Theatertreffen

Hosted annually by the Berliner Festspiele since 1964, Theatertreffen is dedicated to showcasing the year’s outstanding theatre productions from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The jury of seven theatre critics spends the year attending hundreds of performances, from which it selects ten remarkable productions. Public interest in Theatertreffen remains strong even after the coronavirus pandemic. The controversial debates, which the selection elicits every year, play an influential role in the public’s overall relationship with the performing arts in the German-speaking world. Following some discussion whether to open the festival to international productions, Theatertreffen has chosen to focus solely on German-language theatre in future editions. The audience discussions and accompanying programme will be predominantly oriented to the artistic and social issues addressed in the selected productions. Although the jury’s independent selection process remains centrally important, the Berliner Festspiele wishes to reform the committee to give it a younger perspective overall. Furthermore, in 2019 Theatertreffen established a 50-percent quota for female directors. It plans to continue this policy after finding that a women’s quota not only improved gender representation at Theatertreffen itself, but also positively impacted the employment opportunities of female directors at German-language repertory and ensemble theatres overall. In the future, Theatertreffen aims to further strengthen its commitment to environmental sustainability, and starting in 2024, to address the issue conceptually as well. As part of the organisational structure of the Berliner Festspiele, Theatertreffen is already EMAS certified, adheres to the principles of a closed-loop economy, resource-friendly touring capabilities and a sustainable event management. In the future, it aims to play a pioneering role in disseminating knowledge on environmental policy and will use its widespread impact to promote the issue of sustainability in the theatre and cultural sector across the country. Moreover, Theatertreffen will advocate even more strongly for greater inclusion and accessibility.