Theater o.N.

Theatre o.N. is an independent theatre in Berlin that produces productions for children (0-10 years) and adults. Over the last ten years, the theatre has developed into a major figure in theatre for the very young in Berlin and throughout Germany. It is involved in this field as a producer, organiser of festivals and in research. 

The theatre can look back on a long history. Founded in 1979/80 as Theater Zinnober, it was the first and for a long time the only independent theatre in the GDR. Working collectively, artists developed groundbreaking productions such as ‘traumhaft’ (1985) and ‘Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten’ (1986).

In 2010, a new collective of individuals from former East and West Germany and from different generations was brought together under the umbrella of Theater o.N.. The new team established two new concepts of artistic work: theatre for the youngest and ‘beyond the neighbourhood’ - participatory projects in less privileged districts of Berlin. In 2014, Theater o.N. was awarded the George Tabori Prize for the impetus it has given to regional and international theatre from the very beginning.

As a producer, Theater o.N. develops 1-2 new productions every year, many of them for the youngest audiences and others for audiences aged between 6 and 10, as well as ensemble pieces for adults. The theatre works with a permanent ensemble as its core and is always looking for inspiration from outside by inviting artists from different genres to join the team and entering into cooperations, such as with the Deutsche Oper Berlin for research into music theatre for the youngest audiences (2016-18) or now with the partners of the Offensive Tanz für junges Publikum for the development of contemporary dance for very young audiences (2019-21).

Since 2013, the o.N. has been organising the biennial FRATZ International, a festival of performing arts for the very young. 

www.theater-on.de

FRATZ International

Encounters | Symposium | Festival

"FRATZ International: Encounters - Symposium - Festival for the Very Young" has been presented by Theater o.N. in Berlin since 2013 and has since established itself as an important international children's theater festival in Europe. Every two years, FRATZ invites remarkable guest performances to Berlin. It also hosts a symposium to discuss and explore the latest developments in dance and theater for very young audiences. Colleagues from all over the world meet in Berlin for this international exchange. 

The festival is aimed at children from 0-6 years and follows a decentralized approach. It is important to us, that art and culture should be accessible to all people, regardless of age or social or cultural background. Therefore it is a core element of the festival that the guest performances are shown all across Berlin — sometimes at (temporary) venues in districts where, otherwise, theater rarely occurs. 

Before, during and after the FRATZ Festival a workshop program for preschool children between the ages of two and four is taking place, the FRATZ Encounters

The respective experiences and results of a FRATZ year are documented and evaluated in the FRATZ Reflections. The brochure is printed in German and English and made available online free of charge to the public.