FREISCHWIMMEN.

Publication on 20 Years of FREISCHWIMMEN
Platform for Dance, Theatre and Performance in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

In the independent performing arts, it is perhaps emerging artists who most need spaces for artistic development, networking, building up trust, sustainable production structures, and gaining international visibility. Since its founding in 2004, FREISCHWIMMEN, as the platform for dance, theater, and performance in the German-speaking world, has made all of this possible across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland’s national borders.

Together with the artists of recent years, we have produced a publication for the 20th anniversary of FREISCHWIMMEN, which looks back on the development of the platform from a touring festival to a production platform and participating artists, groups and venues!

You can download it here.


20 years FREISCHWIMMEN – platform for performance and theater is about to end

The network FREISCHWIMMEN has not been selected for further funding 2024-2025 by the funding program „Verbindungen fördern!“ of the Federal Association of Independent Performing Arts (BFDK). Therefore, the joint production platform of 8 theaters from Germany, Austria and Switzerland is now facing the end after 20 years. Read our statement here.


FREISCHWIMMEN is an international exchange and production platform for young groups and artists* from theatre and performance. It is supported by brut Wien, FFT Düsseldorf, Gessnerallee Zürich, HochX München, LOFFT – DAS THEATER Leipzig, Schwankhalle Bremen, Sophiensæle Berlin, and Theater Rampe Stuttgart.

FREISCHWIMMEN offers residencies, workshop shows and guest performances and labs, which can be combined in different ways according to the needs of the artists and capacities of the theatres.

The modules are intended to enable young artists and groups to better network and establish themselves both locally and internationally. This is intended to create space for experiments, to liberate quickly produced pieces from the pressure of expectations, and to facilitate long-term development work on the part of the production houses.

The collaborating venues make individual decisions about the organisation of FREISCHWIMMEN festivals, curated by themselves, or the invitation of individual productions to already existing festivals and thematic focuses. A touring festival as in former years will not take place anymore.

For the round 2022 – 2023, the following artists were selected through an Open Call:

Alex Franz Zehetbauer (Vienna), Ceylan Öztrük (Zurich), Donya Ahmadifar (Stuttgart), Göksu Kunak (Berlin), Lulu Obermayer (Munich), Sterna | Pau (Düsseldorf), Studio Urbanistan (Leipzig), Yolanda Morales (Bremen)


Freischwimmen is being funded by the Federal Government Comissioner for Culture and the Media as part of the German Association of Independent Performing Arts’ programme »Verbindungen fördern«. Furthermore Freischwimmen is supported by Pro Helvetia, Swiss Arts Council.

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