The Belgrade Theatre is partnering with Junges Theatre from Werftpark, Kiel this November in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the twinning of Coventry with the German city of Kiel.
On Thurs 9 & Fri 10 Nov, Junges Theatre will perform their show Lost & Found in the Belgrade’s B2 auditorium. This short play, aimed at ages 5+, explores the tools of communication, language and friendship and will be performed for speakers of either English or German.
Astrid Grossgasteiger, Director of Lost & Found said, “As a token of our long lasting friendship we are very excited to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the twinning of Coventry and Kiel with a vividly artistic, cultural and educational exchange for young audiences. Especially with Lost & Found which has a story based on the playfulness of language, the tiny misunderstandings of words and about organising your world within your own system. This invariably leads to children exercising their imaginations leading to new discoveries and finding greater meaning.”
She added, “We hope that our performances bring people together overcoming language barriers and their hesitations to connect to one other and we especially look forward to deepening our understanding of communication and strengthening our cultural exchange by sharing a good time with our audience.”
Astrid Grossgasteiger is also Head of Young Theatre at the Shipyard Park in Kiel and has been responsible for more than 20 productions as a director, including children's classics such as The Little Prince and The Jungle Book and also her own texts.
Kiel has been partnered with Coventry since 1947, following the Second World War when, like Coventry, it was heavily bombed. Mr Williams, a serviceman from Coventry who was based in Kiel during the rebuilding process proposed a friendship link to the city authorities and they have been twinned ever since.
Like the Belgrade Theatre, Junges Theatre Werftpark shares a commitment to producing educational work for children and young people. Each season, the theater in the Werft Park plays around 12 different pieces for the different age groups from kindergarten through elementary school to adolescence and adulthood.
The Belgrade is also known as a pioneer of the ground-breaking Theatre-in-Education movement, which has been adopted by theatre practitioners across the world.