Foto: Dieter Hartwig

Outreach Format for Young Audiences

Our outreach formats are intended for children from the age of 5, young people and educators. Pupils have the opportunity to participate directly in the development of dance productions in various formats, to attend performances and to gain a wide range of experiences beyond the act of watching a show by attending pre- or post-performance workshops and discussion formats.

 

Participation in the Development of a Piece — Regular Meetings with Artists

A special feature of explore dance is that school children, day care and kindergarten groups have the opportunity to accompany the development of a piece. Children and artists meet in different formats and at regular intervals. The participating children are involved in the artistic processes, from finding a topic to the actual performance. Thanks to the intensive and continuous accompaniment of a production and the examination of its topics, the children and young people have a chance to get to know artistic methods of working and to slip into the role of young dramaturges.

These formats are an opportunity for the artistic team to immerse themselves in the everyday realities of their young audiences and thus gain a better understanding of their perspectives, thoughts and concerns. The formats support them in finding topics and in generating movement material.

 

Warm up | Meet & Greet – The Children Welcome the Artists to their School

In a preliminary first visit to the school, the artists spend some time observing class and getting to know the students over the course of a school day. This allows the artists to gain a first impression of the learning environment and everyday school life of the children involved in the project and provides an opportunity for them introduce themselves and the idea of their piece. Physical exercises and movement games will also enable both sides to get to know each other on a non-verbal level.

 

Rehearsal Visit with Feedback Session — The Children Come to the Theatre

By visiting rehearsals in the theatre or the studio, the children meet the artists in an extracurricular space. They are invited to watch rehearsals or individual scenes of the production and then talk about them with the artistic team. They experience the work of dancers as a professional profession and get to know the theatre business better. Through direct feedback, they contribute their own impulses to the process.

 

Movement Workshop

Artists share their working methods by suggesting physical and dance exercises as well as movement tasks. In doing so, they give the children the opportunity to immerse themselves physically in the piece.

 

Production-Specific Outreach Formats for Young Spectators

In pre- and post-performance workshops, young spectators who will or have already experienced the performance immerse themselves more intensively in the piece and its contents – through words and | or movements.

 

Introduction to the Piece

In spoken or physical introductions to the performances, the audience is prepared for the artistic work in a sensual or informative way. These formats focus on the creation, the contents or the context of the production.

 

Post-Performance Talks

In discussion formats, young spectators and artists exchange ideas about what they have experienced. Questions, ideas and images associated with the piece during the performance can be verbalised and expressed. In the case of children and young people, small groups are particularly suited to creating an intimate atmosphere and integrating as many participants as possible in the conversations and allowing them to have their say.