THIS IS JES!
Junges Ensemble Stuttgart!
The theatre for young audiences in Stuttgart.
Theatre and dance theatre productions that deal with the reality of our lives, question these realities and encourage the formation of opinions.
Offers and artistic cooperation with young people, where expertise and points of view meet and new perspectives emerge.
An open theatre house in the centre of the city, with space for ideas, conversations and experiments.
A place for encounters, for exchange, for utopia – for people from Stuttgart and theatre folk from all over the world.
Come by, write to us, talk to us – we are looking forward to meeting you!
JES for everyone
The JES is conceived as a place of respectful togetherness. To make this possible, the following house rules apply:
We want a theatre where everyone interested in respectful and open cooperation – regardless of background, skin colour, income, disability, sexual orientation or identity, or where they are located on the spectrum of neurological diversity — can come together.
To enable a space that is as safe as possible for everyone, the following house rules apply:
We look forward to exchange, dialogue and debate about the artistic work and what we experience. We want these discussions to be fair and not hurtful.
Wir We do not tolerate personal injury, sexist, racist, ableist, anti-religious, xenophobic, homophobic, queerphobic, transphobic or anti-constitutional acts, statements and symbols. We also do not tolerate discrimination and misanthropy of any kind.
By buying a ticket and visiting JES, you agree to our house rules.
→ Download PDF here!
If you experience discrimination at our venue or feel attacked in any way, you can always contact the theatre staff. We are here for you and will take any concerns seriously.
Our programme includes performances that are also suitable for people who are visiting the theatre for the first time as well as those who have little knowledge of the German language.
If you need tips as to which plays are best suited for you or a group you would like to accompany to the theatre, if you are unsure, have questions or you or a person you are accompanying needs support or a translation (into German sign language or otherwise), feel free to get in touch.
We are happy to discuss everything with you and will do our best to make your visit to the theatre as pleasant as possible.
That being said, we are aware that we will overlook things and make mistakes. There is still a long way to go, but we look forward to making change happen. That being said, we are aware that we will overlook things and make mistakes. There is still a long way to go, but we look forward to making change happen. If you would like to support us in this process, or if you have any criticism or feedback, please feel free to write to us at: info@jes-stuttgart.de
History of JES
Junge Ensemble Stuttgart (JES) was founded in 2004 after long discussions about the contemporary structure of a theatre for young audiences and has since been Stuttgart’s independent children’s and youth theatre, funded by city and state.
From the very beginning, it was important to founding director Brigitte Dethier to build the house on three principles and to link these principles with one another again and again: to work with the professional ensemble for primarily young audiences, to work with children and young people for audiences of all ages, and to create an international network.
JES has also been a regular guest at national and international festivals from its inception, and has been invited to important festivals such as the biennial children’s and youth theatre meeting Augenblick mal! in Berlin, the Assitej World Congress, the Theatertreffen der Jugend, the Deutsches Kindertheatertreffen or most recently the Mülheimer Theatertage.
In addition, as host of the BRIGHT VIEW festival every two years, the JES itself has been and still is the focus of international children’s and youth theatre. Its good international network regularly leads to artistic cooperation with theatre-makers from all over Europe.
In 2022, Brigitte Dethier handed over the directorship of JES to Grete Pagan, who in turn started as an intern at the BRIGHT VIEW Festival and was then assistant director at JES for three years. After studying directing in Hamburg, she worked as a freelance director for many years, including at JES, as a translator, as a curator (including Augenblick mal!) and as an organiser of the BRIGHT VIEW Festival.
We are JES!
Funding
Thank you to all supporters of JES!
General funding of JES — The Junge Ensemble Stuttgart is supported by the City of Stuttgart and the State of Baden-Württemberg.
Bright View Festival — The “Bright View Festival”, which takes place every 2 years at JES, is supported by the City of Stuttgart and the State of Baden-Württemberg. The 2022 edition of the festival was also supported by:
The sponsors for the 2022 edition of the festival can be found here:
www.schoene-aussicht.org
FSJ Kultur — A FSJ Kultur position is funded by the Wüstenrot Foundation (in the 2022/23 & 2023/24 seasons).
3PLACE — he 3PLACE project is funded by the European Union.
Website: www.3place.eu
Inclusion — Inclusive offers are supported by the City of Stuttgart in the programme “Stuttgart für alle inklusiv” as well as by the programme “Kurswechsel Kultur – Netzwerk. Direction. Inklusion”, a cooperation between the Landesvereinigung Kulturelle Jugendbildung (LKJ) Baden-Württemberg and the Zentrum für Kulturelle Teilhabe Baden-Württemberg (ZfKT).
Unbändig — The production “Unbändig” was funded by the programme “Kunst trotz Abstand (Art despite Distance)” of the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts.
Ritter ohne Furcht und Adel — The production “Ritter ohne Furcht und Adel” was funded by the “Kultur Sommer 2020 (Culture Summer 2020)” programme of the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts.
Agentur für Kinderarbeit — The project “Agentur für Kinderarbeit (Agency for Children’s Work)” is funded by the Centre for Cultural Participation and the Festival of the Cultural Region Stuttgart in 2022.
Nach dem Ende von100 allem — The production “Nach dm Ende von allem” was funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media in the NEUSTART KULTUR program, graduate support DIS-TANZ-START of the Dachverband Tanz Deutschland.
SHAME – The Musical — The Musical — Funded by the programme Jupiter – Performing Arts for young audiences of the Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation). Funded by the Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media).
Partners & projects
Arbeitskreis Junges Theater Baden-Württemberg (Work Group Young Theatre Baden-Württemberg— Free interest group committed to the artistic and structural development of children’s and youth theatre in Baden-Württemberg.
ASSITEJ (Association Internationale du Théâtre pour l’Enfance et la Jeunesse / International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People) — the national and international lobby for theatre for children and young people.
Deutscher Bühnenverein, Landesverband Baden-Württemberg (German Stage Association, State Association Baden-Württemberg) — our employers’ association & regional as well as national theatre network.
KJTZ (Children’s and Youth Theatre Centre of the Federal Republic of Germany) — our national centre for the interests of children’s and youth theatres.
Diakonie Stetten / Open help — regular partner for inclusive theatre work
FITZ The Theatre of Animated Forms— theatre neighbour in the area and partner for the festivals Bright View (JES) & Imaginale (FITZ), among others.
Forum der Kulturen Stuttgart (Forum of Cultures Stuttgart) — regular partner not only for the Made in Germany and Made in Stuttgart festivals
Forest House — regular partner for forest theatre projects
University of Music and Performing Arts, Stuttgart — Networking Theatre for Young Audiences with the Next Generation
Stuttgart Youth Welfare Office — long-standing partner in the day-care centre project for language promotion
Children’s Office of the City of Stuttgart (Child-friendly Stuttgart): Maria Haller-Kindler, our children’s representative
University of Education Ludwigsburg
Schauspiel Stuttgart —Kcooperation partner for EINMISCHEN
Stuttgart Theatre Solidarity Association
StolperKunst/Initiative Hotel Silber
Theater Rampe — Theatre partner amongst others for the festivals Bright View (JES) & 6 Tage frei (Rampe) as well as the cooperation EINMISCHEN
Civic Foundation Stuttgart
BuT (Federal Association for Theatre Education)
dg (dramaturgical society)
DTF (German Turkish Forum) — regular partner for workshop and play club offers
KSI e.V. (Cultural and Social Initiative for Young People and Children)
Mach dich stark! (Empower yourself!) — initiative for children in the Southwest
Partnership for Democracy
Foundation Geißstraße
Stuttgarter Kinderstiftung — Taking children to the theatre: unsere Theaterpaten