#85 A brief flight of stairs

Our most recent performance, on 25 March 2026, as part of the Beta Festival 2026, took place during a

multi-part evening with our Tuningpoint collective.

The monumental spiral staircase on the new campus, which reflects the atmosphere of the former Deisswil paper mill, became both a stage and a space for experience.

The functional geometry of the stairwell, with its cold, smooth surfaces, served as the setting for the event. We explored the steps, edges and banisters by touch and by listening. With our bodies, we traced the joints and crevices, breaking through the rigid metal structure with vibrating sound and contorting ourselves into organic forms. What initially appeared to be a hidden set of rules turned out to be an invitation to the audience to intervene, take the reins and actively help shape the shared experience. We had far more audience members than expected; they were also much more engaged than anticipated and didn’t stick to any of the rules – everything turned out differently and was chaotic, and wonderfully stimulating!

Participants were:

Andrea Nina, Anna Blöchlinger, Chris Lechner, Helena Daniel, Ilona Siw, Loredana D'Ambrosio, Mo, Nadine Lüthi, Pascale Oechsli, Peter Aerni, Sunita Asnani, Susanne Mueller Nelson

The collective of experienced dance and theatre practitioners has been meeting since 2015 to practise and explore. The aim is to use the fundamentals of Lisa Nelson’s Tuning Scores to generate new collaborative content and apply it in a participatory manner. Since 2021, the collective has been exploring specific spaces and semi-public spaces through their own group improvisations and agreements. ‘Listening’ to these spaces forms the basis of the current project.