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.