Grenzenlos Kultur Vol. 28 — Inclusion Theatre Festival

Grenzenlos Kultur originated in 1997 during a pioneering phase when disability was still largely invisible in professional theatre. What began as an initiative by a small group in Mainz is now Germany's oldest and most influential inclusion theatre festival and a hub for the growing scene of professional inclusive performing arts across Europe.

The festival is hosted at the Staatstheater Mainz and utilizes all of the venue's stages – from the Grand Theatre to the Studio Stage. Productions, dance pieces, concerts, performances, and lecture-performances create a dense 11-day programme. The aesthetic is anything but therapeutic or documentary; Grenzenlos Kultur presents contemporary stage art of the highest professional standard, where disability is one artistic position among many.

The 28th edition from September 24 to October 4, 2026, continues this tradition. Companies from Germany, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe are invited – venues like Theater Hora from Zurich, the British Candoco Dance Company, or the Dutch TG Maatwerk are part of the regular repertoire of invited groups. In addition, Mainz's own productions, co-productions with the Staatstheater, and world premieres will be shown.

Accessibility is part of the programme, not an add-on. Audio description in German, surtitles in Easy Language, sign language interpretation for key events, early access for people with psychological impairments, tactile stage models and programmes in Braille, a chill-out area with dimmed lights – Grenzenlos Kultur has co-developed many of these formats for the German-speaking world.

Accompanying events include discussion formats on cultural policy issues (funding practices, fee structures, representation), workshops for theatre professionals and students, and a small film series. The festival bar in the Staatstheater foyer serves as a meeting point for the international scene.