In 2016, the Theater an der Ruhr, together with Syrian director Rafat Alzakout, actress and director Amal Omran, and writer Mudar Alhaggi, founded the Ma’louba Collective—an Arabic-language, intercultural theater collective that brings together artists from Syria, the Arab world, and Europe. The project was funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and by the Federal Cultural Foundation. The collective held a permanent residency at the theater through 2022.

The decision to found such a collective and support it over the long term stems from a conviction that has shaped the Theater an der Ruhr since its founding: that international theater work with artists cannot be a one-time invitation, but requires continuity. The residency was not a guest performance, but a joint effort to build structures for the group.

Since 2022, Collective Ma’louba has been operating as an independent collective. The connection to the Theater an der Ruhr continues: since then, at least one permanent co-production has been created each year.

In its theater productions, Collective Ma’louba examines the political and social fabric of the Arab and European worlds against the backdrop of recent societal changes. The works combine theater, film, dance, music, and installation art, and are presented in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and frequently abroad. They create multifaceted spaces for encounter within a theater landscape where Arabic-language productions remain rare.