Conditions of participation and information on registration

• Sociocultural, intercultural and inclusive theatre groups are welcome in both categories. Intergenerational groups should decide which category to apply for based on the majority of their participants.

• The festival’s primary aim is to use theatre as a means of engaging in intercultural dialogue, exchanging ideas, furthering one’s education, defining one’s own position and, in doing so, further developing and consolidating one’s own theatrical approach.

• The theatre groups – or at least the majority of each ensemble – are therefore expected to be present in Friedrichshafen throughout the festival period, to attend each other’s performances and to participate actively in the post-performance discussions.

• The duration and possible division into sections of justBW will depend on the applications received. Participating groups will be informed of the schedule as early as possible.

• For the International Amateur Theatre Festival (weekend), the following applies: Groups must be present from the opening (Friday, 6.00 pm) until the closing event (Sunday, approx. 3.30 pm). Groups will take part in the opening event with a ‘flash performance’. The performance itself will be followed by a debriefing. See the section ‘Follow-up’ for further details. Directors are invited to attend meetings during the festival.

• A jury comprising representatives from international theatre associations will accompany the groups invited for the weekend throughout the festival and decide on the award of the Theatertage am See Theatre Prize. The prize money varies each year and depends on our patrons and sponsors. The Audience Award is worth 500 euros.
No prizes are awarded as part of the Youth and School Theatre Days. A wide-ranging training programme awaits the participating groups.

• The groups perform without a fee and pay for the performance rights of their play performed at the Theatertage am See themselves. The royalties for music copyright (GEMA) will be paid by the organiser if they receive the list of titles used in the production in time.

• Upon request, the groups will report all names of the groups a few weeks before the theatre days. This data is exclusively for the purpose of settling accounts with the funding bodies of the Theatre Days.  

• All members of a theatre group in the programme receive free season tickets for the current Theatertage am See. It will be clarified in advance which plays you would like to attend and with how many participants. You will receive admission tickets directly after your arrival. Without admission tickets you will not be admitted to sold-out plays.

• The organisers of the Theatre Days do not charge a participation fee, but bear the costs of accommodation and meals for the duration of attendance in the chosen section. As a rule, this means two full days of attendance. Only beverages have to be paid for by the participants themselves.

• If a group would like to participate in the entire festival beyond that, the group assumes the costs for further overnight stays and catering. The organiser will help with the booking of inexpensive accommodation.

The invited theatre groups pay for their own travel costs to and from the festival. In special cases, the organiser will provide a subsidy for the travel costs. If this is sought, the application must already indicate how high the total travel costs are likely to be and how high the group's own contribution is that it can afford. Such special cases can be:

• The group comes from a country with a weak currency and cannot finance the trip itself.

• The group participates in the festival on the basis of AITA/IATA statutes and is reimbursed for its travel costs from funds provided by BDAT (Bund Deutscher Amateurtheater), the Federal Republic of Germany or the European Union for the promotion of cultural exchange.

• The group comes from a socio-cultural environment that has insufficient or no financial means and subsidies from their regional environment to be able to finance a festival participation.

• The group comes from a school environment that is not in a position to completely cover the travel costs of its theatre group.

• Travel costs can generally only be paid upon presentation of original receipts.

If no travel costs are mentioned in the application, we assume that no subsidy is being sought.

A feature of the Theatre Days since 2016: the tried-and-tested, creative format of the post-performance discussion. The play that has been performed is not initially discussed in the ‘traditional’ way during a ‘replay’, but is instead ‘mirrored’ by another participating theatre group, which briefly re-enacts key moments from the play they have just seen in their own theatrical interpretation.

These ‘re-enactments’ form the starting point for the subsequent post-performance discussion. This discussion is moderated by one of the jury members.
It consists of three theatrically structured elements:

1.     Re-enacting appreciative aspects and ‘magic moments’ from the play that has just been seen.

2.     Understanding the production and clarifying any possible misunderstandings.

3.     Formulating open questions and constructive criticism.

When preparing for the ‘replay’, we expect the groups to set aside sufficient time and to provide feedback in a mindful and appreciative manner.

Only then will the reflection be shared, bit by bit, with everyone taking part in the debrief. Each group will therefore have a ‘feedback session’ during the festival, but will also be asked to organise a feedback session for another group. We will, of course, provide you with more details on the exact format and procedure in due course. This way of watching and reflecting on theatre is certainly an experiential one and can be very enriching.