Ruhrtriennale

The Ruhrtriennale is a diverse and international festival that focuses on the areas of music theater, drama, dance, performance, music, and visual arts. Since its founding in 2002, the festival has taken place annually in August and September in the Ruhr area, with a changing artistic direction every three years.

• Cross-Disciplinary Productions: The Ruhrtriennale presents a wide range of artistic productions, often including world premieres and new interpretations. These productions connect music theater, drama, and dance with current developments in visual arts, classical music, and pop music[1][4].
• Historical Venues: The festival events take place in listed industrial monuments of the region, such as the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum, which originally served as a gas power plant and now functions as a "Montage Hall for Art"[1][3].
• International Co-Productions: Many of the festival productions are the result of international co-productions and are shown at international festivals and partner theaters after their premieres in the Ruhr area[2].

The Ruhrtriennale aims to be an innovative and flexible event organization that is not tied to a specific venue. It promotes the connection of international excellence with local impact and creates a dialogue space between international and local artists and communities[1].

Sustainability is a central concern of the Ruhrtriennale. Here are some of the key initiatives:

• Ecological Sustainability: The Ruhrtriennale focuses on the use of green electricity, the expansion of charging infrastructure for electric and hybrid vehicles, and the reduction of single-use plastics by utilizing tap water[2].
• Artistic and Ecological Sustainability: Through close collaboration with national and international partner organizations, the Ruhrtriennale ensures the use of its productions beyond the festival period, thereby promoting ecological, financial, and artistic sustainability[2].
• Sustainability Strategy and Management: The Ruhrtriennale has developed a sustainability strategy and created the position of a sustainability manager to systematically and strategically anchor sustainability in the organization[2].

In 2024, the Ruhrtriennale will present a diverse program under the artistic direction of Ivo Van Hove, ranging from rock and pop music theater to immersive music theater installations and slapstick operetta musicals. With 33 productions and 138 events in Bochum, Duisburg, and Essen, the festival will appeal to a wide audience and bring together international artists from 37 countries[4].

Thus, the Ruhrtriennale is not only a cultural highlight but also a pioneer in sustainability and artistic innovation in the Ruhr area.

• 1 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruhrtriennale
• 2 - https://www.ruhrtriennale.de/de/nachhaltigkeit
• 3 - https://www.ruhrtriennale.de/de/spielorte/jahrhunderthalle-bochum/1
• 4 - https://www.landschaftspark.de/aktuelles/ruhrtriennale-veroffentlicht-programm/
• 5 - https://www.ruhrtriennale.de/de/ueber-die-ruhrtriennale