On 9 June, Brigitte Zypries, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, will open the symposium under the heading of Theatres and cultural spaces - urban centres and their continuous metamorphosis and cultural adaptation in the 21st century by delivering a keynote speech.
At the symposium a variety of concepts will be presented for new theatres and for renovating existing buildings in a number of cities, including Stuttgart, Dresden, Karlsruhe, London and Hamburg. These projects reflect how 21st century demands on the theatre as an important part of urban inner cities have changed.
On 10 June, under the heading of German culture abroad - the story of the success of German theatre technology, State Minister for Culture and the Media Prof. Monika Grütters will deliver a keynote speech to the audience at the International Projects section. Topics include new temples to the muses in Asia, planning for an opera house in Dubai, the West Kowloon Culture District, the Opera Europe and the Stavanger Concert house.
Scenography and design are two new key topics featured at the conference. Papers held by scenographers will highlight today's demands for more and more flexibility within the theatre landscape and put forward ideas for using renewable materials where decoration and costumes are concerned.
On 11 June, in cooperation with the Scenographers' Association, a round table discussing scenography and scenographers will also be taking place.
Other related key topics will include exhibition design and museum technology. Papers will be given on these subjects, including on the design for the German pavilion at the upcoming Expo in Milan and the trend towards interactive adventure parks instead of museums.
The SoundLab promises to be another highlight. On all three days of the fair Sennheiser, Shure, Müller-BBM, KS Audio and Gerriets will be showcasing their latest products and inviting visitors to sample their audio quality. At the conference the future of radio frequencies and the second digital dividend will be among the topics discussed.
(Jim Evans)
