Fast Forward 2024

Annually in November, the European festival for young stage directors Fast Forward over four days invites young directors from all over Europe to Dresden. In this setting many of the emerging artists have their first encounters with an audience of another country, speaking another language – a meeting marked by excited expectation. Not only that: they make contact with colleagues of their generation from abroad and, together with professionals, the press, students and trainees, share different perspectives on theatre and its artistic and social capabilities.

Fast Forward is a festival for beginnings, a festival that brings people together and facilitates working partnerships. As platform for emerging theatre artists this festival is still unique: in the artistic range of works it shows and in its outreach for the artists invited. Not only the festival jury - newly assembled every year and awarding on the last day one of the directing teams with an invitation to create new performance at the Staatsschauspiel Dresden - is fostering young talent practically. In the supporting programme, students and graduates from European theatre academies meet international experts in changing constellations. The exchange between the artists is the base for new networks and discussions about the theatre of the future. And above all, it‘s the audience that is invited to join in the conversation and to cast its vote with the Audience Award. As is the Youth Jury, which was established in 2022.

In collaboration with its partners, the Dresden University of Fine Arts, Hellerau - European Centre for the Arts and others, the Kunsthaus Dresden in the robotron canteen and others, Fast Forward presents a multi-voiced Europe in the centre of Dresden - with German and English surtitles, of course -, a theatre festival for those who are at the beginning and a festival which is good for surprise and showing that there is a future to theatre.

WELCOME TO FAST FORWARD!

For the eighth time now, the European Festival for Young Stage Directors at the Staatsschauspiel Dresden has invited artists from all over Europe for four extraordinary days of theatre in the state capital of Saxony. By giving us a glimpse into other European countries and ways of living, this unique festival for young artists expands our horizons both artistically and as human beings. New friendships and professional relationships are formed, as well as cooperations in the city and between countries. Encounters and dialogue with other people are our cultural capital. Theatre thrives from encounters between the stage and the audience, from people revealing themselves and being seen, from entertainment, emotion and sometimes provocation too. Using the medium of theatre, a young generation takes a look at the world in which we live. So accept the invitation to learn about their perspectives. Let yourself be inspired and join our guests in Dresden to celebrate a diverse European theatre festival.

Yours

Barbara Klepsch
State Minister of Saxony for Culture and Tourism

DREAMS AND VISIONS 

Europa ist ein Kontinent. Europa war eine politische Vision. Nach 1945 wie nach 1989 gab es Politiker*innen, die sich den Kontinent nicht nur als ein Nebeneinander von Nationalstaaten, sondern als Union für Frieden, Demokratie, Freiheit vorstellen konnten. Zur kulturellen Erzählung dieses Europas gehört das Theater als Ort des Diskurses, der Reflexion und der Vielfalt. Es ist dem Staatsschauspiel Dresden zu verdanken, dass es jedes Jahr im November ein Stück Europa anhand junger Theatermacher*innen und ihrer Inszenierungen in der Landeshauptstadt Dresden zu erleben gibt. Theater als Ort, an dem noch Träume und Visionen verhandelt werden, vor denen die Politik an vielen Stellen in Europa längst kapituliert hat. Wenn schon die Politik uns im Jahr der Europawahlen 2024 wenig Hoffnung machen kann, so soll es wenigstens das Theater tun. Ich freue mich auf Fast Forward 2024, begrüße ganz besonders die internationalen Gäste des diesjährigen Festivals und danke allen, die zu dessen Gelingen beitragen.

Annekatrin Klepsch
Mayor for Culture, Science and Tourism of the State Capital Dresden

JOURNEYS

Theatre is one of the oldest utopia factories that exists, because its themes look at the world. In tragedy, it examines the constraints and contradictions of life and yet leaves a gap open for the hope that we can break out of the vicious circle. In comedy, wit and anger form an alliance against powerlessness and celebrate their happy ending – usually against reality. Theatre opens up spaces for the unfamiliar, the unknown, the unexpected, which can become an inspiration for the questions in our own lives. It journeys from the centre to the outskirts, takes detours, looks at the unlikely, moves from the particular to the universal and finds its poetic, critical, utopian and real potential on its way. Theatre imagines so we don’t stop moving. We hope you share our excitement about Fast Forward and its eight productions from Belgium, France, Estonia, Portugal, Serbia and Italy by an alert and versatile new generation of theatre-makers.

Joachim Klement
Artistic Director Staatsschauspiel Dresden

Charlotte Orti von Havranek
Curator Fast Forward

Artistic Director & Curator Charlotte Orti von Havranek Production Management Heli Meisterson Production Assistance Charlot Richter Technical Coordination Silman Graßelt, Pauline Malack, Stephanie SchneiderTechnical Management Peter Keune
Team Staatsschauspiel Bodo Garske, Jens Sweikowski (Head of Technical Department), Andreas Barkleit, William Sonntag (Head of Lighting & Video), Thomas Kohlert (Video), Manja Schreyer (Head of Sound), Frank Beate (Chief Carpenter), Ulrike Huste (Head of Wardrobe), Heike Jordan (Head of Props), Tatjana Richter (Head of Makeup), Birgit Kaltenhäuser (Ticket Management)
Team HELLERAU – European Centre for the Arts Michael Lotz, Charlotte Keck (Production Management), Hendryk Wenige (Head of Stage), Falk Dittrich (Head of Lighting), Till Seigfried (Head of Sound & Media Technology)
Team Labortheater & HfBK Ronald Scheurich (Management Labortheater), Lutz Hoffmann (Head of Internal Services & Construction)
Team robotron-Kantine Robert Thiele (Special Projects & Education), Peter Segor (Technical Manager Exhibitions)
Surtitles Panthea Deutsche Audiodeskription Katrin Breschke Greetings, show programme and supporting programme texts translated into English by Anna Galt Press & Public Relations Franziska Blech Graphic Design Andrea Dextor Documentation David Campesino Editing Performance Trailers Lilli Wiesner Photography Sebastian Hoppe Website www.fastforw.art 2022-24 Kristian Andresen

Special thanks go to all colleagues at Staatsschauspiel Dresden and at the partner venues who have made the festival happen.