Located in the centre of Berlin, the Volksbühne is a theatre rich in tradition. Klaus Dörr is the director since April 2018.
Since it first opened, the Volksbühne has had a strong focus on the development and impact of new forms of theatrical productions. Built in 1914 by the architect Oskar Kaufmann, the Volksbühne am Rosa Luxemburg Platz seats over 800 people. Its construction was financed solely by donations from members of the Verein Freie Volksbühne (Association for a Free People’s Theatre) with so-called “workers’ pennies”. Throughout its history, the Volksbühne has been shaped by directors, authors and artists who constantly challenge the boundaries of classical spoken theatre - names like Max Reinhardt, Erwin Piscator, Benno Besson, Heiner Müller, Frank Castorf, Christoph Schlingensief are intrinsic to the theatre.
The Volksbühne is home to theatre, dance, performance, music, cinema, visual arts and digital cultures, but at its core is a reflection on the contemporary, the future of theatre and on new relationships between forms, disciplines and practices. Artists from Berlin, Europe and the world are invited to contribute to an ever-evolving urban society.
