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Die Frau aus dem Eis, Theater Bielefeld © Sarah Jonek

New Music Theatre Fund

Funding programme for commissioned compositions, world premieres and premières for NRW

The "Fonds Neues Musiktheater" (New Music Theatre Fund) was set up by the NRW KULTURsekretariat as a funding programme for contemporary and recent music at NRW's municipal and state theatres, as a special programme in conjunction with the NRW Ministry of Culture. 

Composition commissions, opera and dance productions with new and recent music and their revivals are funded. The productions must involve the theatre's own ensembles such as choir, orchestra and vocal ensemble.

Municipal and regional theatres with their own ensemble from NRW are eligible to apply. Guest productions are excluded from funding. In general, there is no limit to the amount of funding. In accordance with the production requirements of theatre practice, funding can be requested for project planning phases of up to three years.

The NRW Ministry of Culture provides the theatres with special annual funding of 250,000 euros to endow the fund. Since 2001, more than 185 productions have been realised with the support of this funding instrument. In autumn 2023, the production "Dogville" by the Aalto-Musiktheater Essen, which was supported by the fund, was awarded the German theatre prize DER FAUST.