Dramaturgie Tag der offenen Tür 2026
International Symposium, January 23rd & 24th 2026, Residenz Leipzig
RESPONSE & RESPONSIBILITY
Strategies of teaching dramaturgy of contemporary performance – part two
Supposing no one asked a question. What would be the answer.
(Gertrude Stein, Useful Knowledge)
The symposium is organized by Hochschule für Musik und Theater ‘Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’ Leipzig and Residenz Schauspiel Leipzig in collabration with DAMU/KALD, Prague Performing Arts Academy and DAS Theatre/Amsterdam University of the Arts.
Conveners: Thomas Frank and Dr. Dag Kemser
Additional committee: doc. Miguel Melgares, doc. MgA. Sodja Zupanc-Lotker, and MgA. Mgr. Marta Ljubková, Ph.D., Prof. Dr. Annette Storr, Prof. Dr. Christian Pischel.
Venue: Residenz/Schauspiel Leipzig & LURU-Cinema ˑ Spinnereistraße 7 ˑ 04179 Leipzig
About the Symposium
The symposium around the notions of “response and responsibility” looks at the strategies of applied dramaturgy teachers in a rapidly changing world. Dramaturgy teachers train students in critical and creative abilities. As theatre schools send new generations into the field, the demand for artistic risk and openness to emerging themes has never been more urgent.
What kind of flexibility is required from tomorrow’s dramaturges? What kind of ethics? Which strategies have we developed to encourage ourselves and our students and to interrupt any sort of self-fulfilling dynamics? How do we take responsibility, when we do not know what we are responding to?
For which theatres do we train dramaturges? What are the current and foreseeable future employment opportunities and what artistic demands do we pursue in our training programmes at the various locations?
The first issue of the symposium on teaching contemporary dramaturgy in Prague 2025 was entitled “between presence and meaning”, which raised fundamental questions about dramaturgical practice. The different contributions from all over Europe and beyond made it clear that dramaturgy, as a responsive artistic practice, recognises a variety of different approaches that are regionally specific.
The exchange about the different practices, approaches and methods of teaching will be presented and deepened in the second issue of the symposium in Leipzig in January 2026. We will consider how regional cultural perspectives, theatre-making practices, production conditions, and networks are shaped by—and respond to—specific political and economic contexts. Last but not least, the symposium will provide an opportunity to think together about strategies for responding to the current rapid changes in the theatre and cultural landscape, and how we can act in solidarity and develop resilience.
This symposium aims to provide a platform for teachers of practical dramaturgy to exchange good practices, bad experiences and unresolvable problems connected to teaching practical dramaturgy; to talk about specific practical tasks, as well as organisation of individual courses. The sessions will consist of short 15 min max presentations of methods and strategy demonstrations that will provide a basis for discussion.
The symposium will be part of an Erasmus-Blended Intensive Program (BIP) from January 20th to 24th for teachers and students of dramaturgy. The BIP participation enables to apply for Erasmus-mobility funding at your local institution also for students.
Programme
Friday, January 23rd, 2026
RESIDENZ | LURU-CINEMA | |
|---|---|---|
9:00 | Registration,coffee |
|
9:45 | Opening/introduction |
|
10:00-11:30 | Un/learning Siret Campbell Jon Refsdal Moe Martina Ruhsam / Ruth Schmidt Paraskevi Tektonidou | Transfer&translatability Kasia Lech Duška Radosavljević Anahita Shamsavari |
11:30-11:45 | Coffee break |
|
11:45-13:15 | Listening Ricarda Franzen / Ari Teperberg Tanja Hylling Diers Kara McKechnie | Best practice Georgina Kakoudaki Ferdinand Klüsener Susanna Suurla |
13:15-14:45 | Lunch |
|
14:45-16:15 | Care & criticality 1 Anna Haas / Carolin Hochleichter Edit Kaldor Sodja Zupanc Lotker | Methodology Panayiota Konstantinakou Giacomo Veronesi Frederik Zeugke |
16:15-16:30 | Coffee break |
|
16:30-17:00 | Students' response |
|
Saturday, January 24th, 2026
| RESIDENZ | LURU-CINEMA |
9:00 | Registration,coffee |
|
10:00-10.45 | Keynote Antonia Lahmé |
|
10.45-11:00 | Coffee break |
|
11:00-12:30 | Care & criticality 2 Jānis Balodis / Elizabete Šiklova Susana Botero Santos Kristof Kélemén / Ármin Szabó- Székely | Post-humanism, new materialism & dramaturgy Milo Juráni Chris Kondek Mara Trübenbach |
12:30-14:00 | Lunch |
|
14:00-15:30 | Dramaturgy and/of the public sphere Iga Gańczarczyk Carlotta Huys Hubert Thériault LaRonika Thomas | Costume & agency Zuzana Hudek Christina Lindgren / Charlotte Østergaard Rike Zöllner |
15:30-15:45 | Coffee break |
|
15:45-16:15 | Students' response |
|
16:15-16:45 | Conclusion |
|
8.1.2026, subject to change
