This July, I had the pleasure of hosting SHOWTIME, the annual summer dance showcase presented by Tanztempel at Theater Marl. With 800 people in the audience, the evening celebrated the diversity of dance, from classical ballet and modern show dance to hip-hop, freestyle, and performances by JackBACK and PerSe!, the 2024 German Show Dance Champions. I was delighted to take the audience through this inspiring programme. Dance has been a part of my life since I was 13 years old.

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to visit the CAI Campus at Institute of Translation and Multilingual Communication (ITMK) at the TH Köln - University of Applied Sciences together with almost 40 fellow conference interpreters participating in the VKD Mentoring Programme. CAI stands for Computer-Assisted Interpreting, and we had the chance to put a range of CAI tools to the test in a realistic simultaneous interpreting environment inside the booth. The tools included: Cymo

There are encounters that drain your energy, and then there are encounters that leave you feeling energised. For me, the latter definitely includes last week‘s barcamp at die wohngemeinschaft organised as part of the mentoring programme of Germany’s professional association for conference interpreters VKD. One of my personal indicators that an event will boost my energy is when I find myself surrounded by truly like-minded peers and an inspiring atmosphere that gets my creati

For 25 years, Zollverein has held UNESCO World Heritage status, and this milestone was celebrated in style on UNESCO Wold Heritage Day on June 7, with the opening of the new World Heritage Forum in Essen. For me, however, Zollverein is much more than a World Heritage Site. It has also been the setting for some of the most memorable assignments of my professional life over the past two decades. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of: • providing interpretation at the exhib

Before every event, long before the audience or participants arrive, I’m already at the venue. I need time to tune into the atmosphere, get familiar with the flow of the space: Where’s my spot on stage? Which corner might cause microphone feedback? Where’s the best lighting? I coordinate with the tech team, do a soundcheck, go over last-minute programme changes and final details with the organisers, and introduce myself to the speakers. Once the first guests start arriving, I

This year, I joined the German Speakers Association (GSA), Europe’s leading professional association for speakers and moderators. And this month, the 8th GSA Moderators’ Day took place in Berlin, an event I had been looking forward to for quite some time, as it gave me the opportunity to finally meet people whose work I had previously only come across on LinkedIn, in books or through podcasts. The event was organised as a barcamp, which immediately created a very special dyna

Last month, I had the opportunity to dive deep into the art of process facilitation during an intensive in-person workshop. The experience was both insightful and practical, focusing on hands-on methods and the invaluable exchange of ideas with fellow participants. One integral part of the workshop was a series of role-playing exercises. These weren’t just theoretical discussions, but real-world simulations where I could experiment with techniques for tactfully guiding domina

Interpreting is teamwork! And that‘s exactly why there are always at least two conference interpreters working in a booth, taking turns to avoid fatigue during this strenuous task. We‘re co-pilots, if you will. But my last couple of assignments were a true team effort in every sense of the word. One assignment, for instance, was all about GenAI and collaboration in a diverse international team. As one of the German team members was deaf, we collaborated with sign language int

“We’re not just moderators; we’re also translators”. When I heard the opening line in episode 31 of the German podcast DIE MODERATORINNEN , I couldn’t help but smile. It resonated deeply with me, because both professions share more similarities than you might expect. As an interpreter, I translate languages. As a moderator, I translate content, moods, and intentions. In both cases, the goal isn’t just to convey what is said, but also what is meant, i.e. the nuances that lin

Back at uni, I had a nickname, and not exactly a flattering one. They called me “Mickey Mouse.” Why? Because my voice sounded just as high-pitched and squeaky as the cartoon character’s. Would you have seen me in a profession requiring intense vocal use? Technically, it would have been possible. But I didn’t want to go down that road. Not just out of vanity (okay, maybe a little bit), but mainly because constantly speaking in an unnaturally high pitch isn’t healthy for your v