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.
festival team
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.