INTHEGA Congress 2026

The strained financial situation facing local authorities and its consequences for the touring theatre sector were a key focus of the INTHEGA symposium held at the Stadthalle in Bielefeld on Wednesday. The event kicked off with a panel discussion. “The local government financial crisis is unprecedented. From our perspective, there is currently no solution in sight that would address the structural problems,” said Christina Stausberg, chief cultural adviser at the German Association of Cities. At the same time, she emphasised that culture is an important part of local public services. Kirsten Uttendorf, Artistic Director of the Landestheater Detmold, spoke of concerns regarding state funding, whilst noting that the situation at the state theatres remains stable for the time being: “Bookings are still going well at the moment because we have loyal and good venues in the local communities.” Nevertheless, there is cause for concern, as revealed by a short-term, non-representative survey of INTHEGA members. “Around half of our members are facing budget cuts and will no longer be able to maintain their programme in its current form in future,” said INTHEGA board member Stephan Czuratis. There was consensus among the panellists that only close cooperation between local authorities, regional governments, theatres and touring organisers can help to ensure the long-term provision of cultural services, even in times of tight public budgets.

In addition, the INTHEGA symposium addressed current issues in theatre practice. The programme included topics such as ‘Touring productions on social media’ and the pay scale classification of public-sector employees at theatres and performance venues. In workshops, participants also discussed possibilities for closer cooperation between the Volksbühnen in Germany and INTHEGA. It became clear that both sides see numerous shared interests and a wide range of areas for future collaboration.

What is INTHEGA?

INTHEGA (Interessengemeinschaft der Städte mit Theatergastspielen e. V.) is the trade association for the touring theatre sector, representing more than 400 local authorities in German-speaking countries. Its members include towns, municipalities, associations and other institutions responsible for municipal cultural programmes, which draw on the offerings of touring theatre producers for this purpose. The association aims to support the work of touring production organisers and thereby promotes high-calibre, high-quality cultural events, including in rural areas.