Theaterpreis des Bundes 2019
Jury statement
“Theater Thikwa is a true artists’ theater. Its ensemble is made up of all kinds of characters, each with their own energy as players, dancers, musicians and performers. This could lead to chaos. At Theater Thikwa, it leads to pure, unconventional and relentlessly direct productions that are as unpredictable as life itself. The themes arise from everyday life, revolve around communication, body images, life plans and utopias, which are sometimes poetic, sometimes crazy, sometimes deeply existential – but above all are one thing: never standardized. The players of Theater Thikwa don’t allow themselves to be forced into roles, they don’t act or think according to patterns. They practice a free play of heterogeneity using the means of contemporary theater. And this has political potential in today’s world. Together with their two directors Nicole Hummel and Gerd Hartmann, the Thikwas take every risk and overcome the supposedly impossible. The wheelchair-bound performer becomes the protagonist of an evening of dance, love songs resound almost silently in the room using sign language. No exuberant stage design or opulent costumes distract from this impression. Time and again, the Thikwas also invite guests from the independent scene to take part in this permanent expansion of the art zone as directors, choreographers and performers. The jury honors Theater Thikwa for this outstanding evocation of social diversity and simultaneous desire for artistic radicalism.” – Jury statement