Artistic Discoveries in European Schoolyards

TJG
Dresden | Germany

Founded in 1949 as „Theater für Kinder, Dresden, Deutsche Volksbühne“ the Theater Junge Generation (Theatre of Young Generation - TJG) is Germany's second oldest and one of the biggest Children and Youth Theatre.

Under its roof works an acting ensemble with 18 actors and actresses, four musicians and since 1997, after the fusion with the Puppentheater Dresden seven puppet players in the second section of the tjg, the puppet theatre.

In 1950 the theatre moved into the former ballroom „Constantia“ in the western part of the city, close the Elbe river banks. Right there the acting ensemble works and plays on three stages, one big hall and two studio stages. Those stages offer space for about 650 spectators. Performances of the Puppentheater take place in the city’s centre . The studio theatre in a cinema on Prager Straße comes along with a capicity of 100 seats.

In the repertoire of Theater Junge Generation one can find fairytales, classics, contemporary literature and since 2008 the so called „Theater für die Allerkleinsten“ (theatre for the very young), coming up with performances for children from 2 years of age. Every year about 90 000 visitors of different age find their way into one or more of the about 700 performances of 25 stagings plus about 25 premiers per season.

With the beginning of the season 2008/09 the Theatre Academy (Theaterakademie) was founded. It’s a conceptional development out of the department of theatre education at the tjg, created for new requirements regarding practical experience. A central aspect is intensified participation – the Theatre Academy is a modern offer to play for kids, teenagers and young adults – but most of all – to play WITH them, to let them become an active part in every stage of the creative process of an staging.

Since the beginning of the Nineties the Theater Junge Generation performs on several open air stages during summer time all over the city, ranging from a stage inside the city’s castle to a zoo stage and one in the park.

go to TJG Dresden