Open Call

International Forum of the Theatertreffen 2027 of Berliner Festspiele

Theatertreffen in Berlin is considered to be the most important presentation platform of German-language theatre. Beside the ten most remarkable productions from the German-
language region, selected by a seven-member jury of critics, Theatertreffen has invited aspiring artists from around the world for over 60 years to take part in the International Forum, an 18-day scholarship programme.

The International Forum is a platform for global exchange and the promotion of young theatre makers, an initial impetus for collaboration, the search for diverse local perspectives on global issues, and a free space for communal play. Its focus is less on the completed work than on all the creative processes that precede artistic work to gather new impulses for individual artistic practice. Once again in 2027, around 30 artists who are setting out on their artistic practice will be invited, to watch theatre together, to talk, to (re-)consider, to experiment and to make connections. The fellows will have the opportunity to attend the festival, to take part in intensive workshops with international artists, to reflect together the productions invited to Theatertreffen and theatre in general and to exchange ideas: at night in the hotel lobby, during the playful morning warm-ups and while cooking lunch together. Nonstop theatre, for two weeks – as scenic research, without any pressure to produce.

The 2027 International Forum: The Art of Watching Theatre

There is an art to being an audience. And it’s not easy – especially for theatre makers. At Theatertreffen, the festival that each year shows and celebrates the state of the art in German-language theatre, there is also a lot of nagging, complaining and nitpicking. This is especially true of the participants of the International Forum, who watch all the productions invited to the festival and are both famous and notorious for their judgements and opinions. But how do we distinguish a critical eye from what is purely a matter of taste? And do theatre artists actually make good theatre spectators?

Everyone who works in theatre does it over and over again: watching theatre. But what actually happens while you are watching? What is watching? How does watching a rehearsal differ from watching a show? Are there better or worse techniques? What can we do to counter the déformation professionnelle of assuming that we have already seen everything before? How can we retain a fresh, unprejudiced eye? And how does our experience of what we have seen influence what we create – and vice versa? We don’t all watch the same way – and that’s a good thing: directors watch differently from dramaturgs, actors differently from costume designers, people from Paraguay differently from people from Bielefeld, men differently from women. But how can we make ourselves aware of the way(s) we see things?

We, the directors of the International Forum, Aljoscha Begrich and Sima Djabar Zadegan, invite the participants to join us in exploring the act of watching as part of our theatre practice, to engage with various techniques of watching theatre, and to examine in practical artistic workshops how we can consciously perceive the act of watching itself and shape it as a creative process. We want to come together as theatre makers from around the globe, working across all disciplines of the performing arts and bringing diverse experiences of both seeing and making theatre, to engage in dialogue, to spend two weeks listening, exchanging different perspectives and questioning our own ways of looking at things, immersing ourselves in Theatertreffen and talking about the invited productions. Cooking and eating (and washing up) together. Exploring the city and having a look around. Celebrating the art of watching theatre together.

The International Forum takes place in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut, the Swiss Cultural Foundation Pro Helvetia, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport and the Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg.
It is supported by the German Stage Association and the Ministries of Culture of Germany’s Federal States.

The Open Call 2027 as PDF (433 KB)

Application form International Forum 2027 (102 KB)

Practical Information on the Scholarship Programme

1. Dates

Deadline for applications for the 2027 International Forum: 26 November 2026 (23:59, CET)

Announcement of selected fellows: late February 2027

Online preparatory meeting in March and April 2027

The International Forum will begin on the afternoon of Thursday, 6 May 2027, and end on the evening of Sunday, 23 May 2027. Departure day is Monday, 24 May 2027.

2. Programme

The International Forum’s programme is based on the following pillars:

Attending the performances invited to the 2027 Theatertreffen and participating in the framing programme
Taking part in intensive workshops with artists on performing arts practices
Engaging in artist talks related to Theatertreffen
Discussions with the festival director and members of the Theatertreffen-jury
Excursions and opportunities to see performances in Berlin outside the frame of Theatertreffen

The International Forum 2027 will mostly take place at Uferstudios. We will spend time not only in the studios there but also frequently go outdoors on the grounds. The weather in Berlin in May can still be cold and rainy.

3. Benefits

The scholarship includes all costs for participation in the programme:

Tickets for the productions invited to Theatertreffen as well as for other Theatertreffen events
Travel expenses for fellows who are not residents in Berlin (depending on the country from which the application is submitted): most economic travel option applies
Expenses for travel within Berlin on public transport (excluding fellows who are residents in Berlin)
Accommodation (excluding fellows who are residents in Berlin): Two fellows will share one apartment, each with a separate bedroom, while sharing a living and dining area (including a kitchen) and a bathroom.
Catering / per diem (excluding fellows who are residents in Berlin)
Travel and health insurance for fellows, funded by the Goethe-Institut
Visa fees for fellows, funded by the Goethe-Institut

4. Conditions of Participation

This Open Call for the International Forum is addressed at theatre practitioners at the beginning of their artistic practice who have already gathered some professional experience. They may be from all disciplines of the performing arts, especially from the fields of directing, acting, set and costume design, dramaturgy, text, music, video, performance, choreography and theatre education.

Applicants should

have around five years of artistic professional experience in the above mentioned fields and be between around 25 to 35 years of age. The decisive factor is the point reached within the person’s creative development.
have good or very good English language skills. The common working language is English.

Applicants are expected to

be available to participate over the entire period of the International Forum (6 – 23 May 2027) as well as in the online preparatory meetings.
be committed to contribute in the International Forum’s entire programme.
be interested and contribute actively to the programme of Theatertreffen.
for participants funded by the Goethe-Institut: the willingness to give a presentation at the Goethe-Institut in their home country after the Theatertreffen (in coordination with the respective Goethe-Institut).

5. Application

We aim for a diverse group. We don’t base the selection solely on fellows’ artistic skills and approaches, but also consider their main location of work (place/country) as well as the points of connection between their artistic work and the focus and programme of this year’s International Forum. Due to the funding structure, we can only consider one person per collective; this person must be clearly named in the application.

We also strive to create the most barrier-free access to the programme as possible. Individual needs and requirements will be enquired during the further development of the programme. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us before the application.

Only complete applications that have been submitted before the end of the deadline will be considered. Deadline for all applicants for the 2027 International Forum: 26 November 2026 (23:59, CET)

A filled-in application form
Take a photo that communicates your perspective on the following question: What does theatre look like for you today? This photo may be accompanied by three sentences max., but this is not a requirement.
A letter of motivation (max. two A4-pages):
— What is driving you in your theatre work at the moment?
— Name a remarkable production you have seen in recent years, and explain why it was remarkable to you.
— Describe your way of looking: when a theatre performance begins, how do you watch it?
An artistic curriculum vitae (one A4-page max.)
Work samples (including short descriptions, links, visual and sound material, ten A4-pages max.; 5 MB max.)
A confirmation of release from your employing theatre or institution for the entire period of the International Forum (this only applies to artists in permanent employment)

Theatre makers from all parts of the world can apply. They submit their applications via different institutions. Due to the federal funding structure of the International Forum, the decisive factor is the main location of work, which does not necessarily have to be the same as the place of residence.

I. Applicants with a main location of work in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and Switzerland

Artists whose current main location of work is in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and Switzerland apply directly to Berliner Festspiele. Please send exclusively digital applications to:
Show e-mail address

II. Applicants with a main location of work in non-German-speaking countries

Artists with a current main location of work outside the German-language countries
should apply via the Goethe-Institut’s application portal using the following link:
https://portal.gap.goethe.de/en-US/

Further information on the application and the necessary documents:
goethe.de/en/kul/foe/inr.html