Hart am Wind — North German Theatre Festival for Young Audiences

Theatre for Young Audiences, Right in the Heart of the Port City

Every two years, Bremerhaven becomes the stage for the best North German theatre for children and young people. Hart am Wind brings together ten productions selected by a jury from five federal states—Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Schleswig-Holstein—over several days, supplemented by five productions from the host institutions. Performances take place at many locations in the port city: in the Grand Theatre of the City Theatre, the JUB, the Bremerhaven Puppet Theatre, the Theatre in the Fishing Harbour, the Große Kirche (Great Church), and even in the Wremen cutter harbour.

A Jury That Is Young Itself

A special feature of the festival: the prizes are not decided by a panel of experts, but by a jury of young people from the region. This ensures that the awards are given from the perspective of the very audience for whom the plays are intended. The festival is accompanied by a professional program and the TREIBGUT format—Found Objects of Young Drama, which brings together authors, theatre makers, and publishers, and highlights contemporary dramatic texts for young audiences.

Network and Tradition

Organized by the Bremerhaven City Theatre in cooperation with the Bremerhaven Puppet Theatre, the theatre Das Letzte Kleinod in Geestenseth, and the city's cultural office, Hart am Wind looks back on over twenty years of history. The festival is a showcase, a competition, and an industry meeting all at once—and for a few days, it makes the port city the centre of North German theatre for young audiences.