Yesterday, on Thursday June 9th, the international arts festival Theaterformen started with a rich program of contemporary theater productions, multimedia installations, concerts and talks. The festival, that is taking place in Hannover and Braunschweig alternatingly, was founded in 1990 and has been artistically led by Martine Dennewald since 2014.

This year’s edition of the festival will present a focus on productions and artists from East Asia, including a research atelier entitled “Our Common Futures.” Organized by the Festival Theaterformen and the Institute for Cultural Policy at the University of Hildesheim, the “Cultural Policy for the Arts in Development” UNESCO Chair and in collaboration with the “Performance Studies international” network and the IRC, the project has received a significant funding by the German Federal Cultural Foundation.

The research atelier focuses on performing arts in the processes of transformation in East Asia. The conference description reads as follows:

“For several decades now, the mega-cities of East Asia have experienced change and development at a tearing pace, and the performing arts are right in the middle of it. In many cases, theatre artists turn out to be seismographs for social and political shifts, something close to “watch dogs” and “change agents”. Artistic interventions take a stance with regards to globalisation and urban development, they test the limits of imaginary and actual spaces. Not even their relationship with the audience remains unchanged. What is the impact of the metropolis on artistic work, and vice-versa? How do local and national cultural policies, how does civic empowerment facilitate particular forms of theatre?
These questions are to be discussed with the artists present at the festival in order to explore possible positions of theater and artists and their role as social agents today.”

The research atelier will host international experts and guests, among others former and present IRC-Fellows, such as Nanako Nakajima and Tadashi Uchino.

Textures will accompany the research atelier providing a platform for the young awardees of the Theaterformen Festival Grant. The newest generation of Asian, African and European theater makers have been invited to Braunschweig to attend the festival with a questioning and critical eye, to create new visions, and to discuss and enjoy the festival days.

This year’s arwardees are: Ho Rui An (Singapore), Kaori Nishio (Japan), Kang-Hee Jeon (South Korea), Lucila Piffer (Argentina), Kwon Songhee (South Korea), Wichaya Artamaat (Thailand), Lee Ren Xi (Malaysia), Richard Antrobus (South Africa), Gavin Krastin (South Africa), and Michael Chahoud (Syria).

We invited them to share their impressions, thoughts, ideas, and questions about the topics discussed at the research atelier as well as the productions of the Festival Theaterformen as guest authors here on Textures.
They will be joined by three students from the University of Hildesheim.

So have a look during the upcoming days to read and see what they will be posting.