The biennial International Performing Arts Festival OUTNOW! is a platform for artists, groups, and collectives at the beginning of their professional careers. The festival was launched in 1994 under the name “Sprungbrett” (Springboard) by the then Junge Theater Bremen and has since 2013 been co-organized by the Schwankhalle ↗ and the Theater Bremen ↗.

OUTNOW! focuses on the fields of performance, theater, dance, and music theater. However, works from related disciplines such as media art, visual arts, and music that have a performative or theatrical connection are frequently included in the festival program.

Individual artists, directors, groups, and collectives who have been producing their own work for no longer than five years can submit their current productions to the OUTNOW! festival. A jury consisting of representatives from both organizing institutions and external experts selects the program from the submitted works. For OUTNOW! 2026, the jury consisted of Anna K. Becker and Johannes Schürmann (artistic directors of OUTNOW!), Janna Schmidt (communications, Schwankhalle), Canan Venzky (dramaturgy/direction), and Mable Preach (direction/choreography/author).

OUTNOW! 2026 puts a particular focus on the current conditions of artistic work and asks: WHATNOW?

In addition to the presentation of six selected productions, the accompanying program WHATNOW? will take place for the first time. It includes exchange formats such as workshops, reflection sessions, and a residency with a public presentation. In addition, ten festival companions will accompany the entire program and provide their feedback on the festival. Joint visits and exchanges about the festival productions and formats will create space for key questions and topics related to accessible and collaborative art and festival practices.