-WERK in its eco-social context. In collaboration with the E-WERK team, we will develop the groundwork for a theoretically informed “field guide” on infrastructural transitions and energy cultures.

The research outcomes of the summer school will be included in a publication aimed at cultural practitioners working on system change and energy transitions in arts, culture and heritage. This guide will feature and stimulate living prototypes of cultural production and eco-social reproduction, and will be launched as part of a public programme at E-WERK later in 2025/26.

The summer school, Stadtbad Live Open Call and EW Sommerfest form part of the project Petroculture’s Intersections with The Cultural Heritage Sector in the Context of Green Transitions (PITCH), Funding has been provided by the EU Horizon Europe program (project no. 101132385) and UK Research & Innovation. The summer school is a project within the framework of 'Connecting Worlds - Kulturland Brandenburg 2024/2025'. Kulturland Brandenburg 2024/2025 is funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and Culture and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning of the State of Brandenburg. With the kind support of the Sparkassen and the Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg.