FRATZ International 2026

Once again this year, FRATZ International and Offensive Tanz are collaborating to raise the profile of young dance for Berlin audiences and to exchange ideas with international industry professionals on artistic, aesthetic, and structural issues. This year’s FRATZ Festival, featuring theater and dance for the youngest audiences, will take place in Berlin from October 9 to 15, 2026.

The program includes, among others, BÄÄÄM—A Dance Performance for Deaf and Hearing Audiences (3+) by tanzfuchs PRODUKTION / Barbara Fuchs from Cologne, Germany; BOSQUE (Forest)—A dance performance for children (ages 2+) by Flores TeatroDanza / Teatro Al Vacío from Mexico, and The Sticky Dance*—For the Youngest (ages 3–5) by Second Hand Dance from the United Kingdom.

The dance performance Baobab by Cíntia Rangel & Theater o.N.—which has been nominated for the 2026 Ikarus Prize and is on the longlist for the 2027 AUGENBLICK MAL! Festival—will also be featured at the festival.

FRATZ also marks the kickoff for a series of new research projects commissioned by Offensive Tanz:

Offensive Tanz and FRATZ invite you to an informal exchange on intergenerational forms in dance for young audiences on Saturday, October 10. This event also serves as the kickoff for our first RESIDENCY in cooperation with FELD Theater for Young Audiences. Artists Lea Martini and Eva-Martina Günther will present their research project “a circle. almost round.” Interested parties are invited to join in a discussion of various formats and experiences with intergenerational work.

We are also launching the first ATELIER with the youngest participants, led by choreographer Renae Shadler and set designer Camille Lacadée. The ATELIER is a participatory experimental space that will take shape before and during the FRATZ Festival, where the two artists will engage in creative activities together with children from daycare centers. On Sunday, October 11, all industry professionals are invited to an ATELIER session designed specifically for this occasion. You can step into the role of the co-creating children and then exchange ideas with the artists.

In addition, together with ASSITEJ’s international Young Dance Network, we invite you to the Junge Tanzhaus Berlin on Monday evening (October 13) for a dynamic get-together and exchange.

Furthermore, the FRATZ Symposium will explore various aspects of accessibility. There will be a discussion with the artists from tanzfuchs about their work for Deaf and hearing audiences (October 10), as well as a discussion with the artists from Second Hand Dance about their work for neurodivergent audiences (October 11). See below for more information on accessibility at FRATZ International 2026.

Accreditation for industry professionals begins on July 15, and advance ticket sales for the performances start on July 31.

More infos: www.fratz-festival.de

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ACCESSIBILITY at FRATZ International 2026

Theater o.N. and FRATZ International have set themselves the goal of making the program more accessible with each festival edition. Offensive Tanz offers financial support for the accessibility of FRATZ International 2026. Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states the right of people with disabilities to equal participation in cultural life. As publicly funded organisations, we see it as our responsibility to actively contribute to the implementation of this right. We focus on designing our program so that as many people as possible feel welcome and can plan their attendance independently. This year, FRATZ's focus is on Deaf and neurodivergent audiences, and our joined efforts are tailored to these groups.

Contact

To inquire directly about the options, please contact the FRATZ team by email at ticket@fratz-festival.de or by cell phone at +49 (0)178 6876106. Messages can be left on voicemail, via text message, WhatsApp, or Signal.

Program options for Deaf* and hard of hearing audiences

Information in German Sign Language (DGS) will be available at the FRATZ website starting end of August.

In the 2026 festival edition, there are three productions that are accessible to Deaf and hard of hearing audiences. One of them was developed specifically for Deaf and hearing people.

BÄÄÄM – A dance performance for a Deaf and hearing audience (3+)
tanzfuchs PRODUKTION | Barbara Fuchs | Germany

ABC – A Painter’s Alphabet – A new circus performance (3+)
Kompani Giraff | Sweden

Shelter (Jaszak/Schutz) – A physical performance with live music (3+)
Simone de Jong Company | Netherlands

Introductions in German Sign Language will be provided for selected performance dates. These will be announced at the end of August. The performances themselves will take place without spoken language and without German Sign Language interpretation. We are currently holding back tickets for these performances.

As part of the symposium, there will be German Sign Language and German interpretation as needed and as resources permit. This includes, among others:

Feel the BÄÄÄM! Creating for a very young Deaf and hearing audience
A discussion with the production team of BÄÄÄM | tanzfuchs PRODUKTION / Barbara Fuchs

If you’re interested in participating in the symposium, please contact Kata Kovács | accrediation@fratz-festival.de | +49 (0)178 6876106   

*Spelling of “Deaf”: The spelling with a capital “D” refers to the cultural identity of many Deaf people and expresses their affiliation with the culture and language of Deaf communities. As part of the FRATZ Festival, we have chosen the wording Deaf and hard of hearing audiences to acknowledge the fact that we are not addressing a uniform and homogeneous group. It also highlights the diverse experience, identities, and circumstances of Deaf and hard of hearing people. For more information, visit the following link: Equity Variety Artistes' Federation

Programs for neurodivergent audiences

The 2026 edition of FRATZ festival presents a performance created specifically for neurodivergent children*.

The Sticky Dance – For Sensory Groovers (ages 3–7) & for the Youngest (ages 3–5)
Second Hand Dance | United Kingdom

The “Sensory Groovers” version on Saturday, October 10, is exclusively for neurodivergent children and their companions. When booking your tickets, please make sure you belong to the group in question. Audience capacity is very limited for this performance, and we want to ensure that the event reaches those for whom it is intended.

For all other performances, there are production descriptions available, describing the flow, the sensory stimuli, and the nature of the performance so you can decide for yourselves whether the show is suitable for your family.

Certain performance dates (to be announced at the end of August) are designated as Relaxed Performances. Everyone is especially invited to these dates, particularly those who feel more comfortable in an inclusive atmosphere.

*Neurodiversity—what is it? In short, everyone’s brain works differently. The term “neurotypical” means that a person’s brain functions like that of most other people. Neurotypical people develop skills - such as social or organizational abilities - at roughly the same rate as others their age. In contrast, the term “neurodivergent” describes someone whose brain processes information differently. For example, people on the autism spectrum and those with ADHD are described as “neurodivergent.” Neurodivergent individuals often have heightened sensory perception, a great deal of creativity, and strong visual processing abilities; as a result, they may need different things, such as low-stimulus environments, more quiet, or plenty of physical activity. (Source: @specialedition_studio via Instagram)

Programs for blind and partially sighted audiences

Unfortunately, the 2026 FRATZ festival edition does not include any programs specifically designed for blind and partially sighted children. We’d be happy to provide personalized advice on which programs might still be suitable for you.

Contact person: Dagmar Domrös via email at ticket@fratz-festival.de or by phone at +49 (0)178 6876106. Messages can be left on voicemail, via text message, WhatsApp, or Signal.

Texts in Leichte Sprache (easy-to-read German language)

FRATZ provides texts about the festival, attending the theater, and the individual plays in easy-to-read German language. You can find these texts at the FRATZ website summarized under the “Leichte Sprache” (Easy-to-Read Language) tab in the “Accessibility” section or on the individual pages for each production under the “Performances” tab.

The texts were created by Schriftgut | Marlene Seifert in collaboration with a review group of people with learning disabilities. www.schriftgut.info

Venue Accessibility

The FRATZ venues vary greatly in terms of accessibility. Under the “Venues” tab at FRATZ website, details regarding travel, parking, and the physical layout of the venues will be gradually compiled.

Up-to-Date and more detailed information you can find here, directly linking to the FRATZ website.

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Photo Credits:

(1) BÄÄÄM - (c) Peter Stephan Herff

(2) Bosque - (c) David Lopez

(3) The Sticky Dance - (c) Zoe Manders

(4) Baobab - (c) Douglas Pingituro