Theater im Depot is part of the Network of Independent Theatres (NFT).
The Theater im Depot is part of the Network of Independent Theatres (NFT) and expands the alliance to include one of the largest independent production houses in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The Network of Independent Theatres is a nationwide association of independent theatres and production houses that organises the exchange of art, knowledge and experience between the network theatres and beyond. The NFT has been active in nine federal states to date – Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Hesse, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria – and with the Theater im Depot, an important production house in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous federal state, is now joining the network. Jens Heitjohann has been the artistic director of the Dortmund theatre since 2022.
For the NFT, the inclusion of Theater im Depot is an important step towards further strengthening its network and developing it sustainably, even in times of increasing cuts in the cultural sector. With Theater im Depot, we are gaining a strong partner with a sophisticated and diverse programme ranging from theatre, performance and dance to interdisciplinary formats. The theatre's digital projects, especially in the field of virtual and augmented reality, also represent a special expertise that is unique in the network in this form.
The board and management on working with their colleagues at Theater im Depot:
‘We are delighted to welcome Theater im Depot to NFT, a production house whose extremely exciting programme fits perfectly into our network. In particular, the theatre's strong network in North Rhine-Westphalia and its focus on digitality represent a valuable addition to our network.’ (Maximilian Grafe, Co-Managing Director of NFT)
Jens Heitjohann, artistic director of Theater im Depot, sees NFT as a solidarity alliance for art and exchange:
"Especially in the current times, we believe that we need networks and alliances for exchange, encounter and discourse more than ever, and in this sense we are extremely pleased to be accepted into the Network of Independent Theatres. Direct and comprehensive exchange with theatres in other regions of Germany connects local cultural and socio-political micro-situations in which we can exchange ideas, show solidarity and support each other. ‘Dance – Theatre – Performance – Laboratory – Encounter’ has been our motto since 2022, and we are convinced that this motto will grow in diversity, exciting topics and artistic positions with and through the upcoming intensive exchange between the participating network theatres and, in particular, the artists. We are particularly pleased to contribute our developing expertise in the field of digital media, arts and performance to the network, because the artistic engagement with and reflection on technological developments is an increasingly important field of social debate." (Jens Heitjohann, Artistic Director, Theater im Depot)
Through their membership in the NFT, the network theatres strengthen their respective local scenes and promote supra-regional, nationwide exchange: in our programme lines, we promote and support artistic research and production. Together with our network theatres, we realise co-productions and promote guest performances. With the FREIRAUM Residency, we enable artists and groups to conduct open-ended research without the pressure of a premiere. Within the framework of the Pop-Up Academies, knowledge transfer and exchange among employees in the network is promoted through qualifying further training courses.
○Network theatre
The supraregional alliance work of Theater im Depot is made possible within the framework of the programme »Verbindungen fördern« des Bundesverbands Freie Darstellende Künste, funded by the Beauftragten der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien.
