Matthias Pees

Director of the Berliner Festspiele

Matthias Pees was born in Georgsmarienhütte in 1970. As both artistic and managing director of the international production house Künstlerhaus Mousonturm in Frankfurt/Main (2013–2022), leading dramaturg at Wiener Festwochen (2010–2013), founder and co-managing director of the international production agency prod.art.br. in São Paulo (2004–2010), programme dramaturg at Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen (2003–2004), theatre dramaturg at schauspielhannover (2000–2003) and at Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz (1995–2000) and, previous to that, as an arts journalist and theatre critic, he gained experience in various fields and several aspects of the performing arts. New perspectives, cooperative ways of working and “transformative practises” have been a declared focus of his interest. Topics like global solidarity and post-colonialism or the connection and future of internationality and diversity have informed his programmes and projects. In Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main-region, he initiated or contributed to large-scale interdisciplinary festivals and cooperation projects with partners including Ensemble Modern, the Jewish Museum Frankfurt, the Hessian State Ballet or most recently Schauspiel Frankfurt, Museum Angewandte Kunst and Frankfurt’s independent scene for for the organisation of the festivals “Politik im freien Theater” of the Federal Agency for Civic Education’s (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung/bpb) and “Theater der Welt” of the International Theatre Institute’s festival (ITI).

Matthias Pees is also a member of the business management of Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin (KBB) GmbH, along with Prof Dr Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Charlotte Sieben

As of May 2023