APPLAUS! — Hamm School Theatre Festival

APPLAUS! — School Theatre from Secondary Schools on the Professional Stage

The APPLAUS! School Theatre Festival is one of the most important meetings for school theatre in Westphalia. From June 23 to 27, 2026, the eleventh edition will take place at the Kulturbahnhof Hamm. Theatre-enthusiast groups from theatre clubs, literature courses, and performing arts classes at secondary schools will present their self-developed plays on an equipped professional stage – for a public audience that is more than just teachers and parents.

More Than a Performance Festival

APPLAUS! is not purely a competition, but a meeting platform:

• Performances by all invited theatre groups on the main stage
• Audience discussions immediately after each performance – the groups explain the subject matter, working methods, and rehearsal process
• Workshops for students and teachers on acting techniques, directing, dramaturgy
• Cultural-political discussion on the position of school theatre within the education system

HELIOS Theater Hamm — Hosting Since 2005

The HELIOS Theater is one of the most renowned children's and youth theatres in Germany. In 2004, it opened the Kulturbahnhof Hamm – the converted reception building of Hamm's main train station – as its permanent venue. Since 2005, the HELIOS Theater has hosted APPLAUS! every two years. The festival is part of the KinderTheaterHaus, which sees itself as an international forum for current issues in theatre for young audiences.

Hamm — Westphalia's School Theatre Capital

With the APPLAUS! Festival, the HELIOS Theater, and the hartware medien kunst verein, Hamm (an independent city in the Westmünsterland region, North Rhine-Westphalia) is establishing itself as a cultural centre for children's and youth culture. The city on the Lippe river, situated between the Sauerland and Münsterland regions, combines industrial heritage with a vibrant cultural scene.

Who Attends APPLAUS!?

School theatre groups from all over Germany are invited. A jury selects the participants, evaluating the originality of the productions, the quality of the performance, and thematic relevance. Several productions are shown each day – ranging from adaptations of classics and contemporary plays to collectively developed original works.

The Extras — APPLAUS! Impro, Lünen Theatre Youth Club

Alongside the main programme, there are accompanying events: on June 26, 2026, at 3:30 PM, an "APPLAUS! Impro" evening will take place, and on June 27, at 7:30 PM, the "Lünen Theatre Youth Club" will perform. These events complement the educational discourse with concrete performance formats.