Vita
English, short version
Fred Pommerehn
Fred Pommerehn was Born in Madison Indiana, USA in 1964.
He studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts from 1982 to 1986;
graduating as a scholarship student with honors and the degree: Bachelor of Fine Arts.
In 1987 he moved to Berlin where he is still living.
From 1987-1990 he worked as an assistant at the Schiller Theater, Berlin.
Since 1990 he has been working as a freelance artist,
designing for theater, dance, performance and contemporary music theater. He has worked extensively
through out Europe and occasionally his work has taken him as far as Asia and North America.
Outside of his work in the theater he has developed his own work as an installation artist working primarily with found materials and light in a site-specific setting. He has also collaborated with artist from all over Europe in creating installation-performances-events.
Awards
Put on the Top ten U.S. designers list 1990, Theater Crafts International Ny, Ny, USA.
AS Rose price for outstanding artistic achievement
for his design for
"Die Gelehrtenrepublik"
Marstall Munich 1999.
Nominated as up and coming artist of the year
by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung for his design for
"Der Freischütz" at the Parkaue Theater in Berlin.
(Theaterheute, Jahrbuch 2006)
Recent activities
His recent activities include several successful productions for the Theater an der Parkaue, Berlin together with the director Carlos Manuel. "Warum kommen die Dinge Durcheinander" (Oct. 07-still running), "Die Verwandlung" (Dec. 06-still running), "Der Freischütz" (Oct 05-June 07)
Recently he has begun to work with several new choreographers: Maguerite Donlon, Saarländisches Staatstheater, Saarbrücken, Be van Vark, Dock 11, Berlin, Christiane Ciupke and Nik Haffner, Tanz Platform, Stuttgart / Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin.
Past Highlights
Every June since 2004 he creates a light and object installation event for a live classical music concert in the Sanssouci Park for the Musikfestspiele Potsdam, Sanssouci.
2006 and 2005 he created and directed together with the French composer Francois Sahran "Les Articulations de la Reine" A grotesque chamber opera for animated objects. Opening at the Festival Archipel in Geneva March 2005 and also playing in Paris, Nancy and Metz In January 2006 a German version of the production "Die Häutungen der Königin"> was opened in Berlin at the Spielzeit Europa, Berliner Festwochen and played also in Saarbrücken.
In 2003 he created "Galets de Plage / Das Strand Geröll" A site specific installation for the reopening of the Historical city channel in Potsdam
Music theater production for the März Music Festival in Berlin include, "An Sich Bilder und Stille" Roland Pfrengle / 2003, "Michaels Jugend" aus "Donnerstag aus Licht" Karl-Heinz Stockhausen / 2002, "Lohengrin" Salvatore Sciarrino / 2001
In 2002 he was artist in residence in Rouen, France at the October en Normandie Festival where he created his largest installation to date, "Le Grand Grwth", 150 meters by 20meters of found materials.
Also in 2002 he co directed and designed "Einstein for Aliens" with the American performance artist David Moss. A one-man new music musical for the Muziek Theater Transparent Antwerpen, Belgium and the Hebbel Theater Berlin. Also playing at the Minard Theater, Gent, Cultural Capital Europe Brügge, Cutting Edge Festival Darmstadt, Traf, o’ theater Budapest.
Since 2002 he has worked together with Carlos Manuel and Hartmut Schaffrin at the Jugendtheaterwerkstatt Spandau. The JTW is a nonprofessional ensemble consisting of persons from all walks of life and age. The JTW has a prestigious reputation as one of the best amateur theater company’s in Germany. In September 2002 its production of Peer Gynt was included as the first amateur ensemble ever in the festival Spielzeit Europa in Berlin. Its most recent production "Karamazov" played at the Parkaue Theater in Berlin in September 2007.
In 1998 he founded the group Urban Dialogues, which he directed until 2000.
He created between 1993 and 1997 together with Arnold Dreyblatt the "Memory Arena" an interactive installation involving 600-invited reading guest. Presented at: Kampnagel Hamburg, Spielart Festival in Marstall, München, and in Arken Museum, Copenhagen as the largest German contribution to the European Culture Capital.
His work has also been produced or invited to festivals throughout Europe and abroad, including: Wiener Festwochen, Inventionen Festival Berlin, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Goethe Institut, Icebreaker Amsterdam, Hellerau Dresden, Züricher Theaterspektakel, Kryptonale Berlin, ZKM Karlsruhe, Opera Leipzig, Expo 2000 Hannover, Akademie der Künste Berlin, New Arts Seoul, Nachtbogen Festival Berlin, o zwei Gallery Berlin, Musikfestival Brussel, Musica Strasbourg, Huttersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Nanterre Aman Piers / T+M Paris, Budapest Fall Festival, Dnes A Tady Festival Prague, Arsenal Metz, Festival Perspectives Saarbrücken, Altstadt Herbstfestival Düsseldorf, Spielzeit Europa Berlin, Berliner Festwochen, Bayerisches Staatsschauspiel München.
He also teaches for: Arts and Stage Academy, Berlin. Media Academy, Berlin and JugendKunst und Kulturzentrum Schesische 27, Berlin.
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