Mülheimer Theatertage

In the page's words:

The forum for contemporary German-language drama

Since 1976, the German-language theater scene has looked to Mülheim an der Ruhr every year in May. As part of the Mülheim Theatre Days, seven to eight plays are shown here in the most effective performance, usually the world premiere. The selection is made by an independent committee from the German-language plays premiered in the respective season. At the end of the festival, a jury of critics and theater professionals awards the Mülheim Playwriting Prize, endowed with 15,000 euros, to the best author. To mark the 50th anniversary, the Audience Award 2025 was endowed with 5,000 euros, donated by the Mülheim an der Ruhr Community Foundation.

In 2007, the Mülheim Theatre Days launched a festival for children, the "KinderStücke". It has been held as a competition since 2010. A separate selection committee chooses five plays for children between the ages of six and ten, and a separate prize jury awards the Mülheimer KinderStückePreis, endowed with 15,000 euros, to the author of the best German-language children's play.

The focus in Mülheim is on the play texts, not their production. The focus on the text makes the festival unique. At the same time, the Mülheim Theatre Days are always open to new forms of authorship. Just as society is changing, so is writing for the stage. The Mülheim Theatre Days take these social changes into account by also giving space to the latest artistic developments.

In 1987, the Mülheim Theatre Days received the ITI Prize from the "Zentrum Bundesrepublik Deutschland des Internationalen Theaterinstituts e. V. der UNESCO" for the concept of "evaluating and promoting German-language drama, supporting authors and providing idealistic and material support for aesthetic trends in contemporary theater literature".

The 51st Mülheim Theatre Days will take place from 16.5. - 6.6.26.