A laboratory for youth participation: ‘Theatre should change and evolve’

A theatre festival for children and young people needs the participation of children and young people. That's why this year's edition of AUGENBLICK MAL! will feature not only the children of the BLICK'S MAL group, but also the youth group AUGENtagMAL! Over the past few months, the 15- to 24-year-olds interested in theatre have been able to gain insights into almost all areas of the festival's planning.

As part of the European cooperation project ForesTEEN, AUGENtagMAL! is one of a total of seven ‘Theatre Action Groups’. Each ‘TAG’ is based in one of seven EU countries. ‘The idea behind the project is for young people across Germany and Europe to network, develop participation processes and play a concrete role in shaping the AUGENBLICK MAL! 2025 and 2027,’ explains AUGENtagMAL! coordinator Kris Grün. Together with Valerie Eichmann, she is supporting the 16 teenagers and young adults currently involved in the German “TAG”. It was an obvious decision to rename the group “AUGENtagMAL!” at a face-to-face meeting: ’After all, planning the festival is our main focus.’

In addition to the German group, ‘Theatre Action Groups’ were also set up in Denmark, France, Lithuania, Spain, Italy and Serbia at the beginning of 2024. Interested parties were sought in advance through a call for applications. ‘I heard about the project at a theatre network meeting,’ says 17-year-old Lisa from Dresden. ‘Through the group, I've met lots of cool people all over Germany. It's great to be able to accompany a process like the planning of AUGENBLICK MAL! from the very beginning!’

What is important to Kris, their contact person, is that the basic idea behind ForesTEEN goes beyond ‘just’ supporting the complex organisation of a major event. The international groups meet online once a month to exchange ideas and organise joint trips to European partner festivals. As a result, young people from Spain, France, Lithuania, Italy and Denmark will be present at AUGENBLICK MAL! 2025.

‘I'm involved because I want young people to have more say. Theatre should change and evolve,’ says Kira (21), a freelance educator and artist. Kira has particularly fond memories of the group's first face-to-face meeting. ’It quickly became clear that this was a cool, colourful bunch.’ As a rule, the AUGENtagMAL! meetings also take place online. ‘That's a big challenge,’ emphasises Kris. ‘The European dimension adds to the complexity of communication and organisation behind the scenes.’

In preparation for AUGENBLICK MAL! 2025, AUGENtagMAL! members are invited to participate in three working groups. In direct exchange with the production and concept team, a youthful perspective is thus brought to various areas of planning. ‘A lot of the group can be seen in the final festival programme,’ Kris concludes positively. ‘Among other things, the young people are actively involved in the opening and the discussion programme.’

The young people themselves are also satisfied. ‘Everyone is making a great effort to involve us as much as possible,’ says 18-year-old Irem from Augsburg, who found out about AUGENtagMAL! through her theatre teacher. Lars (22), an event technician from Frankfurt, worked in the ‘Parties & Encounters’ working group, which was responsible for planning the festival opening and the festival party, among other things. ‘The atmosphere was very appreciative, and we were always listened to,’ says Lars. Specifically, Lisa adds, three AUGENtagMAL! members will moderate the opening. Their request for live music was also granted.

The ‘Awareness’ working group was responsible for designing the awareness information point and a relaxation room, explains Anna (23), a student from Leipzig. ‘We also checked the guest performances for triggers and helped with the selection interviews for the awareness team. The collaboration was completely equal from the very beginning.’ When designing the information stand, it was important to her that interaction and education took place. ‘We want to discuss with AUGENBLICK MAL! visitors what awareness actually means.’

There are several opportunities to get to know the AUGENtagMAL! group at the festival. The young people are designing several parts of the discussion programme rede+zeit and offering, among other things, a pub quiz, an international breakfast, meditation and a workshop on young forms of participation in theatres. In the festival centre Theater an der Parkaue, they will also be present together with the BLICK´s MAL! group in an interactive chill-out and participation corner.

It is not currently possible to join the group, says Kris Grün. After the festival, they will consider how to proceed and will probably publish a new call for applications in the autumn. Anyone interested can contact Kris (k.gruen@augenblickmal.de).