Lokstoff!, Germany

We work as an open and dedicated group. Our themes circulate about the problems and challenges of an urban society, who is living with the risk, that the people get more and more abandoned from themselves, their work and the public space. LOKSTOFF! doesn't only play in and for the public space, but also about it. We broach the issue of the public space in its political, cultural and urban dimension, to sensitize the spectators for the actual problems and to invite them to think about it. LOKSTOFF! considers itself as a social engaged theatre, which sticks up for the protection and stabilization for the public space.

We search for concrete places, which reflect the actual, urban every day life, where architecture and infrastructure bundle up life and where people get together. The places grow stronger by the performance. Reality, fiction and interaction intertwine. The place with its people influence the performance, it is the impetus. The perception of the public space changes for the spectators, a well as for the passersby. Normaly, we use the places for our performances as they are. We don't build scenery and we don't use additional light.

The rehearsals and performances in the public space draw also attention to people, who go to theatre rarely. Passersby often come back as spectators. Especially young people are attracted by the unusual places and the direct action. Our aim is to play productions as long as possible, so that they exist as reality in the city.

Since 2003 we have realized 20 productions and have reached about 140.000 spectators.

2010 we started our international work. Since then, we have a cooperation with the theatre "Altidan Sonra" from Istanbul.

2004 we started our theatre work with young people and people with disabilities. We designed performances and artistic concepts for blind people. From 2008 to 2010 we worked in the field of theater education for the projects "Komet" and "In the streets". 2012 we initiated our intercultural commitment to integration and mutual understanding with the project „Revolutionskinder“, for which we received the Stuttgart Citizens Award in the field of culture.

Building on this, in 2014 we launched a cultural language course "Language makes strong" for young refugees, which is accompanied by Stuttgart artists and which is about practical language learning in everyday situations.

In October 2015, we premiered with "Pass.Worte” in a specially converted shipping container. The play is based on the true events of the escape of one of the students of our language course and is intended to remind us that behind every fate of escape there is an individual story and a name. It is very important to us that we can offer this production to schools in Stuttgart and its surroundings free of charge. Since our beginning, we have already had over 12,000 pupils in our container. For "Pass.Worte" we received the 1st Prize "Innovative Theater Projects with Refugees" from the Federal Association for Theater Education in Berlin.

Since February 2018 we work together with our youth ensemble on the performance #ichsehedich. A performance about tolerance, understanding and accommodation in public space for people with disabilities.

Website