More than 200 performances over three days: the 29th International Street Theatre Festival "ViaThea" in Görlitz offers a dense cross-border program from Thursday. Around 25 groups, ensembles and individual actors from twelve countries will bring around 30 performance venues to life until Saturday, including three in the neighbouring Polish town of Zgorzelec, as announced by the Gerhart-Hauptmann-Theater as the organizer.
The festival traditionally begins with a cultural picnic in the city park. In addition to various streets and squares in the old town, two shopping centers and the hospital in Görlitz will also be featured. On Sunday, some artists will move on to Bad Muskau to perform in Fürst Pückler Park.
Every year, tens of thousands of people attend the theater festival, which was first held in the town on the Neisse in 1995. All performances are free of charge for spectators.
The audience is directly involved
According to project manager Christiane Hoffmann, a six-figure budget is available for "ViaThea" in Görlitz. Around half of the budget comes from donations, sponsors and own income. The program combines all types of art in public spaces. This also includes installations and interactive formats in which the audience is directly involved.
This year, for example, there will be a sewing machine performance entitled "Margaretes Schneiderei". Visitors are expressly invited to hand in used items of clothing to be given away, embellished and recycled.
According to Hoffmann, the festival, which is recognized throughout Europe, is well known in the scene. Every year, "many, many applications" are received from artists and groups from Germany and abroad who want to perform in Görlitz.
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