FRATZ International
Encounters | Symposium | Festival for the very young
October 9-15, 2026
Here comes the FRATZ program for 2026!
The performance program consists of five productions chosen by our jury, one contribution by Theater o.N. and two invitations in continuation of last year's FRATZ research labs in cooperation with ThinkArts.
The jury chose their selection from an open call, which we first implemented in 2024. The goal was to reach out more widely to the community of theater makers for very young audiences internationally. We distributed the call through the ASSITEJ National Centers and Networks as well as through our FRATZ channels.
This year, for the 2026 festival edition, we had an amazing 145 applications. We thank all artists and groups very much for sharing their productions with us and trusting us with their work! The jury watched all videos submitted and met in three rounds to discuss all works. We are happy to officially announce the jury selection today:
The jury selection:
ABC – A Painters Alphabet – A new circus performance (3+)
Kompani Giraff | Sweden
BÄÄÄM – A dance performance for Deaf and hearing audiences (3+)
tanzfuchs PRODUKTION / Barbara Fuchs | Germany
BOSQUE (Forest) – A stage performance for children (2+)
Flores TeatroDanza / Teatro Al Vacío | Mexico
Shelter (Jaszak) – A physical performance with live music (3+) Simone de Jong Company | Netherlands
The Sticky Dance – For early years (3-5 yrs)
Second Hand Dance | Great Britain
The jury would like to issue a special mention to POD by Luminous Productions and Artback NT (Australia). Due to financial constraints and for the sake of sustainability, it was not possible to bring the production to the FRATZ Festival this year. POD was selected by the jury from an artistic standpoint, and we will work to make this happen for the next edition in 2028!
A more detailed statement by the jury on the selected groups and productions will be published in May.
Theater o.N.'s contribution:
Baobab – A dance performance with live music (2+)
Cíntia Rangel & Theater o.N.
Continuation of cooperation with artists from India:
Neer – A Magic Drop – A playful journey with water (2-4 yrs)
Swapnika Reddy
Build – an exploration with sticks and clay (3-5 yrs)
Sidharth Varma
Both pieces were initiated in the FRATZ research labs 2024 in cooperation with ThinkArts.
The symposium program will be conceived by the members of the jury in collaboration with the groups and artists presented at the festival. More details on the symposium and this year's research formats to come in the summer!
The jury consisted of six members with different artistic backgrounds, perspectives and expertise:
- Yama Tessa Hart – culture & change maker in the performing arts
- Susanne Tod – access dramaturge and theater educator
- Cíntia Rangel – dancer and choreographer
- Vera Strobel/Dagmar Domrös/Doreen Markert – artistic directors of Theater o.N. & FRATZ International
Here we introduce the jury members to you!
We thank all participants in the open call for the importance of their work and their dedication to young audiences. Especially in times when faith in democracy and the universality of human dignity seem increasingly threatened, we appreciate you all providing spaces where children can experience dance and theater, exchange ideas, and playfully shape the future.
We are looking forward to conceptualizing, planning and organizing the 8th edition of FRATZ for you and hope to see everyone in Berlin in the fall to see great shows, get to know each other, and discuss and exchange!
Your FRATZ team
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FRATZ International – Encounters – Symposium – Festival for the Very Young, October 9–15, 2026, produced by Theater o.N. in cooperation with Offensive Tanz für junges Publikum, Kulturprojekte Berlin, with the kind support of GRIPS Theater, Junges Tanzhaus Berlin, Tanzhalle Wiesenburg, blu:boks Lichtenberg, Theater Strahl and Nachbarschaftshaus am Körnerpark.
Funded by the Berlin Senate for Culture and Social Cohesion (Senat für Kultur und Gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt).
Presented by:
