Taught children culture is tremendously important. Books, art, theatre - all of these should be made easily accessible to children and young people, especially in a city like Frankfurt. In this respect, the following news sounds very positive: in its second meeting after the summer break, the Frankfurt City Council decided that the city will get a children's and youth theatre in the Zoogesellschaftshaus. At a press conference, Ina Hartwig, Head of the Department of Culture, announced the good news: "This is a milestone for Frankfurt's cultural future. With this, the Römer coalition fulfills a central promise: a long-held wish for the cultural education of the coming generations of our city becomes reality."
The inclusion in the coalition agreement and the subsequent test order of the city council to investigate the Zoogesellschaftshaus, which is in need of renovation anyway, as a location for the theater, led to the magistrate's decision. "The need for an independent children's and youth theatre has been formulated for many years by large sections of the city's cultural public and the independent scene. The new theatre is to be an open house for all children and young people, in which contemporary performing arts can be experienced," says Ina Hartwig. The final decision of the city parliament on the proposal of the magistrate is expected in the next few months.
The children and youth theater is not only part of the coalition agreement of the Römerkoalition, but also a first step towards the further development of the zoo area as a whole. In the spring, Head of the Department of Culture Hartwig had outlined her overall vision for the further development of the area, which, in addition to the renovation of the zoo facilities, also includes the proposal for a new center for global species conservation at the east entrance of the zoo.
"With this decision, we are also tackling the long-planned renovation of the 1876 Zoo Society House, which is a landmark of our city. As a home for the new children's and youth theatre and offerings of the Zoological Garden, it will become a place of identification with cross-generational appeal, because a good children's and youth theatre is always a theatre for the whole family. In addition to the zoo with the Zoological Society, another important educational institution is being created here, which will increase the attractiveness of our city for families and schools from Frankfurt and the surrounding area," says Nils Kößler, who took part on behalf of steering committee member Thomas Dürbeck.
"With the decision for a children's and youth theatre, we are finally closing a long-standing gap in children's and youth culture in Frankfurt. With interactive offers and theatre workshops we provide education and social participation. In this way, we also want to reach the many children and young people to whom access to theatre and the performing arts has so far remained closed," said Renate Wolter-Brandecker, a member of the steering committee.
"The independent children's and youth theatre must become an open house. A place where young people themselves can develop creatively, they themselves can become part of the productive-artistic process of a theatre. To create illusions themselves and at the same time learn to see through them is conceptually central for us. In the digital age, analogue spaces, indeed the magic of the theatre space, are perhaps more important than ever," said Sebastian Popp, a member of the steering committee.
"Zoogesellschaftshaus as a cultural venue permanently secured"
That the whole thing is not likely to be cheap, will be clear to everyone. And so it comes as little surprise that it is currently assumed that the already urgently needed renovation of the zoo society house would cost 35 to 38 million euros in any case. The installation of the children's and youth theatre would cost an additional 13 to 14 million euros. In total, construction costs of 48 to 52 million euros could be incurred. An investment that will be absolutely worthwhile, at least for the young people of Frankfurt.
"The Zoogesellschaftshaus is ideally suited for a children's and youth theatre: the central location, the accessibility and the representative character of the building are optimal. The public character of the building will be reclaimed and permanently secured as a cultural venue," says Hartwig. "Especially with the help of the performing arts, young and youngest people can creatively process their own experiences. By exploring their own talents and sensibilities in interaction with others and under professional guidance, they have the chance to find their place in the world. Systematic engagement with theatre, theatre education projects and related forms of artistic expression can help every child and young person to develop self-confidence, communication skills, integration and a differentiated view of their environment," explains the head of culture. , explains the head of culture.
Multifunctional theater house in the east of the city
.Preliminary studies of the Zoo Society House revealed that the need for multi-functionality and the requirements of a contemporary theatre designed to provide opportunities for participation by children and young people necessitated a modification of the existing floor and room layouts. For a mass study, both the artistic and the technical framework conditions were considered. The result shows that both sufficient space for a children's and youth theatre and the future space requirements of the zoo administration can be accommodated in the building together. The planning also took into account the evaluation of the previous offerings of the independent scene, the orientation towards various comparable theatres in other cities and the expected demographic development in Frankfurt.
Crucial for the artistic profile of the house is the possibility to develop and show own productions. This also applies to co-productions and guest performances with other theatres, for example with the local independent scene and on a national and international level. It should be possible to offer productions in the performing arts that go beyond spoken language. Musically influenced theatre, dance and performance for children and young people should be promoted there. The requirements for the house and the existing stages are therefore above all a high degree of multifunctionality. Play areas are planned that allow for different spatial and stage situations and provide access for all. There should be wooden floors that make dance possible, appropriate technical equipment, sensible access to the stages for technical equipment and routes to the dressing rooms for make-up and artists, for example. Different audience situations will be made possible by mobile audience podiums. In the sense of far-reaching participation and interaction, mediating offers in theatre education as well as offers in play clubs are also important. For this, workshop rooms, rehearsal possibilities and stage areas for presentation are needed.
A lot of space for creativity
From these basic specifications, space requirements were derived and transferred to the Zoogesellschaftshaus. In the process, the wish of the preservation of historical monuments was taken into account to preserve the basic structure of the large hall. This is divided into two stage rooms that can be used individually, a larger one with up to 350 spectators and a smaller one with up to 160 spectators, which can also be combined into one large hall for up to 500 people by means of flexible walls. Another stage space located in the building will be the Fritz-Rémond hall on the upper floor with up to 120 seats. The Balkonsaal will be available for rehearsal work and participatory forms, and there will be two workshop rooms in the basement. Workshop rooms, offices and rooms for artistic and technical operations as well as storage areas are planned. On this basis, a space requirement of around 4000 square metres of pure usable space was derived; this space requirement can be mapped in the Zoogesellschaftshaus. In addition, the future space requirements of the zoo with about 1500 square meters of usable space, the zoo school with 500 square meters, a smaller catering area of 50 and an exhibition area for zoo and ZGF with 300 square meters can be realized there.
