For Artists

A stage for those who want to be seen.

A real stage for your passion.

Stars We Need is a concert series and casting platform for singers, dancers and performers working outside the mainstream — and looking for a place where attention still means care.

Apply now How it works

A singer stands alone in a warm cone of light on an empty stage. The heavy curtain behind only suggested. Black and white with a warm sepia tint, film grain, soft focus — the stillness before the first note.

Disciplines

Six ways onto this stage.

We're looking for artists who take their craft seriously — training is welcome, not required. What's required is a point of view.

An opera singer alone on the wide stage, seen from a distance — a small figure in the cone of light, darkness and heavy curtain all around. Dramatic wide shot, classical stage presence.

Singer at a standing microphone in coloured grazing light, hand on the cable, head slightly lowered. A crimson sheen on the skin — modern stage energy.

A saxophonist in warm stage light, the instrument angled across the frame. Focused on the playing, dark background.

Voice — Classical

Lied, opera, oratorio. Voices that carry a room and tell texts from the inside out.

Voice — Pop & Crossover

Your own repertoire, your own handwriting. We're looking for voices with a stance — not the next cover hit.

III

Instrumental

Solo or ensemble. Classical, experimental, in between. Live presence matters more than genre.

Dancer in mid-jump, long exposure. Motion blur in the fabric, the body sharp — dark stage background.

Performer at a synthesizer in half-darkness, hands on the controls, a strip of light across the face. Focused live atmosphere with crimson accents.

Dance

Contemporary, classical, urban. Solo and duo pieces that hold their own on a concert stage.

Acting & Spoken Word

Monologue, reading, your own text. Language as material — between theatre, performance and poetry.

Live Art & Composition

Performers, composers, songwriters who want to rethink the format of the concert.

The journey

From application to the stage.

Four stations. Every application is read personally — no algorithmic pre-screening, no mass mailing.

Rehearsal scene: Palina sits with an artist at the piano, quietly in conversation. Sheet music, a half-empty teacup, no flash — only daylight falling diagonally through the hall. Documentary, black and white.

Application

15 minutes

You fill in the form and send us a video link that speaks for you.

Review

within two weeks

We take time with every submission. Palina and the team review together.

III

Conversation

in person or digital

If we feel called by what you sent, we invite you to an honest conversation.

Stage

Berlin, First Edition

Your own piece in a five-part concert evening — with rehearsals and coaching.

What we offer

What you can't win here, but receive.

Stars We Need isn't a show where someone loses. Whoever gets a yes gets this.

A real stage

Your own piece in the five-part concert evening in Berlin — curated, dramaturgically embedded, with professional lighting and sound.

Coaching & dramaturgy

Before the show we work with you on programme, performance and stage presence — together with Palina Vereti and a dedicated coaching team.

Network & visibility

You become part of an ensemble across classical, pop and live art. Press, recordings and social material are produced professionally and made available to you.

Recordings that stay

Every evening is captured in picture and sound — you receive your material rights-free for your own portfolio and bookings.

A path, not a contest

Once you've been part of Stars We Need, you stay in the network — for follow-up editions, funding programmes, and recommendations to venues and festivals.

What you bring

Expectations — honest, not harsh.

Minimum age 16Under 18 with parental consent.There is no upper limit.
Your own handwritingWe're looking for voices, bodies and texts that sound like you — not like a template.
Willingness to rehearseTwo to three rehearsal days in Berlin before the show, plus preparatory conversations.
German or EnglishStage and rehearsal language switches between both — we adapt to you.
Stage experience is welcomebut not required. We're looking for artists, not CVs.

What you submit

Four things, no more.

Contact detailsName, age, place of residence, email, phone.
Short profileWho you are, what you do, what drives you — in no more than 500 characters.
Video linkA stage-ready recording on YouTube or Google Drive.Raw is okay. Honest beats polished.
Two short answersWhy you want to be part of Stars We Need — and what you bring.
OptionalInstagram, website, additional recordings. Anything that helps us see you.

Portrait Palina Vereti. Half in shadow, gaze slightly off camera. Classical studio composition, warm side light — not a smile for the camera, but a brief absorption in thought.

Don't be afraid of the stage. It is the most honest piece of world we have.

— Jack White to Palina

Often asked

Before you hit "send".

Do I need professional training?

No. We review conservatory-trained and self-taught artists with equal attention. What matters is the substance of what you bring on stage — not the stamp below.

Does it cost anything to apply?

No. Neither the application nor participation. The platform is funded through foundations, venues and sponsors.

When does the first edition take place?

The first edition is dedicated to Jack White and will premiere in Berlin in 2026. We accept applications on a rolling basis; an application also counts for follow-up editions.

What happens to my video?

Your material is viewed exclusively by the review team. We publish nothing without your explicit consent and delete submission material after review on request.

Can I apply from abroad?

Yes, applying from abroad is possible. Details are agreed in the preparatory conversation.

How long until I hear back?

Within two weeks you receive a personal response — even if it's a no. We believe rejections deserve the same seriousness as acceptances.

Empty stage after the show. Rows of seats in half-darkness, a final spot on the floor, the curtain half-closed. The silence after — an image that introduces a beginning.

If you're reading this, send it to us.

A stage emerges from the people who step onto it.

No spam, with care.

Apply now Ask first

First EditionBerlin 2026Applications open