A driveway in the quiet residential street in the district of Flingern. In the large window next door, one can sometimes see young people working in a kitchen while passing by. Perhaps the gaze unintentionally falls into the backyard with plant pots, benches, and sun umbrellas. It is hardly imaginable that artists are working here in one of the liveliest studio places in Düsseldorf. "Freiraum" is the name of this place, which has been around since 2019, and that is exactly its concept.
The latest experiment started in November 2022. The Düsseldorf choreographer Ben J. Riepe thought up the "Freiraum". A funding from the federal government within the framework of "Tanzpakt" made the implementation possible in 2019. Just a few houses down from the studio of his own company, he discovered the one-and-a-half-story building in a backyard. It used to be a printing house. Now the section divides into a large white room with a wide window front. On a gallery and separated by glass panes, there is a lounge area where fresh water with lemon and mint leaves is always available on a counter. The employees refer to it as a "coworking space". A smaller studio is connected to it. In front next to the gate entrance are offices for the employees of the Freiraum.
Riepe's concept takes the term "freiraum" very seriously. Uncurated, the space should be available to all artists interested in it. A gamble. No one could have guessed who would inquire with what ideas. What artistic level would be established. That initially most would come from the fields of dance and performance was to be expected, as Riepe has his strongest networks there. But he wanted to provide more than just a rehearsal space for scenic experiments from the very beginning. Riepe himself works in the border area between dance, performance, visual art, and music theater. The freiraum should also create connections. From working and experimenting side by side, ideally, a togetherness should emerge.
Without competition, without pressure, artists should get to know the works of other artists here, exchange ideas, and learn from each other. Or simply experience that there are also other people who master the difficult survival in the independent scene in their own way. At least that's the vision. Just a somewhat naive utopia?
A few years later, the Freiraum is a highly vibrant place known beyond Düsseldorf. The two studios are constantly booked out. Not just by performing artists. Visual artists also come here, experiment with the space and large, temporary installations, test series of works on display, try out materials. A Polish ballet dancer is creating a video work on LGBTIQ* rights in his homeland, while in the sunny courtyard a student is writing her master's thesis on forms of dance in connection with political demonstrations. The dancers of the Ben J. Riepe Company come over during their rehearsal break to eat. And then exactly what Ben J. Riepe dreamed of happens: Everyone meets at the garden table and starts a conversation.
