The HTA lecture series "Macht ?! Theatre" deals with the festival theme "Power" in its double meaning of power and making in the run-up to the festival "Politics in Free Theatre". The event understands theatre as a place of power and assumes that power as an unclear concept must be discussed anew in relation to phenomena and structures: The need for action, possibilities and strategies can only be articulated in relation to different actors and activities. On three Thursday evenings, four actors from institutional, political and artistic theatre work will meet in constellations to discuss power and making and to order, destroy or change these concepts. They devote themselves to three thematic complexes: power-critical educational work, power-critical intervention and power-critical curation. Who teaches what to whom? Who intervenes when and how? What is selected according to which criteria?
Curated and organised by students of the HTA:
Melina Brinkmann, Hannah Brown, Gil Hoz-Klemme, Ronja Lange, Laura Nikolich, Luka Schreckenberger and Paula Veenema
"Macht ?! Theatre" is an event of the Hessian Theatre Academy in cooperation with Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, studioNAXOS and Theaterhaus Frankfurt. It is supported by the AStA of the Goethe University Frankfurt, the AStA of the University of Music and Performing Arts Frankfurt and the AStA of the Justus Liebig University Giessen.
Power-Critical Educational Work
(with children and adolescents)
19.5.2022, 18:30 – 21:30
Theaterhaus
Schützenstrasse 12
60311 Frankfurt
The event on power-critical educational work deals with the concept of power and power constellations in theatre work with non-professional actors. How does critical theatre work with non-professional actors create a space for reflection on general and inherent power structures? How are experiences of power reflected upon? Who determines what is dealt with and how it is worked with? Where does power lie in mediation in relation to methodological approaches and the culture of reflection? Who moderates, regulates and determines? How is participation organised? Who can participate?
With: Sara Gröning (Mediation programme Strong Pieces Festival), Margarete Margiera (theatre pedagogue BuT, director), Lisa Deniz Preugschat (Theaterperipherie) and Saliha Shagasi (theatre pedagogue Schauspiel Köln)
Power-Critical Intervention
23.6.2022, 18:30 – 21:30
Mousonturm
Waldschmidtstrasse 4
60316 Frankfurt
The event on power-critical intervention deals with the power structures in the art and science business. Which strategies of intervention, disruption and sabotage can be used to counter exclusion mechanisms in theatres? To what extent are these strategies effective within institutional work? And where are the interfaces to aesthetic questions?
With: Rebecca Ajnwojner (freelance dramaturg), Guy Dermossesian (agent of the 360° programme of the Federal Cultural Foundation at the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus), Miriam Yosef and Thu Hoài Tran (Institute for Affirmative Sabotage).
Power-Critical Curation
7.7.2022, 18:30 – 21:30
Naxoshalle
Waldschmidtstrasse 19
60316 Frankfurt
The event is dedicated to power-critical curation, the strategies and experiences of diversification and sustainable change in theatre institutions, structures and productions. Where is the line between taste and habit when deciding which art or artists to support and which not? What are the levers that can be tightened immediately or in the long term to open up the cultural sector? Or do we have to create completely new spaces?
With: Jan Philipp Stange (Festival AG PiFT), Abilaschan Balamuraley (Diversity Trainer, Educational Consultant and Podcaster), Sonja Sofia Yakovleva (Artist)