Alliance of International Production Houses

Think global, act local: what has by now become the credo of responsible action and consumption in our digital age has also been chosen as a motto by seven of the most influential production houses of independent theater in Germany, who founded the International Production Houses Alliance in 2016. In this way, they aim to bundle their expertise, test out new forms of collaboration and exchange, and artistically grow together. The institutions involved are HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin), FFT Düsseldorf, tanzhaus nrw (Düsseldorf), the European Center of the Arts HELLERAU (Dresden), PACT Zollverein (Essen), Künstlerhaus Mousonturm (Frankfurt am Main), and Kampnagel Theater (Hamburg). It is my great pleasure that a funding of 12 million Euros from my budget can contribute to the alliance and support them over the next three years in their aim to explore new forms of cooperation, test out individual projects, and make their added value tangible.

At seven locations in six German cities, the alliance of production houses will not only research overarching topics, but will also experiment and produce with theatrical means – in exchange with one another as well as with numerous other partners in and beyond Germany. “Act local”: with this motto, the current topic “ART AND THE CITY” invites us to explore significant changes in our own neighborhoods, in our transforming societal structures. It asks us to not simply raise social and urban questions, but also to let them become a part of our artistic output. Such an exchange allows the participating institutions to think outside the box, to reformulate questions, and perhaps also to find new and unusual answers. Because after all, and with due respect to the importance of local anchors, the world should also be taken into consideration. “Think global.”

For the first time, the results of this great cooperation can now be seen in a joint presentation in Berlin, accompanied by laboratories and panels, in which previous work is developed further and reflected upon in a new environment. I hope that the alliance’s festival program will attract a lot of interest and an enthusiastic audience that will feel inspired by new aesthetic experiences!

Prof. Monika Grütters MdB

Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media