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»Why-Not-Reality-Show«,WHY-NOT-Kollektiv, Foto © Meike Willner

Favourites

Funding programme for independent theatre in NRW

The NRW KULTURsekretariat has been involved in the ‘Favoriten’ (Favourites) since the festival was founded and thus promotes the development of sustainable structures for the independent scene in NRW.

In October 2023, the NRWKS facilitated a two-day discourse and information event. With this essential support, the ‘Favourites’ together with the NRW Landesbüro Freie Darstellende Künste were able to invite around 50 actors from the independent performing arts community to ‘circle training’ in the year between the festivals. The focus was on exchanging ideas on sustainability issues and questions of the circular economy as well as teaching relevant skills and aesthetic practices in the field of the independent performing arts. At the same time, the transfer of knowledge and experience was aimed at productively networking existing initiatives in this field.

In addition, the NRWKS regularly participates in the ‘Favourites’ with its ‘International Visitors Programme’. In addition to attending events, the international guests take part in network meetings and discussions.

Founded in 1985 as ‘Theaterzwang’, the oldest festival of independent theatre in Germany is of particular importance for the independent theatre landscape in NRW. Every two years in autumn, the ‘Favourites’ in Dortmund showcase outstanding productions of the independent performing arts from NRW. The festival also offers the regional theatre scene a forum for exchanging views on working methods, contemporary aesthetics and political and social issues. At the same time, ‘Favourites’ increasingly sees itself as a supra-regional platform for networking with international artists, groups and collectives.

In 2024, the festival took place on site, but also digitally. Under the motto ‘(Un)Learning for possible futures’, the artistic and discursive examination of the process of (un)learning and growing together between genders, generations, classes and borders was focussed on.

In the interim year 2025, the organiser, the NRW Landesbüro Freie Darstellende Künste, will focus on the future of the festival and the future of such festivals in general, with the questions: What does the festival need in the next editions? How can the FAV be organised in the future? What do artists want from a festival? What significance does the festival have for the independent scene in NRW? What does the audience want? How do we communicate with the audience?

The series of events began in 2024 and will continue with forums and workshops in various regions in NRW.