Four days, five different theatres and lots of impressions
Report: Timo (15) und Anselm (15)
Our journey to the festival started at Stuttgart Central Station, with a lot of delay …
But we were in a good mood anyway!
After our journey, we were able to watch our first planned play at the Augenblick mal! Festival in Berlin, despite the loss of time.
The play “Body Boom Boom Brain”, produced by “PINSKER+BERNHARDT”, dealt with the topic of puberty and appealed to us not only because of the topic, but also because of the elaborately designed stage set.
After this performance, our first day at the Augenblick mal! Festival came to an end and we tiredly made our way back to the youth hostel.
On the second day, after breakfast, we went for a walk through Berlin, passing the Brandenburger Tor and the Bundestag.
After some free time in the city, we joined a workshop about “participation” with other teenagers from Bochum and other German cities.
Later we watched the play “Die Verdunkelung II – Corona Leuchten” in the afternoon, which dealt with several political issues and the corona pandemic.
The play “Kaffee mit Zucker” that we watched afterwards was about the colonisation of Guatemala and also fascinated us.
On the third day, we had breakfast as usual and made our way to a panel talk, a discussion format in which we talked about the future of theatre, among other things.
We also saw the plays “Bambi und die Themen” which gave us a lot to discuss and “Robin and the Hoods”, which dealt with the topic of justice. The involvement of the audience, the interactive theatre style and the funny staging made the play a lot of fun to watch.
Immediately after the play, we went straight back to Stuttgart.
It was a very valuable experience for us because we were able to strengthen the group community and make new contacts with other youth groups by travelling together. All in all, it is clear how versatile theatre, productions and the way plays are staged can be.
Silke Wilhelm, theater facilitator at JES, accompanist of the JES philosophers: The JES Philosophers are a group of young thinkers aged 12–17 who actively advise Junges Ensemble Stuttgart on programming and artistic offerings for children and young audiences. Through regular theatre visits at JES and other venues in Stuttgart, the group develops a critical and reflective perspective on performing arts for young people.
To broaden their understanding of theatre practices and encourage new ways of thinking, the group travelled to Berlin from 21–24 April 2023 to attend the Augenblick mal! Festival, accompanied by an intern and a volunteer. As Germany’s largest festival for theatre for children and young audiences, Augenblick mal! presents a carefully curated selection of productions that reflect current trends and artistic developments in the national theatre landscape.
The visit had a lasting impact on the JES Philosophers. The participants encountered a wide range of theatrical forms and production methods, engaged with themes currently shaping the field, and strengthened their ability to articulate and discuss their own theatre experiences. Returning to Stuttgart, the group approaches their advisory role with increased confidence, a clearer sense of perspective, and a stronger self-image as active contributors to the theatre community.