“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.”
— Rainer Maria Rilke
THE BEAR presents Under Construction
Stories from the messy middle
“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.”
— Rainer Maria Rilke
January is the season of the unfinished.
The plans aren’t ready. The drywall is still exposed. And the people we’re becoming? Very much a work in progress.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION celebrates stories that live in the in-between:
stories of repair, rebuilding, and reinvention.
Stories where everything is held together with metaphorical duct tape.
Stories that prove that being unfinished might be exactly where the magic is.
THE BEAR host and storyteller Izzy Ahrbeck; Photo Emmi Mascher
We’re looking for true, personal, 5-minute stories about life in the messy middle, such as:
Living in a half-renovated apartment—or your own personal worksite
A repair job that made things worse (bikes welcome 🚲)
Trying to “upgrade” yourself and getting stuck between old and new
Rebuilding trust after a breakup, conflict, or disappointment
Moving to Berlin and constructing a life from scratch
Learning a new language, starting over, or realizing: this is going to take a lot longer than I thought
The moment you believed you were finished… and discovered you were not
If your story is still under construction, it belongs here.
🎤 Storytellers
Stories must be prepared, true, and personal
You’ll have 5 minutes on stage
Before the show, you can connect with THE BEAR’s story coaches for supportive feedback—so you can hook the audience from your very first words
Storyteller Yuliana Popovych on stage at THE BEAR; photo Martin Bering
Audience question:
Tell us about your unforgettable “under construction” moment.
🐻 Audience Pick
At the end of the evening, the audience will vote for their three favorite stories.
The top storyteller will be invited to perform at Eve of the Champs, THE BEAR’s curated program.
🌱 Inclusivity Note
To keep our stage open and welcoming, we slightly favor first-time storytellers and those who haven’t performed during Season 11. Names are drawn randomly from separate hats.
Storyteller Raymond Miranda on stage at THE BEAR; photo: Emmi Mascher
🕖 Earlier Start Time
Because Theatre Pool can only host us on the 3rd Thursday of the month, we’re starting one hour earlier, so you can head home inspired and still get enough sleep for work or school.
📍 Event Details
Thursday, 15 January 2026
Doors / Show: 19:00
Venue: Theatre Pool
Boxhagener Straße 18 · 3. Hinterhof · 10245 Berlin
🎤 Host: Vishal Jodhani
🎶 Musical Guest: James Harper
Tickets: 15–20 € Your donation makes this event happen. Thank you for your generosity.
If you’ve got a story, we’ve got a stage.
Come as you are—unfinished, in progress, under construction.
Show host Vishal Jodhani on stage at THE BEAR.
Show Host
VISHAL JODHANI
Born in Mumbai, Vishal has spent half his life amidst the vibrant chaos of India’s most dynamic city. The other half? A journey across the globe in search of a place that feels like home. For now, that place is Berlin. Starting his career in advertising and PR, Vishal discovered his passion for the power of stories early on. These days, he channels his storytelling prowess into his role as a business consultant, coach, and facilitator. But when the sun sets, Vishal transforms. He steps onto the stage, ready to weave tales that captivate and inspire. He dreams of one day opening his own speakeasy bar, a haven where stories flow as freely as the cocktails, and everyone’s narrative is celebrated. When he’s not spinning stories, you might find Vishal dancing the night away, savouring a perfectly brewed coffee, or enjoying a well-crafted cocktail. His philosophy?
"Through stories, we find our shared humanity."
Say hello at vishaljodhani@gmail.com
Show musician James Harper on stage at THE BEAR; photo Emmi Mascher
Show musician
JAMES HARPER
is the creator of award-nominated podcast Filter Stories, a show that uses our morning coffee as a lens to understand the world. His narratives explore history, science and sustainability, and he writes the piano music that underscore the stories.
His podcasts have been heard hundreds of thousands of times, and he has produced narrative podcasts for a wide array of clients, including Porsche (Driven Minds), Duolingo (Spanish Podcast), World Coffee Portal (5THWAVE), Specialty Coffee Association (World Coffee Championships), and others.
Growing up half Italian in Sydney, he’s lived in Hong Kong and Rome and began his career working for the Bank of England in 2009. However, his passion for coffee was simply too strong to resist, and in 2016 moved to Berlin to become The Barn Coffee Roaster’s Wholesale Manager, and then in early 2018 hopped on a flight to Guatemala to dive deeper into the world of specialty coffee as a documentary podcast producer.
When he is not traveling around the world, James generously accompanies storytellers at THE bEAR adding another delicious layer to our evening.
THE BEAR presents is made possible by the generous performances of our storytellers, our team of volunteers, and the “Verein zur Förderung der Kunst des biographischen Geschichtenerzählens e.V.” .
Special thanks to our partners Berlin Erleben on Youtube and the public speaking training company Moving Speaker.
Informative videos @ Berlin from 35-year experienced city guide Michael Rost.
Why just speak? Inspire! Training in storytelling & public speaking that moves listeners to action.
If you miss this show, you can have front row seats to beautiful stories made by THE bEAR with love on our bi-weekly podcast wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
Stories connect us.
Because we all have stories to tell.
Please support our mission to bring compassion into our communities through the Art of Autobiographical Storytelling.
We thank you for your generosity.
Verein zur Förderung der Kunst des biographischen Geschichtenerzählens e.V.
IBAN: DE25 8306 5408 0005 2236 28
Or you can buy the team some cups of coffee for those long nights… Thank you.