Intergenerational Ensemble – Theater for Everyone

The VolXbühne at the Theater an der Ruhr is a place where people of all generations, backgrounds, and life experiences come together to make theater. Here, young people and seniors, people with and without theater experience, and people with and without disabilities come together—on equal footing and with a shared passion: telling stories and performing theater.

At the heart of it all is the Intergenerational Ensemble. Together, the participants develop their own plays on current social issues or creatively engage with contemporary and classical theatrical texts. From diverse perspectives, productions emerge that demonstrate just how enriching diversity can be for the arts. Participants range in age from 12 to 99. Every year, more than 60 residents of Mülheim an der Ruhr and the Ruhr region dedicate several months to the VolXbühne’s projects. Together with the three-person leadership team, they produce around 30 events and performances annually, attended by approximately 1,500 spectators.

A particular focus is on inclusive and intergenerational collaboration. For many years, VolXbühne has been working continuously with the Rembergschule in Mülheim, a special education school for students with intellectual disabilities. In joint projects, students and seniors spend several months developing their own plays. These projects impressively demonstrate that artistic work in large, diverse groups can be successful and that barriers can be overcome.

In addition, collaborations regularly take place with schools and cultural institutions in Mülheim and beyond. VolXbühne’s annual in-house productions are developed and performed in partnership with regional and national partners. This gives rise to artistic encounters that have an impact far beyond the city limits while remaining firmly rooted in Mülheim.

VolXbühne is more than just a theater project. It is a place for encounter, exchange, and active participation: a vibrant space where people of different generations learn from one another, create art together, and demonstrate how social cohesion can be lived out on stage and beyond.

Anyone can get involved. Whether as a performer on stage, in our intergenerational theater projects, at our free weekly workshops—which are also available in multiple languages upon request—or as a volunteer helping with organization, technical support, the box office, the bar, and more: No prior experience is required. What matters most is an open mind, curiosity, and the joy of creating something together.

Get Involved

Every Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., theater workshops for everyone are held under the direction of director Jörg Fürst. No prior experience is required. Just stop by and join in!