International Forum of the Theatertreffen 2025 of Berliner Festspiele
Theatertreffen in Berlin is considered to be the most important presentation platform of German-language theatre. Beside the ten remarkable productions from the German-language region, selected by a jury of critics, Theatertreffen has invited aspiring artists from around the world since 1965 to take part in the International Forum, a 17-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. It focusses 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 2025, around 35 artists from around the world who are setting out on their artistic practice will be invited to come to Berlin, 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, entirely without pressure to produce.
The 2025 International Forum
For the 2025 edition, the International Forum will move to Uferstudios, a former tram-depot in the Berlin district of Wedding. Performing artists are frequently travellers who arrive in many different places, stop for a short time, take people along on their journey and continue on. Their artistic work may turn them into carriers; they transport ideas, emotions and concepts of the world on to the stage. But being constantly on the move, transmitting, carrying, delivering and connecting can be extremely exhausting. Every now and then, a depot is needed, a place for regeneration. All the things that are impossible in transit can happen here at the depot: cleaning, maintenance, adjusting screws. A short pause for thought before the next journey.
The International Forum wants to be a depot for theatre makers. We, the co-directors Aljoscha Begrich and Sima Djabar Zadegan, invite aspiring artists to make a stop at Uferstudios and to spend two weeks doing everything they usually don’t have time for: listening, playing and thinking. Trying something, researching. Changing perspectives. Questioning and being questioned. Seeing productions and talking about them. Working together and talking about work. Cooking and eating together (and doing the dishes). Partying and hiking. Being out and about at Theatertreffen and across Berlin’s urban landscape, but also stopping at the Depot International Forum and recharging.
The2025 Open Call as a pdf file (428 KB)
ApplicationForm International Forum 2025 (79 KB)
Practical Information on the Scholarship Programme
1. Dates
Deadline for applications for the 2025 International Forum: 5 December (23:59, CET)
Invitation of fellows: mid-February 2025
Announcement of selected fellows: late February 2025
Online preparatory meeting between March and April 2025
Theatertreffen will take place in Berlin from 2 to 18 May 2025.
The International Forum will begin on the afternoon of Friday, 2 May 2025 and end on Sunday, 18 May 2025. The day of departure is Monday, 19 May 2025.
2. Programme
The International Forum’s programme is based on the following pillars:
- Attending all performances and the accompanying programme of the 2025 Theatertreffen
- Intensive workshops with artists on performing arts practise
- Exclusive artist talks and events related to Theatertreffen
- Discussions with the festival director and members of the Theatertreffen-jury
- Exchange and networking opportunities with international theatre directors and curators in co-operation with the Goethe-Institut as well as Theatertreffen’s programmes for promoting young artists
- Excursions and opportunities to see performances in Berlin outside the frame of Theatertreffen
The detailed programme of the International Forum will be announced in April 2025.
3. Benefits
In general, the scholarship includes all costs for participation in the programme:
- Tickets for all productions invited to Theatertreffen as well as for other festival events
- Contribution to travel expenses for fellows who are not residents in Berlin; full or partial coverage depending on the country from where the application is made (most economic travel option applies)
- Expenses for travel within Berlin on public transport (excluding fellows who are residents in Berlin)
- Hotel accommodation including breakfast (excluding fellows who are residents in Berlin)
- Per diem or subsistence allowance (this depends on the country of origin and does not apply to fellows who are residents in Berlin)
- Catering
- Travel and health insurance (for international fellows)
- Visa fees (for international fellows)
4. Conditions of Participation
This Open Call for the International Forum is addressed at artists at the beginning of their artistic practice who have already gathered some initial professional experience. They may be from all sectors of the performing arts, especially from the fields of directing, acting, set and costume design, dramaturgy, text production, music, video, performance, media, choreography, production management 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. Age is a guide line, not an exclusion criterion.
- 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 (2 – 18 May 2025) as well as in the online meetings in the run-up to the festival
- be committed to contribute in the International Forum’s entire programme
- be interested and contribute actively to the programme of Theatertreffen
5. Application
We aim for the greatest possible diversity within the group. We don’t base the selection entirely 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 motto and programme of this year’s International Forum.
We also strive to create the most barrier-free access to the programme. 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 in advance.
Applications must include the following documents (only complete applications that have been submitted before the end of the deadline will be considered):
- A filled-in applicationform, including contact information of two theatre-/culture-workers who can recommend your artistic work
- 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)
- Take a photo that communicates your perspective on the following questions: What does theatre look like for you today? What is on your mind right now? This photo may be accompanied by three sentences max., but this is not a requirement.
- A letter of motivation considering the following questions (max. two A4-pages):
– What do you hope to gain from Theatertreffen and the International Forum? And what can you contribute to make it a successful experience?
– Describe a remarkable production that you have seen in the past few years and why this work was remarkable for you. In which way did it influence your artistic development?
– What is the relationship between depot and street, theatrical and real space in your working method?
Artists from all parts of the world can apply. They submit their applications via different institutions. The decisive factor is their main location of work:
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:
internationales-forum-bewerbung@berlinerfestspiele.de
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 via the following link:
www.goethe.de/gap
Only complete applications that have been submitted before the end of the application deadline will be considered. For further information on the application and the necessary documents: www.goethe.de/internationalesforum
The deadline for applications for all applicants is 5 December 2024 (23:59, CET)
6. Invitations
Selected applicants will be contacted and invited in mid-February 2025. The detailed festival programme will be announced in April 2025.
More information on the International Forum:
www.berlinerfestspiele.de/forum-en
Contact
Berliner Festspiele – Theatertreffen – International Forum
Co-Directors: Aljoscha Begrich, Sima Djabar Zadegan
Coordination: Anna Popova
Schaperstraße 24
10719 Berlin
Germany
Tel +49 30 254 89 375
internationales-forum@berlinerfestspiele.de
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