Call for Fast Forward – European Festival for Young Stage Directors 2023
What?
From 2 – 5 November 2023, the European festival for young directors Fast Forward will be taking place again at the Staatsschauspiel Dresden in Dresden, Germany. Until 16 April 2023 directors, companies or collectives who (resp. their directors) have not yet produced more than five productions in their professional career and/or after graduating can apply with a production.
The production that is submitted may have been created at a theatre or any other production site, or within the framework of studies at a theatre academy. It should have been produced according to professional production conditions. On the other hand, it is not mandatory that you have completed a theatre or directing degree. Please enclose your complete artistic CV in your application documents.
Fast Forward is considered as a platform for artistic exchange between a young theatre generation and the local and international audience, comprising all kind of theatre goers, students, instructors, critics, young and experienced theatre makers. The festival aims to foster young talents and to initiate artistic and cultural encounters. A core idea is to show the range of different artistic approaches, dramaturgies and forms of contemporary theatre making.
8 performances in 4 days Initiated by Artistic Director Joachim Klement and devised by Curator Barbara Engelhardt 2011 at Staatstheater Braunschweig, Fast Forward annually in November invites eight European theatre productions from mostly just as many countries – since 2017 at Staatsschauspiel Dresden. With the concept of an intense 4-days-marathon the festival points out attitudes and questions of today’s young generation as part of an ongoing discussion about theatre today and in the future.
Sustainable promotion of emerging artists With the awarding of the Festival Prize, an international jury of experts, newly composed each year, invites one of the young directors/teams to work on a new production at the Staatsschauspiel Dresden. The festival visitors give their votes with the Audience Award. Since 2022, Fast Forward also has a Young Jury, which as well chooses its award.
Each year, the supporting programme connects students from different European theatre academies, young artists and teachers in a different way. The concept for 2023 has not yet been defined. If you are lecturer at a university or student interested in attending the festival in Dresden in the frame of your studies, please get in touch with fastforward@staatsschauspiel-dresden.de indicating a responsible contact person.
How to apply?
The festival is looking for full-length productions that have either been produced as part of a directing or theatre degree course or have been developed and performed at a theatre or other production venue as the 1st to a maximum of 5th realised by the director*s in a professional framework. Within the limits of its financial possibilities the festival will cover the costs of the guest performance, i.e. fees, transport, travel and accommodation costs, surtitles, royalties, etc.
Application papers
Please send your application in the form you prefer, including a synopsis, concept paper or project description, team & cast, technical rider (only if already available), CV of the director*s, if possible current performance dates and a complete recording of the show via video link (if possible not larger than 3.9 GB) to: charlotte.orti@staatsschauspiel-dresden.de
The application deadline is 16 April 2023.
You can also inform us by this deadline about productions that will premiere or be performed after 16 April and until July 2023 at the latest.
To the people in charge at the universities, production houses & in independent structures: Please forward this call to your students and graduates and to other artists who meet the criteria and might be interested in applying. Please support Fast Forward with information about details and performance dates of your students’ and graduates’ works or include us in your newsletter with the address: fastforward@staatsschauspiel-dresden.de – Thank you very much!
If you have any further questions about the festival or how to apply, write to: charlotte.orti@staatsschauspiel-dresden.de
