HoheLuftschiff Kindertheater, Hamburg (DE), is opening the call for the fifth edition of WIR WOLLEN SPIELEN!, its international theatre festival for the very youngest audiences, ages 2 and up. Since 2022 the festival has presented contemporary work that is bold, curious, and playful, productions that seek out the new and want to play with it.
A special focus lies on forward-looking, interdisciplinary work that doesn’t always stick to categories but charts new paths instead. Past editions have moved fluidly between theatre, dance, performance, clowning, circus, object theatre, drag, radio ballet, visual art, music, and puppetry. Showing just how diverse, poetic, bold, playful, and imaginative children’s theatre can be.
Target audience: The festival is mainly looking for productions for children aged 2–10, primarily kindergarten-age audiences. Productions exclusively for school-age children 7+ unfortunately do not fit the festival’s target audience.
Location: The festival takes place aboard the HoheLuftschiff Kindertheater in Hamburg and outdoors. As a ship, the stage space is limited, so applicants are asked to check which performance space could work for their piece:
- Indoor: theatre stage, 5 x 5 m, audience seated frontally
- Indoor: atrium in the auditorium, audience seated on three sides
- Outdoor: with or without the festival’s mobile stage as a backdrop
Time: The festival is planned for June 2027 in Hamburg. The open call closes on 30 September 2026.
How to apply: Interested companies should send a viewing link, information about the piece and a few words about themselves, a rough estimate of fee and travel costs and number of people traveling, which performance space would suit the piece, information on accessibility and inclusion, and the recommended age range for the piece – all together to festival@hoheluftschiff.de.
Submissions will be reviewed in September 2026 – applicants are asked to keep any links valid until then. Companies will hear back in October 2026. Please note that funding for the festival is not yet secured, though the team is optimistic.
Kontakt: festival@
Website: https://
Festival Impressions 2026: https://www.instagram.
