GERMANY

Here we’d have a profile of the sector in the country. I’ve used the notes from our mapping meeting for now, but we could each write up something more specific.

One Line:

Under 21 year old non-professional people perform something for an audience. 

One Paragraph:

There is a difference in Germany between “Theatre Education” and “Youth Theatre”:

• Theatre Education: Young People get involved in artistic processes to strengthen their personality and get empowered by expressing their feelings and opinions on stage. Theatre Education based Projects can also be artistic, but the main focus lies on the process rather than on the artistic product. The projects focus on being low threshold (easy to access) and participatory. 
• Youth Theatre: A professional Theatre Production with non-professional, young actors. The topic that is negotiated corresponds with the performers, which doesn’t necessarily has to include a biographic aspect. Good Youth Theatre provides authenticity in its best meaning. Youth Theatre needs the same artistic visions, budgets and staff / expertise as all the other professional theatre departments.

Background:

• Youth theatre is an independent artistic category. 
• It has a strong international influence.
• There is a huge variety in companies across the county.  
• Some companies are financed by the state theatres, and state and federal funding is available for participatory projects. This huge difference in budgets which impacts quality and conditions work is made in.
• There are two national festivals for YT, and more recently YT work has begun to be included in TYA festivals. 
• Taken more seriously over the last 15 years, as there has been a rise in quality, director based YT productions.
• One big challenge of the sector is to reach out to all the target groups and make work which is both artistic and inclusive. 
• In Germany the sector is not well connected outside of festivals, there is no overview organisation or connection/network between practitioners.
• One umbrella organisation is mostly volunteer run, but it is old fashioned and under resourced.