Bianca Straßburger

Organizer and creative head of Fantastika.

I have been involved with various forms of artistic expression since I was a child. For years I have been creating performances with fire and light. Working and practicing to create the perfect moment. To give something to the audience, to delight them, to touch them, is something beautiful for me. With Fantastika I wanted to create a space for artists and spectators, a place for encounters and for inspiration. I am happy to have found this possibility and the openmindedness in Freistadt. I myself have lived in Freistadt for a long time and appreciate this city very much. From 2002 to 2004 I was co-organizer of the Offenhausner Feuercamps and in 2005 of the big event "Firedance" in the Granit Arena St.Martin. Since 2000 I have been doing fire shows and organizing performances - from solo shows up to shows with 20 artists.

Tom Ploner

Since 2001 freelance artist / caricaturist and event artist. During several years of "vacation" in Greece I found my way to portrait drawing on the streets of Naxos, Athens, Paros, Ios. Stay at the art academy in Dresden. I live exclusively from my art as a caricaturist and quick-drawer in Kefermarkt. Street art in all its forms and the variety of improvisation are the most precious things in my live. To connect street art with the economy led me to the idea of the Festival Fantastika. The medieval city of Freistadt was my place of choice. The positive response on the part of the city, as well as city marketing and the local business community showed me that Freistadt is " ripe " for a street art festival. My wish for this: Dear God let the sun shine and let it rain a lot of hat money!

Rebekka Preining

More than 20 years ago I got to know the 1. "Linzer Zirkus für Alle", better known as "Circus SOBiNi", as a young special educator and began to work there as a trainer and artist. I was fascinated then, as I am now, by the numerous possibilities for self-experience and group experience, as well as by the touching art of the moment offered by this colorful and diverse world of circus and varieté shows

My own artistic work developed in the direction of dance and fire performance. In the following 15 years I performed with my own artist group "Feuercircus" in Germany and abroad, organized, among others, together with Bianca Mayer and others larger and smaller festivals, performances and workshops, and visited again and again with pleasure as an artist and spectator street art festivals in Europe. The fascination for this magical world never let me go. In the last few years I have become more and more involved in the co-organization of the Festival Fantastika and since last year I have also been actively involved in the association. This task fills me with joy and pride. It is nice to help bring a little wonder, laughter and amazement to the old streets of my favorite city Freistadt (where I myself enjoyed living for several years).

This quote from Henry Miller, in my eyes, also applies to street art:

Circus opens a tiny gap in the arena of oblivion. For a tiny span of time we may lose ourselves, dissolve into wonder and bliss, transformed by mystery.

Stefan Straßburger

The Fantastika festival cast its spell over me in 2014. Street art that touches you deeply and takes your breath away at the same time, against the medieval backdrop of Freistadt, this fascination grabbed me and held me captive ever since.

I am happy to be part of this team and to contribute to the fact that children's eyes shine, that adults laugh and marvel and that the hat money collects in the hats and suitcases of the artists as if by magic.