KAAS & KAPPES — Dutch-German Children's and Youth Theatre Festival

A Bi-national Playwrights' Prize Since 1999

If you are interested in young theatre writing, you cannot miss KAAS & KAPPES. The festival is not a repertoire festival with performances day after day, but a playwrights' prize with readings and a festive award ceremony — a format that has established itself between the theatre scenes of the Netherlands and Germany since 1999. 2026 marks the 28th edition; the award ceremony will take place on February 22, 2026, at the KOM'MA Theater Duisburg.

What is Awarded

New plays for children and young people submitted by authors from Germany and the Netherlands, in German or Dutch, are honoured. The texts must not have been published or performed before January 1, 2025. Submit as an anonymized PDF to [email protected], identification only in the accompanying email. One submission per author. Multiple submissions or revisions of previously submitted texts are excluded.

Prize Money and Distribution

The total prize money is €7,500. The distribution between the main prize and the emerging talent prize varies each year — the jury decides upon receipt. In addition to the prize money, there is the more important dimension: the texts are publicly presented in readings on the festival day, thus gaining visibility in the Dutch-German theatre scene.

KOM'MA Theater — The Home Venue

The venue is the KOM'MA Theater Duisburg, a renowned children's and youth theatre in the Rheinhausen district. For decades, it has been a focal point for young stage work in the Ruhr area, making it the ideal setting for a festival that promotes the *upcoming* generation of theatre writers. The director and team have supported the prize since its inception in 1999.

Dutch-German — The Bi-national Link

The special feature of KAAS & KAPPES is its bi-national programme: exclusively texts from Germany or the Netherlands, in German or Dutch. The festival originated in 1999 from the recognition that although the two theatre landscapes are geographically close, there was little cultural exchange. Over the past 28 years, KAAS & KAPPES has become the most important bridge between the young theatre scenes of both countries. Prize winners have been performed in both countries, their texts translated and included in repertoires.

The Festival Day on February 22, 2026

The award ceremony on 22.02.2026 at 4:00 PM is the public highlight of the festival. A mix of laudations, short readings of the awarded texts, and discussions with the authors and the jury. Admission is free, but registration by email is required. In addition, readings, encounters, and workshops will take place before and around the ceremony — the festival day is organized as a compact main event.

Duisburg-Rheinhausen — The Festival Quarter

The KOM'MA Theater is located in Duisburg-Rheinhausen, a district in southern Duisburg shaped by a varied industrial history (the Krupp steelworks in Rheinhausen closed in 1993). Today, Rheinhausen is a district in transition — and the KOM'MA children's and youth theatre is one of its cultural constants. Visitors arriving from elsewhere can take the S 1 or regional train to Duisburg Hbf and then a bus or car towards Rheinhausen.