Through various programs and projects, you can experience active theater performance yourself, engage creatively with content through artistic exploration, or become a direct part of the season’s lineup in different projects.

 INTRODUCTION TO ALL THE PROJECTS YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN 

In the 25/26 season, there are numerous diverse projects for everyone who enjoys acting or wants to try it out. On this evening, our theater education department will provide key information about the projects and participation, and answer any questions. Topics include:

  • Stage production HUNDERT for people aged 20–60
  • City project MÜLHEIM VON ALLEN SEITEN, for people 18 and older (training to become a neighborhood tour guide)
  • Stage production THAT NIGHT FOLLOWS DAY for children aged 8–14
  • Youth club POLYLUX with DOWNTOWN PARADISE
  • THEATER LABS
  • Open workshops and other projects

Tue, Sept 16, 2025 | 6:00 PM | Duration: 1h 30min | Glockengasse at Offenbachplatz | Free entry, ticket required

 

A choir of children aged 8 to 14 becomes the main protagonist. They invert adults’ statements, reject them, and reformulate them. Selection workshops will take place in October and November 2025.

 APPLY HERE 

 

Seventeen people between six and one hundred years old from Cologne’s community come together for a theater evening that inspires conversations across generations.

Interested in joining?

 OPEN CALL 

 

The jingle of the tram at Neumarkt. The smell of currywurst and nail salons. Shopping, sightseeing, selfies. Cologne’s city center full of expectations and contradictions: How you dress. How you speak. How you move. Who belongs here.

Sleeping spots under awnings. A glance that goes unanswered. Alleys that are avoided. How do we navigate public spaces that aren’t equally open to everyone? What gets overlooked—and what happens when we take a closer look? What stories are hidden in a place where so many people pass by, linger, live, or are pushed out every day?

Inspired by the production DAS LEIDEN ANDERE BETRACHTEN (Observing the Suffering of Others), we will develop a piece together in Cologne’s city center. The public space becomes the stage.

Each year, the youth club Polylux forms a new group and this year it’s open to people aged 14 to 27. Together, we attend and create theater pieces, discovering new perspectives.

No prior experience necessary, and participation is free of charge.

Kickoff: October 15–17, 11 AM–4 PM, then every Wednesday 5–7:30 PM at Glockengasse 37 (in the city center)

Premiere: April 4, 2026

 APPLY HERE 

 

The new Theater Labs offer opportunities for active theater participation to everyone from the city community. Inspired by productions from the season’s lineup, participants can gain their own stage experience in multi-part projects under professional guidance, experiment, form an ensemble, and explore creatively—completely free from production pressure. Ideal for beginners or those looking to expand their theater skills.

 IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE 

A four-part participatory theater lab based on IMAGINE, including a performance visit.

Inspired by the opening premiere IMAGINE, we invite you to explore the theme of peace through theatrical research, experimentation, and reimagining artistic elements. Over four sessions, including a performance visit, we will examine various forms of expression, put them into motion, and combine them in new ways. What does it mean to create scenes without words? How can installation art and theater open new spaces for thinking and acting? What is the connection between art and peacebuilding?

For: All peace enthusiasts aged 14 and up who enjoy theater without many words.

Schedule:
Tue, Sept 30, 2025 | 6:00 – 8:30 PM | Glockengasse
Sun, Oct 5, 2025 | 5:00 PM (including performance visit) | Depot
Tue, Oct 7, 2025 and Tue, Oct 14, 2025 | 6:00 – 8:30 PM | Glockengasse

Leaders: Dana Khamis and Nina Mackenthun

If you want it more formal, casual, or simplified, just let me know!

 APPLY HERE 

 BLAUE STUNDEN AM RHEIN  

Theater lab based on the production DAT WASSER VUN KÖLLE ES JOT

What forgotten stories does the Rhine hold? On the occasion of RHEINGOLD (opera) and DAT WASSER VUN KÖLLE ES JOT (play), we are creating a musical performance together with people living with dementia and you, taking place in the Industriehof. For everyone aged 16 and up.

First of eight sessions: November 6, 2025

 APPLY HERE 

 FAMILIENRAT IM GROSSFORMAT 

Theater lab based on the production THAT NIGHT FOLLOWS DAY

“As long as you put your feet under my table, my rules apply!” In this theater lab, children and parents switch roles. In spoken choruses, the generations express demands and expectations toward each other. Who will prevail? For all parents and children.

First of four sessions: April 21, 2026

 APPLY HERE 

 

For all the curious who want more hands-on experience: The stage is yours! In open, one-time workshops, you can try out theater acting for yourself. Each session is new and different, held in a safe environment, lasting 2.5 hours, and tailored to current productions from the season’s lineup. No prior experience required.

 DIE DETEKTEI – An Open Writing Workshop 
How does a story come to life? And what power do facts hold in times of disinformation and populism? In collaboration with the new “Theater and Journalism” department at Schauspiel Köln and Salon5 from CORRECTIV, we open our foyer as a creative writing workshop for everyone.

Starting winter 25/26