Schaubühne at Lehniner Platz

For many years, the Schaubühne has used its premises in Reinickendorf, centered around Auguste-Viktoria-Allee, primarily as rehearsal spaces. Despite this long-standing physical presence, there has been little interaction or networking with the surrounding community. Local child and youth services, civil society initiatives, and neighborhood stakeholders have not yet been involved in the use of the infrastructure. The site’s existing potential for cultural education and social cooperation has therefore remained largely untapped.

The “Berlin Ost/West” project was intended to fundamentally change this situation. The goal was to expand the existing physical infrastructure beyond mere rehearsals and, in collaboration with dramaturgy and theater education, to play an active role in Reinickendorf’s social landscape.

The focus was on a participatory theater production involving local youth. To this end, the rehearsal space was established as a community cultural hub close to home. The theater education team collaborated with youth organizations to develop initial introductory workshops right on site, while additional young people were recruited for the project through direct outreach to schools.

Under the thematic focus “35 Years Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall,” the young people collaborated with the dramaturgy and theater education teams to create their own play. The production was subsequently presented on the Studiobühne stage at Lehniner Platz. This gave rise to a new format of collaboration that combined artistic practice, social and spatial engagement, and educational process support.

Through this initiative, the departments of dramaturgy and theater education significantly strengthened their cross-departmental collaboration. Cultural education projects were given higher priority in the internal rehearsal space schedule and received professional support from the Studiobühne’s production management.

The young people’s regular presence in the rehearsal space also led to a new dynamic in their interactions: ensemble members and staff at the Schaubühne came into informal contact with the young participants, which noticeably broadened the theater’s outreach.

The work of theater education also became more visible within the organization. It was more closely integrated into additional cross-departmental meetings—such as those involving dramaturgy. Overall, this process has led to cultural education and community-based collaboration becoming integral parts of the Schaubühne’s institutional development.