Theatertreffen

Key Visual Theatertreffen 2023
To the programme

New Director for Berliner Festspiele’s Theatertreffen

Nora Hertlein-Hull will take on the position of Theatertreffen’s solely responsible director, superseding the current team of directors, Olena Apchel, Carolin Hochleichter and Joanna Nuckowska. The theatre and festival maker will assume her new position on 1 January 2024, her preparatory stage will begin in October 2023. She was appointed by Berliner Festspiele’s director Matthias Pees.

Theatertreffen 2024

The next Theatertreffen will take place from 2 to 19 May 2024. The 10 remarkable productions, selected by a jury of critics, will be announced at the end of January / beginning of February 2024. The programme will be published in April.

The Theatertreffen-Blog

Among other things, the Theatertreffen-bloggers addressed the question of cultural critique in the context of artificial intelligence, reflected on the festival format itself and its sustainability together, as well as the politics of invitation and exclusion that the institutionalised art establishment produces.

A garden with a big tree, beer benches, Hollywood swings and lots of people in the evening light

© Berliner Festspiele / Fabian Schellhorn

Theatertreffen 2023

Impressions

Welcome to the 2023 Theatertreffen

By Olena Apchel, Carolin Hochleichter, Joanna Nuckowska and Matthias Pees

The logo of the Theatertreffen with the date 12.5. to 29.5.2023 on a purple background.

© Berliner Festspiele

This 60th festival edition will examine which topics, social processes and political transformations are shaping the theatre of today – and which encounters and exchanges of ideas can help to make them artistically productive. How can we create a safe, yet open space for a multitude of viewpoints on complicated issues of our times? Together with you, we would like to explore, discuss, expand and celebrate the theatre as a space of possibilities.

10 remarkable productions have been selected by a jury of critics from among around 450 new theatre shows in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. They will take us on a multifaceted expedition to discover the powerful world of performance and imagery in German-language theatre. Several topics raised by these 10 productions will be reflected in the series 10 Treffen (10 Meetings), which intends to open up spaces for encounter and resonance on a European scale. The events of this new format, including performances, conversations, an exhibition and interventions, will frame the 10 remarkable productions and each Treffen will have a central concept. 
Our entire team has been of invaluable support during the festival’s preparations and we would like to thank them very much! And we also thank our partners: above all, the German Federal Cultural Foundation for their long-standing support of the festival, and the main sponsors and partners of the 10 Treffen-series – the Federal Agency for Civic Education/bpb and Goethe-Institut – as well as 3sat for our reliable and fruitful media partnership.
We are looking forward to 18 days of theatre and 18 days of discursive, performative and celebratory Treffen with you!

About Theatertreffen

Berliner Festspiele’s Theatertreffen is a festival that wants to present theatre and dedicate itself to encounters (German: Treffen).