In order to offer our public more insight into the pandemic-appropriate special edition of the Theaterformen Festival “A Sea Of Islands”, we have compiled the most frequently asked questions here.

How can viewers access the festival?

This year, viewers can access the festival in three different ways: 1. You can buy a ticket to visit an installation in Braunschweig (formats “Installation”) from the Staatstheater Braunschweig ticket shop. 2. You can order letters from the artists to be sent to your home by sending an email via the festival website. 3. You can visit our website between 2 and 12 July 2020 and see what we are running online. The content is free to access, and there is no need to register.  

Which events do I need to buy tickets for?

You need a ticket for five of the six installations that are running in Braunschweig: Thirst, Cattivo, A Thousand Ways, Wanaset Yodit and Los Sobrevidentes. In addition, a ticket is required for the home version of Wanaset Yodit, as you will need to be allocated a particular time slot. Please note: The box office at Staatstheater Braunschweig is closed. Even on performance days, there is no box office at the different venues. Tickets must be purchased beforehand in the online ticket shop or by calling the box office at +49 531 1234 567.

Do I need to register on the website to be able to watch the artists’ online contributions?

No, you don’t. You can watch the online contributions from 2 July 2020 for free and without needing to register.  

Which languages are being used in the festival?

The installations and the artists’ online contributions are in the original language with subtitles in German and English. The live online discussions in the series THE ONE THING THAT HELPED are partly in German and partly in English (without subtitles).

What are “artistic online contributions”?

We have left it up to the invited artists to decide which format and medium they would like to use for either adapting their existing theatrical productions or creating entirely new works. Among the online contributions, you will find videos, texts and audio plays – but no filmed theatre. Our aim is to present online only art that has been conceived for this medium in the current situation.  

Is it true that there is no theatre this year?

That’s right, there’s no theatre this year. This is because, one the one hand, we are abiding by the hygiene restrictions (audience gatherings are not allowed), and, on the other, most of the artists are not able to travel here.

How will you avoid the risk of infection at the installations?

The installations will function like an exhibition in a museum. It will be compulsory to wear mouth and nose protection while you are visiting the installations. Information signs will explain the applicable distancing and hygiene rules. Only a few visitors will be admitted within a particular time slot, based on the size of the room. The installations will involve no speaking or singing by actors – only objects, videos, etc. The contact details of some of the visitors within a time slot will be recorded in order to re-trace chains of infection. All rooms will be aired regularly and all surfaces disinfected. 

Why should I buy only one ticket for a particular slot for A THOUSAND WAYS, and not two?

The interactive installation A THOUSAND WAYS is based on you meeting a person you do not know – behind a pane of Plexiglas. So, if you buy two tickets for the same slot, i.e. for the same time, and go with someone you know, you will “meet” this person you already know. That is why you should only buy one ticket for a particular slot! You can buy a ticket for a different time slot for your companion, and then you will both experience the installation in the way it was intended.

How will the online discussion series THE ONE THING THAT HELPED work?

For the live online discussions with the artists, you need to register in advance at talks@theaterformen.de. You will receive the list of Zoom links for all the discussions, and you can log in on the respective evening via the relevant link. You can put your own questions to the artists directly in a discussion with them via the chat function.  

Can’t you just stream these discussions on the website?  

Professional streaming of live discussions between different continents would require a lot of investment in terms of technical equipment and personnel. We did not feel we could justify this level of investment in the brief online discussions that constitute the supporting programme for the festival. The now well-established video platform Zoom offers all the functions we require.   

Did you come up with the title A SEA OF ISLANDS yourselves?

A SEA OF ISLANDS is a term coined by the Fijian author and professor of anthropology Epeli Hau’ofa in his book We are the Ocean. Selected Works (University of Hawai’i Press 2008).     

Why are there no discounted tickets / professional rates this year?

Due to the hygiene restrictions, we are selling far fewer tickets for the special edition of the Theaterformen Festival than we usually do. Moreover, we are selling them at a reduced price, as many of the installations have individual set duration times for viewing, so we would not wish to charge as much for these as for a full evening’s theatrical performance. Most of the full-price tickets this year therefore fall somewhere within the price segment for the discounted tickets and professional rates set in previous years.

If you have any further questions, please contact us at welcome@theaterformen.de