What's On Today: Saturday, November 21, 2009

Festival for children giving them the opportunity to meet artists and authors propmoting the art of traditional storytelling at venues all around the city. Visit the festival website for full details of all the events.

SUMO is the possibly the biggest ever photography book project. Ten years ago Taschen published a limited run of 10,000 books signed by Helmut Newton. This display shows all 394 photographs. There is also a smaller and revised version of the book for the regular book market. Exhibition is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 with late opening on Thursday until 22:00. At the Museum for Photography, Jebensstrasse 2.

This is a unique exhibition exploring the art and culture of the Renaissance in Berlin. The exhibition focuses on Cranach and the art of the Renaissance under the Hohenzollern. Open daily except Tuesday from 10:00 to 17:00 (closed on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve). Late opening on Thursday until 20:00. Standard admission is €8 or €6 concessions. At Charlottenburg Palace, New Wing, Spandauer Damm.

Daily magic shows for children from Thursday to Sunday by Igor Jedlin, star magician from the Moscow State Circus. Performance starts at 15:30. Tickets cost €12 for adults or €7 for children under 12. Ticket hotline is 030 323 3777 or purchase tickets via the website. At Zaubertheater Jedlin, Roscherstr. 7. Nearest public transport link is U Adenauerplatz or S Charlottenburg.

A new production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake by Patrice Bart. Performance starts at 19:30. Tickets available from the box office on 3438 4343 or via usual agencies. At Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bismarckstrasse 35. Nearest public transport link is U Deutsche Oper.

International weekend Christmas market with arts and crafts from around the world offering an original Christmas shopping experience. Also craft demonstrations and live music. Market is open weekends only from 11:00 to 19:00. Admission is €6.00 standard or €3 concessions. Under 16s admitted free of charge. Admission includes entry to the museums, market, concerts, workshops and children's programme. At the Dahlem Museums, Lanstrasse 8.

Puppet Theatre Festival with over 100 performances by more than 22 different theatre groups includign shadow theatre, toy theatre, storytelling and much more. Suitable for children age 2 to 11 years. See website for detailed information. At FEZ Wuhlheide.

When the Wall Came Down - The Exhibition presented by English Theatre Berlin & Andreas Oberschule & Leibnitzschule Kreuzberg. For today's school children a unified Berlin is the norm. This exhibition presents photographs, texts, videos and readings telling the story of the Fall of the Wall. Admission is free. Open from 17:00 to 22:00 on the 16th and 17th and from 19:00 to 22:00 on the 18 to 23 Oct. At F40 - English Theatre Berlin + Theater Thikwa, Fidicinstrasse 40. Nearest public transport link is U Platz der Luftbruecke.

Special exhibition of around 80 photographs by amateur photographer Helmut Schilke from his travels to India. See website for detailed information. Open Tuesday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:30 and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. Standard admission is €4.50, concessions €2.50. At the Museum for Transport and Technology, Trebbiner Str. 9.

Weekly drama and improvisation sessions for children and teenagers. Sessions for 10 to 12 year olds are held from 10:00 to 11:30 and for 12 to 16 year olds from 12:00 to 14:00. Register in advance via the ETB website link as places are very limited. Each session costs €13 (there is a 20% discount for additional family members). At English Theater Berlin, Fidicinstr. 40. Nearest public transport link is U Platz der Luftbruecke.

Improvisational Theatre from Canada at 20:00. Tickets cost €18 standard or €14 concessions and are available from the box office or via the website. At English Theatre Berlin, Fidicinstr. 40. Nearest public transport link is U Platz der Luftbruecke.

Permanent exhibition on the Kennedy family including photographs, official documents, private documents. See website for details of temporary exhibitions. Open daily from 10:00-18:00. At Pariser Platz 4a.

Exhibition of international contemporary art collected by Christian Boros. The $100,000,000 collection includes works by Damien Hirst, Wolfgang Tillmans and Olafur Eliasson. Admission by advance reservation only. Online advance registration is required. Tickets cost €10. At Bunker, Reinhardtstr. 20.

Photographic exhibition to commemorate the events surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall. Open Monday plus Wednesday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00 (closed Tuesday) from 10:00 to 18:00 and weekends from 11:00 to 18:00. At Max-Liebermann-Haus, Pariser Platz 7.

Special exhibition where the National Museums in Berlin, the Humboldt Universitaet zu Berlin and the Central and Regional Library Berlin are given the opportunity to present key ideas for the institution they will share as the Humboldt Forum's three future users. See website for detailed information. Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 with late opening on Thursday until 22:00. At the Altes Museum, Am Lustgarten. Nearest public transport links are U+S Friedrichstr., S Hackescher Markt or bus 100.

International exhibition of twentieth century German art in its political, social, and historical contexts including works by Baselitz, Chargesheimer, Gloeckner, Heldt, Immendorff, Klapheck, Penck, Polke, Richter, Tuebke and Vostell amongst others. This exhibition was first shown at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the German National Museum in Nuremburg. Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. At the German Historical Museum, Unter den Linden 2.

Photographic exhibition documenting the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the many escape attempts during its existence. Open Monday to Saturday from 09:00 -22:00. Admission is € 12.50 standard or €7.50 concessions. At the Wall Museum, Checkpoint Charlie, Friedreichstr, 43-45.

Exhibitions about the Stasi - The former GDR's secret police. Exhibitions include " An Open Secret - Post and Telecommunications in the GDR". Guided tours by appointment. Admission is free. Open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00/ At the IDZ, Mauerstrasse 38, (also accessible from Wilhelmstrasse). Nearest public transport link is S Unter den Linden.

Exhibition of contemporary artworks from the National Gallery, the Marx and Marzona Collections as well as the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection. Open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday from 11:00 to 18:00 and Sunday from 11:00 to 18:00. Admission is €8 standard or €4 concessions. Free admission on Thursdays from 14:00 to 18:00. At Hamburger Bahnhof Museum for Contemporary Art, Invalidenstr. 50.

Prize money of €50,000 is at stake for the winner of this prestigious award funded by the Verein der Freunde der Nationalgalerie and now in its 5th year. Four artists have been nominted and their works are shown in this contemporary art exhibition. Open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday from 11:00 to 18:00 and Sunday from 11:00 to 18:00. Admission is €8 standard or €4 concessions. Free admission on Thursdays from 14:00 to 18:00. At Hamburger Bahnhof Museum for Contemporary Art, Invalidenstr. 50.

Exhibition of works by Carl Gustav Carus, physician, painter, philosopher and scientist as well as friend of Alexander von Humboldt, Goethe and Caspar David Friedrich. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 with late opening on Thursday until 22:00. At the Alte Nationalgalerie, Bodestrasse 1-3.

"The Saints" is a re-enactment of the events of the legendary 1966 Football World Cup transposed to a distant new setting in the Philippines. See website for more information. Open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday from 11:00 to 18:00 and Sunday from 11:00 to 18:00. Admission is €8 standard or €4 concessions. Free admission on Thursdays from 14:00 to 18:00. At Hamburger Bahnhof Museum for Contemporary Art, Invalidenstr. 50.

Exhibition of toys, clothes, and images of children from Egypt. Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 with late opening on Thursday until 22:00. At the Bode-Museum, Monbijoubruecke.

Retrospective exhibition celebrating the life of the late Edward M. Kennedy including photos by Richard Avedon and Jacques Lowe. This exhibition also gives visitors an intimate glimpse of his private and public life from his childhood days. Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. At the Kennedy Museum, Pariser Platz.

Exhibition of photographic memories of two particular days which are etched in the memories of people all over the world: the visit of John F. Kennedy to Berlin in Summer 1963 and the Fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. At The Kennedys Museum, Pariser Platz 4a.

Photographic exhibition depicting the End of State Socialism taken by photographer Harald Schmitt. The exhibition comprises 120 photographs mostly taken in the former GDR, Soviet Union, communist Czechoslovakia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and China. Exhibition is open Wednesday to Monday from 10:00 to 20:00. Admission is free. At the Martin-Gropius-Bau, Niederkirchnerstraße 7 / Corner Stresemannstr. 110.

Carl Gustav Carus was a doctor, painter, philosopher and scientist. This exhibition presents over 200 of his paintings and is open daily except Monday from 10:00 to 18:00 with late opening on Thursday until 22:00. At the Alte Nationalgalerie, Bodestraße 1-3.

Exhibition of Italian Futurist works including painting, music, sculpture, architecture and poetry. The works are mostly on loan from the Mart (Museo d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto. Standard admission is €8 and concessions €6. Open daily except Tuesday from 10:00 to1 20:00. At the Martin-Gropius-Bau, Niederkirchnerstraße 7. Nearest public transport link is S+U Potsdamer Platz.

Exhibition of artefacts from the Asian Minor metropolis of Miletus which includes architectural structures, sculptures and inscriptions from the Collection of Classical Antiquities' own collection, with the newly restored market gate of Miletus in the hall of Roman architecture forming the heart of the exhibition. Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. At the Pergamonmuseum, Bodestraße 1-3, Museum Island.

This is the second of two exhibitions focusing on Cranach (the other is at Charlottenburg Palace). This part of the exhibition focuses on Church, Court and City Culture and is open daily from 12:00 to 18:00. Admission is free but donations welcomed. At St. Mary's Church, Unter den Linden (near the TV tower).

Exhibition about how money makes the world go round. The museum is worth a visit for the building alone! Open Tuesday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00 and weekends and public holidays from 11:00 to 19:00. Closed on Monday. Standard admission is €3 / concessions €1.50. Guided tours by arrangement. At the Museum for Communication, Leipziger Strasse 16.

Four singers, a pianist and a narrator perform the classic fairytale of Hansel and Gretel accompanied by digitally animated scenery and Engelbert Humperdinck's musical score. Tickets cost €8 for under 12s and €11 for over 12's and adults. Performance in German. See website for individual performance times and to buy tickets. At the Admiralspalast, Friedrichstr. 101.

Potsdamer Platz is once again transformecd into a Winter Wonderland with a Christmas market, skating rink and sledge run from late November. See website for details of individual special events. At Potsdamer Platz.

22nd international fair for languages and cultures with over 200 exhibitors from more than 30 countries presenting information about their language and culture through exhibitions, workshops and lectures. See website for detailed information. Open from 10:00 to 18:00. At the Russian House of Science and Culture, Friedrichstrasse 176 – 179.

Improv, sketch, stand-up, music, video, and audience interaction with comedy troupe Honduran performer Rey Melara, American writer and performer Paul Salamone, and actor and musician Alan Glen from Canada. Performance starts at 23:30. Tickets cost €5. For more information / reservations e-mail: info@comedyclub.de or call 030 4862 3186. At the Kookaburra Comedy Club, Schoenhauser Allee 184.

Improvisational comedy every Saturday at 23:30 with comedians from a variety of English speaking nations including New Zealand, Canada, USA and England. Tickets are general admission and are available on the door. Tickets cost €10 standard or €8 concessions. Advance/group sales can be made by calling 030 48 62 31 86. At the Kookaburra Comedy Club, Kookaburra Comedy Club, Schoenhauser Allee 184.

This performance of The Snow Queen is loosely based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Performance is suitable for children from 5 years old. A basic knowledge of German will help the audience to understand the story. Tickets available from the box office on 2326 2326 or via the website: http://www.friedrichstadtpalast.de/spielplan/011.asp?m=11&y=2009&lan =. Indidvidual See website for performance times. At the Friedrichstadtpalast Friedrichstr. 107.

An exhibition examining the history of the GDR for children and adults. What was it like to be children in the GDR on a given day in the year 1979? Open Wednesday from 15:00 to 18:00, Saturday from 13:00 to 18:00 and Friday and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. Open Tuesday to Friday for school classes and groups. At the Museum for Children at the FEZ-Berlin, An der Wuhlheide 197.

Experience a unique view of Berlin by night in a WWII bomber. Tickets cost from €151 and must normally be booked three days in advance. See website for more information. Flights depart from Terminal C at Schoenefeld Airport.

Exhibition of paintings from the Johann Walter-Kurau school (1869 -1932). Open daily including public holidays from 10:00 to 17:00. Admission is €4.50. At the Zitadelle, Am Juliusturm 64. Nearest public transport link is U Zitadelle.

Surrealist paintings from the collection of Ulla and Heiner Pietzsch including major pieces by André Breton, Salvador Dalí, Paul Delvaux, Max Ernst, René Magritte, Joan Miró, André Masson, Yves Tanguy and other surrealist painters. A second focal point of the exhibition is abstract expressionism in America and includes works by Jackson Pollock, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman as well as works by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Exhibition is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00 (with late opening on Thursday until 22:00) and weekends from 11:00 to 18:00. At the New National Gallery, Potsdamer Strasse 50. Nearest public transport links are U+S Potsdamer Platz or buses M29 or M41.

Exhibition of works by German artist Thomas Demand depicting social and historical events that have taken place in Germany, predominantly since 1945. Open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:00 to 18:00, Thursday from 10:00 to 22:00, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. At the New National Gallery, Potsdamer Straße 50.

Film festival featuring some of the latest films from the Rio International Film Festival with over 60 new productions expected to be screened including feature films, documentaries, and shorts. The films are accompanied by talks and panels. See website for full programme details and times. At Haus der Kulturen der Welt - House of World Culture, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10.

"Never Mind the Tannenbaum" - enjoy a festive evening of entertainment with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Doors open at 18:30 weekdays and Saturday and at 17:30 on Sunday. Show starts at 20:00 on weekdays and Saturday and at 19:00 on Sunday. No show on November 25th and 27th. Advance ticket prices range from €24.50 to €39.50. Discount tickets will be offered for sale to students and people in receipt of income support/unemployed 90 minutes before the performance if still available. At TIPI am Kanzleramt, Große Querallee.

Enjoy an evening of festive entertainment and comedy highlights Ukeles with the Orchestra of Great Britain. Performance starts at 20:00. See website for full details and to order tickets. At Tipi am Kanzleramt, Grosse Querallee.

A music choreography project by Ensemble Modern and Sasha Waltz & guests with music by Wolfgang Rihm. See website for detailed information. Performances start at 20:00 and last for 60 minutes. There is no interval. Tickets cost from €15 to €63 and are available from the box office, usual agencies or via the website. At Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Schaperstr. 24. Nearest public transport links are U Spichernstr. or bus 204 or 249.

Musical comedy cabaret performed by Rebecca Carrington and Colin Brown playing music from classical to pop, jazz to Bollywood. Tickets cost from €22. Ticket hotline is on 883 1582. Concessions available. All performances start at 20:00 except on Sunday 19:00. At Bar jeder Vernunft, Schaperstr. 24.

Beginners' dance group meets every Saturday for a vigorous dance workout based on jazz dance and ballet from 16:00 to 17:00. New members welcome to come along for a free lesson. See website for detailed information. At Wilhelmsaue 22.