‘Happening between May 8 and 15, Bright View is one of the longest festivals in Europe, and its programming includes artists talks, work meetings, workshops and other professional programmes aimed at fostering Artistic development and cultural exchange. Though designated as a theatre for young audience, there is something for everyone – children, young, adults’
GERMANY remains one of the leading lights in the world of theatre for young audiences. As far back as 1976, it has staged an annual international artistic engagement known as Directors in TYA International Seminar.
Given this rich theatre culture, there are probably hundreds of performing arts Festival scattered across Germany, one of such, us the 10 years old Biennial children Theatre Festival, Bright View otherwise known in German as the Schöne Aussicht.
I was a participant in the last physical edition back in June 2019, hosted by Assitej Germany and other partners.
It is the 13th edition of the festival overall, but the 10th since the Junges Ensemble Stuttgart (JES) assumed ownership of the festival, which is partly funded by the City of Stuttgart.
Following two years of global health challenge, occasioned by the outbreak of the Covid-19, which forced the last edition to be postponed by a year, before it eventually held virtually, the festival, one of the most sought after in Germany and around Europe returned in 2022 with a bang, with a rich programming that includes an assemblage of 11 invited performances/companies from Europe and Africa.
The week-long Festival opened on Sunday May 8, with a small ceremony held inside the JES Teater Saal, with the Mayor of the City of Stuttgart, Dr. Frank Nopper and the State Secretary in the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts from the Federal State of Baden-Wüttemberg in attendance.
But the real opening, to most participants, international guests and Stuttgart residents would be the magical participatory show delivered by Belgian producer-director, September Baeyens, known for his obsession with abstract shows, laced with sound, music and movement.
Birds was the perfect choice of an opening show for the festival. September reinforces the therapeutic power of the theatre, letting out of the cage, the City of Stuttgart and her theatre lovers. Performed in an open space, at the Markt Platz, the show soon attracted not only its own audience, passersby began to congregate within the first five minutes of the show. It was simply magical.
As the show suggests, freedom is in the air, like a caged bird set free after a long imprisonment, artists and audiences, locally and internationally can now converge once again, to do what they best do — Theatre.
In the context of promoting young talents and creating a platform for cultural exchange, 10 young theatre makers from Spain, Mexico, Ukraine, Nigeria, Germany and others from around the globe, tagged ‘New Generation.’ And like the Artistic Director said in her welcome speech, “this is the first time this is happening at the Bright View and is going to be a permanent feature of our programming, as we set our focus on the future, which these young artists represent”.
She added: “we are looking forward also to the ‘Festival Philosophers’ – a congregation of ten young persons around the ages of 10 and 16, from Stuttgart and the surrounding areas, who will attend performances, and then give feedback in a playful to their groups, as we help develop their own idea of Theatre for young audiences”.
Happening between May 8 and 15, Bright View is one of the longest festivals in Europe, and its programming includes artists talks, work meetings, workshops and other professional programmes aimed at fostering Artistic development and cultural exchange. Though designated as a theatre for young audience, there is something for everyone – children, young, adults.
