International symposium

Festivals - Event or Intervention?

“What is a festival? When three theaters get together at a single location? When a theater shows three performances? There are no standards, no rules, and there is no voluntary self-commitment! There is no single definition of the term festival; everyone can lend it their own defi nition, everyone has had experiences and it is these that determine its nature. Festivals are increasingly defi ning the cultural landscape, not only, but especially in Germany. What’s more, everywhere theater is also communicated via festivals – we might talk of “festivalitis” – and as such it must be permissible to ask critical questions, examine the sense and nonsense of this phenomenon, and put festivals to the test.”
(from the keynote lecture by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schneider on March 3, 2013 at Theaterhaus Frankfurt)

What can theater festivals for a young audience achieve? What is their intention in terms of cultural policy and artistic aims? During the international symposium "Festivals - Event or Intervention?" from February 28 to March 3, 2013, 14 festival organizers from all over Europe swapped ideas about their special concepts, their thoughts and experiences, and the steps that need to be taken. They jointly explored ways of communicating art and discussed options for artistic exchange that appreciate festivals' reliance on international networking combined with regional anchoring.

Here you can download the publication documenting the international symposium.