Category Independent Production Houses
The stellwerk junges theater receives the award, worth €100,000, in the category of independent production houses. As a space for young, self-organized, and contemporary theater, it strengthens identification, self-efficacy, and new artistic styles. With inclusive projects and strong educational work, the theater sets standards nationwide.
“OUR THEATER IS INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL AND HAPPY ABOUT THE AWARD. EVERY DAY, WE STAND UP FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR CONVICTIONS, OPEN UP OPPORTUNITIES, AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION. THE AWARD PROVES THAT OUR COURAGE TO ENGAGE IN PURELY PARTICIPATORY THEATER WORK AND OUR DAILY COMMITMENT ARE IN TUNE WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES. FOR OUR SMALL TEAM, THIS IS A HUGE RECOGNITION OF OUR WORK TO DATE. AT THE SAME TIME, IT FUEL OUR MOTIVATION TO BECOME EVEN MORE INVOLVED IN SOCIAL DISCUSSION AND TO OFFER YOUNG PEOPLE A PLATFORM WHERE THEIR THOUGHTS AND LIVES ARE REFLECTED AND TAKEN SERIOUSLY. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS MADE THIS POSSIBLE IN THE PAST.”
Jury statement
The stellwerk in Weimar is a space for young, contemporary theater. Here, young people perform exclusively for young people – under the professional guidance of a small, highly committed team that takes these young people’s ideas, thoughts and opinions seriously. But the participatory approach goes even further: Young people between the ages of six and 27 are also involved in all other areas of conception and organization, for example, actively participating in shaping technical processes. This way of working has not only social but also aesthetic consequences: Collective production promotes identification, self-reliance and forms of democratic cooperation, from which new, independent artistic styles and a diverse repertoire emerge.
For example, the local cooperation project “Ausradiert” deals with the Nazis’ eugenics crimes in Thuringia and is performed at memorial sites, among other places, while with “FOMO” the theater’s program has opened up to inclusive dance theater. This project continues to have an impact today with weekly mixed-ability workshops. Through its own course offerings, but also through its strong network of educational institutions and cross-regional collaborations, stellwerk is an important place of learning and training. It also brings this approach to festivals across the country, for example with an acclaimed adaptation of Goethe’s “Faust.”
The stellwerk junges theater is a collaborative cultural space that forges strong ties between the participants and staff alike. This combination of social engagement, artistic diversity and identity-building serves as a role model and deserves special recognition today.
