The boards that represent the world. In Shakespeare’s time, it may still have seemed possible to understand the world as a single entity that could be comprehended from one perspective alone: the European perspective. Today, such an idea appears misguided.

Politically and economically, we have long understood the world in terms of globalisation. Yet when we speak about culture, the Eurocentric assumption that Europe stands at the centre of the world continues to resurface. Europe is regarded as familiar and as our own, while everything beyond Europe is perceived as foreign.

This is particularly evident in our understanding of theatre. It shapes the way we train, teach and assess the quality of theatrical performances. The theory and practice of so-called European theatre remain the benchmark and guiding principle of our judgement. With Theaterwelten, we aim to move beyond this narrow focus.

Theaterwelten seeks to broaden our view of the diversity of theatrical forms and the many different worlds of theatre. Direct and active experience enables a deeper understanding of different concepts of theatre and of the different roles theatre plays in regions across the world.

At the heart of the festival is a combination of three elements: experiencing performances, participating in shared workshops and reflecting together in the symposium.

The aim and guiding principle of Theaterwelten is to create encounters on an equal footing between what is perceived as familiar and what is regarded as foreign. Six theatre groups from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Oceania, as well as North and South America, are therefore invited to shape the festival as equal participants, each contributing one workshop and one performance.

Theaterwelten stands for a broader understanding of theatre practice. It is concerned with how we understand social and cultural processes in all their differences and how we respond to them. Our understanding of theatre cannot be limited to aesthetic categories alone; it must also take political and social criteria into account. Theatre is a social force.

Theatrical performance reveals a concrete and culturally shaped view of the world. In their cultural diversity, the theatrical forms of different world regions reflect a heterogeneous understanding of the world.

Theaterwelten enables people to gain lasting new access to, and participate in, global cultural diversity. Our vision is to find partners for Theaterwelten in many different places and thereby build a strong and lasting network.

To ensure that the thread connecting this network is not broken, the Theaterwelten platform will continue to be developed. It is a place where current developments can be followed, the past can be revisited and future ideas can take shape.

The platform is a forum for everyone who would like to participate.