Accessibility

The address is Am Theater. There are four barrier-free parking spaces directly at Großes Haus, 38100 Braunschweig. Two can be used throughout the day, the other two can only be used between 19:00 and 00:00.

The nearest bus stop to Großes Haus is "Staatstheater" and is frequented by the lines 230, 411, 412, 413, 416, 418, 422 and 423. The walking distance is 150 m (approx. 2 min walk). The nearest tram stops are "Rathaus", frequented by the lines 1, 2, 3 and 4 as well as "Museumsstraße", frequented by the lines 4 and 5. In both cases, the walking distance is 500 m (approx. 5 min walk).

All buses are accessible. Most of the trams are also accessible and in the timetable there are indications on which trips there is a step entrance. The hotline for information on vehicle accessibility can be reached at (05 31) 3 83-45 54 or (01 60) 96 95 61 94.

A entrance without steps is not located centrally, but on the left side of the building. The double door is 75 cm/150 cm wide. It is locked and cannot be opened independently. There is a bell on the right. It can be used both for visits to performances and for the box office. It may take a few minutes for an employee to come to you. The bell does not have an intercom system.

There is a strong echo in the foyer of the box office. Three low steps have to be overcome to enter. The entrance from the foyer leads through five doors, none of which is automatic. 

The ticket counter is not height-adjustable and its height is 95 cm. The auditorium plan can be viewed by visitors on a screen and can be enlarged to a limited extent.

There is an elevator in the audience area. It is located on the left side. The door is 85 cm wide.

There is a cloakroom on both the stalls and the first tier, on the left and right. The counter is 70 cm high. Use of the cloakroom is free of charge.

With the exception of the few seats for wheelchair users, the auditorium can only be entered by stairs with steps. Step-free access is possible to three seats located on the right side of the wheelchair spaces.

For wheelchair users, both ticket sales on site and admission to the performance take place separately, as the house is only accessible step-free through a separate entrance. A step-free entrance is located on the right side of the auditorium. The wheelchair seats are located centrally in the back.

Assistance dogs are, of course, permitted.

In the Main Theatre, a Relaxed Space is available in the second-floor foyer. It opens one hour before the performance begins and remains open to the public until one hour after the performance has ended. Here, you will find a variety of seating and reclining options, fidget toys and other sensory materials.

There are toilets available on every floor. The sinks in the restrooms are generally not accessible from below. The door widths of the other restrooms are 80 cm. They are therefore suitable for people who use a walker.

One accessible toilet is located on the level of the stalls and is in close proximity to the elevator.

The address is Magnitorwall 18, 38100 Braunschweig. There is a barrier-free parking space in front of the stage entrance of the Kleines Haus in Magnitorwall street. The parking space is marked by a sign, there is no floor marking.

The nearest bus stop to the Großes Haus is "Staatstheater" and is frequented by the lines 230, 411, 412, 413, 416, 418, 422 and 423. The walking distance is 150 m (approx. 2 min walk). The nearest tram stops are "Rathaus", frequented by the lines 1, 2, 3 and 4 as well as "Museumsstraße", frequented by the lines 4 and 5. In both cases the walking distance is 500 m (approx. 7 min walk).

All buses are accessible. Most of the trams are also accessible and in the timetable there are indications on which trips there is a step entrance. The hotline for information on vehicle accessibility can be reached at (05 31) 3 83-45 54 or (01 60) 96 95 61 94.

People can enter the building through a revolving door in the centre front as well as several doors on the side of the entrance. The foyer is accessible at ground level and there is a small threshold in each case. The door widths are 100 cm in each case.

The box office counter is located on the left near the entrance doors and the height is 115 cm. An auditorium plan in A3 size is located on the right side of the box office booth.

The elevator is located in a stairwell and is accessible step-free. The door is 85 cm wide.

The cloakroom is located in the basement of the foyer. It can only be accessed via a flight of stairs. The counter is approximately 90 cm high.

The stalls can be accessed through two doors (left and right). The 1st balcony is also reached through two doors (left and right). All doors are 105 cm wide.

The Aquarium is on the second floor and can be reached by stairs or lift. 

During the Festival Theaterformen, beanbags will be available as an alternative seating option at all events in the Kleines Haus and the Aquarium. These seats can be freely booked in advance as a "Sitzsackplatz".

During the Festival Theaterformen, wheelchair spaces will be available in the 1st row and/or in the stalls on the left and right.

Assistance dogs are, of course, permitted.

In the Kleines Haus, a Relaxed Space is available in the Rangfoyer on the first floor. It opens one hour before the performance begins and remains open to the public until one hour after the performance has ended. Here, you will find a variety of seating and reclining options, fidget toys and other sensory materials.

In order to reach the restrooms, the way from the auditorium leads through a non-automatic, heavy door which is 95 cm wide. After that, three steps have to be climbed down. There are handrails on the right and left, each at a height of 90 cm.

The entrance to the accessible toilet is located in a corridor on the level of the staircase. Directly at the stair entrance there is a wide mirror front on the left side. The stall is located in a separate room. This is not directly indicated from the hallway. The entrance to the stall is through a non-automatic, heavy door which is 90 cm wide. The height of the door handle is 95 cm. It opens outwards.

Wheelchair users can access the barrier-free toilets on the parquet floor via the elevator. A key is required to unlock the floor. Please ask a member of staff for the key. 

Please note: Haus 1 and Haus 3 of JVA Rennelberg are not step-free accessible.

The address is Rennelbergstraße 10, 38114 Braunschweig.

There is a large parking lot to the right in front of the prison (JVA) that offers accessible parking spaces. The parking lot has a gravel surface.

There are no non-accessible parking spaces on Rennelbergstraße. Non-accessible parking is available at Freisestraße 13, 38118 Braunschweig. There is a public parking lot open until midnight.

The nearest bus stop to Rennelberg Prison is ‘Maschstraße’, which is served by routes 411, 416, 450, 480 and 560. The walk is 160 m (approx. 2 minutes’ walk).

The nearest tram stop is “Radeklint”, served by line 4. The walk is 450 m (approx. 6 minutes’ walk).

All buses are accessible. Most of the trams are also accessible and in the timetable there are indications on which trips there is a step entrance. The hotline for information on vehicle accessibility can be reached at (05 31) 3 83-45 54 or (01 60) 96 95 61 94.

Access to the festival grounds is step-free through a large entrance gate. The box office is located here. It opens one hour before the start of the first performance and remains open until the beginning of the last performance.

Straight ahead through the gate ist the entrance to Haus 1 and Haus 3. To the right of the grounds is the former workshop building (Werkhalle), which houses the Festival Centre.

The ground in the prison courtyard is mostly evenly paved, with some sections asphalted. There are a few uneven patches and minor undulations in the ground. All minor thresholds in the outdoor area are covered with rubber mats, thereby levelling them out. There are also several uneven grassy areas on the grounds. These are also partially covered with rubber mats.

Next to the festival centre is a sports field. The path leading there runs over cobblestones and partly uneven grassy areas. All minor thresholds and grassy areas are bridged with rubber mats to ensure level access.

At the rear of the courtyard, the ground is very uneven due to crooked cobblestones, bumps and dense vegetation, and is not safe to drive on. This area of the site is used only for the performance Emergency Routine.

Festival staff are stationed throughout the site and are available to provide directions and answer any questions.

The Werkhalle is accessible without steps. Inside the building, there is a relaxed space and an information room providing details about Rennelberg Prison. Both are accessible without steps via the interior of the building. The information room can also be accessed via an external door. There is one step at this entrance.

The sound echoes through the Werkhalle.

Haus 1 and Haus 3 are not step-free. Access is via a flight of 10 steps. There is a handrail on both sides. There is a floor drain in front of the steps.

On the way to the performance spaces, there are thresholds of varying heights, small steps and individual landings. The floor is uneven in places.

A tactile floor guidance system leads through both buildings to the performance spaces.

Most interior areas of Haus 1 are lit exclusively by natural daylight. In some corridors and later in the day, lighting conditions can be dim.

Beanbags, deckchairs and benches are available at the festival centre as alternative seating options.

For events in Haus 3, we are offering beanbags as an alternative seating option. These seats can be booked freely in advance as „Sitzsackticket“. There will also be portable stools and other seating available at events with standing room only. There will also be portable stools and seating available at events where standing room is provided.

For wheelchair users, all performances in the Werkhalle and all outdoor events are accessible, with the exception of Emergency Routine.

Tickets can be purchased through the regular booking channels: online via the website, by telephone, or in person at the box office of the State Theatre.

Unfortunately, wheelchair-accessible access to Haus 1 and Haus 3 is not available.

Assistance dogs are, of course, welcome. The floors inside the prison (Haus 1, Haus 3 and the Werkhalle) can be very cold. If needed, you may wish to bring a blanket or similar item to ensure your assistance dog is comfortable.

From 18 to 21 June, a relaxed space will be available in the Werkhalle. From 25 to 28 June, the relaxed space will be located in the festival centre. The relaxed space opens one hour before the start of the performance and usually remains open until the festival centre closes, but at least until one hour after the end of the performance. Various seating and reclining options, fidget toys, noise-cancelling headphones and other sensory materials are available here.

The toilets are located in the prison courtyard, to the right of the entrance. There is an accessible toilet.

Auditory stimuli

• Throughout the entire piece, a constantly shifting soundscape can be heard, at times accelerating, menacing, swelling
• Loud humming, vibration
• Rhythmic, metallic whirring and tapping,
• High-pitched, shrill, beeping sounds, mechanical
• Booming rhythm
• Mechanical rattling
• Shouts, screams
• Metal chains

Visual stimuli

• Uniform lighting and slow changes in lighting
• Lighting shines twice directly towards the audience
• Darkness

• Fog
• Bare torsos
• Floating, contorted bodies
• Twitching bodies
• Climbing at great heights, sliding and falling from great heights
• Acrobatics

Auditory stimuli

• Loud music is played throughout large parts of the performance
• Rapidly changing audio clips: music, voices, ambient noise
• Recorded sounds: screams, loud bangs
• Singing
• Rustling tarpaulin
• Shouting

Visual stimuli

• Rapid changes in lighting
• Some scenes are very dark with only a few lights
• Dim lighting
• Circular, colourful flashing lights; swirling points of light in an otherwise dark room
• Circular points of light from a disco ball
• Moving spotlights shine directly into the audience

Interaction with the audience

• Objects are handed out to individual audience members
• Performer briefly moves into the audience
• Performer encourages the entire audience to sing along

• Confetti
• Fog
• Nudity
• Objects are held over the front rows of the audience
• Suggestion of childbirth
• Screaming and loud bangs

Auditory stimuli

• A gentle soundscape throughout much of the piece
• Gentle flute music
• Water sounds: pouring, splashing, dripping, bubbling
• Rhythmic hammering sounds
• Arythmic kalimba sounds triggered by water droplets
• Vibrating, sustained tones
• Loud singing, whistling, shouting
• Recorded: Distant voices and beeping sounds, swelling; noise, screaming, groaning, swelling (accompanied by flashing lights); loud voices, dogs barking
• Sudden bangs in the dark
• Rhythmic drumming (also in the dark)

Visual stimuli

• Dim lighting throughout the hall
• Brief moments of total darkness
• Flickering lights in the dark, strobe-like
• Moving coloured spotlights, dancing points of light
• Video projection, flickering patterns

Interaction with the audience

• Performers move through the audience
• Performers circle objects above the heads of individual audience members

• Fog
• Performers move through the dark hall, calling out
• Theme of land destruction

Auditory stimuli

• Fast-paced electronic music
• Soft guitar music
• Sirens
• Loud shouting
• Whistle
• Rustling and squeaking sounds, as if from a rewinding tape

Visual stimuli

• Video projection: moving images, images flashing rapidly, shaky handheld camera footage, live camera
• Dim lighting on stage
• Circular and flashing coloured lights
• Rapidly moving, flashing and flickering lights in a dark room
• Repeated brief moments of total darkness

Interaction with the audience

• At the start, a request for everyone to stand up
• Open Q&A session with the audience

• People wearing masks
• Nudity
• Anti-queer sentiment, homophobia

Themes addressed:

• Cancer
• Death (of a parent)
• Restriction of bodily autonomy

Video footage of:

• Hospital, blood being drawn, ultrasound
• A fast car journey in the dark
• Close-up of a performer’s clothed crotch

Auditory stimuli

• Sounds of rain, thunderstorms, thunder
• Music during admission
• Music and voice recordings
• Loud noises from a hand blender
• Cutlery scraping against porcelain
• Smacking noises

Visual stimuli

• Predominantly even stage lighting
• Occasional darker scenes with video projection and a spotlight
• Video projection
• Circling coloured lights that change colour

Smell/Taste

• Possibly the smell of meat and vinegar

Interaction with the audience

• Sale of raw sausages to individual audience members

• Raw meat

Themes addressed:

• Growing up and living in poverty
• Child labour
• Suicidal thoughts
• Colonialism, exploitation

Description of:

• Violent killing of a pet
• Physical violence against children
• Medical procedures, coma, cancer

Auditory stimuli

• Loud noises from a passing train
• Street noise
• Fast, loud music with heavy bass and metallic sounds
• Menacing, humming music
• Loud singing, choir
• Loud stomping on the floor
• Squeaking shoes
• The crack of a whip

Visual stimuli

• Mostly colourful, dim lighting, sometimes with individual spotlights
• Flashing, moving spotlights
• Two periods of total darkness

• Fog
• Acrobatics: climbing and balancing at height, jumps
• People falling, some from a great height
• Balancing and throwing concrete blocks
• A whip being swung round and cracking (including towards people and the audience)
• A burning whip
• Skeleton costume (full-body, masked)
• Motionless bodies lying on the ground, people climbing on them
• Several men moving a woman’s motionless body
• Loud argument

The audience walks unaccompanied in groups of four along a designated route through the prison. The performances take place in prison cells, a former church and outdoors. During the performances, cell doors may be opened and closed. However, these are never locked, so it is possible to leave the room at any time. 

Women were once imprisoned in these cells. Some of them were later executed in Wolfenbüttel and spent their final days beforehand in JVA Rennelberg.

The performances explore experiences of violence associated with prisons in various ways. More detailed information will be published shortly before the festival.

Interaction with the audience

• Performers physically interact with the audience: demonstrating evacuation manoeuvres, touching, pushing, and carrying individual audience members or groups of audience members
• Performers move through the audience
• Addressing individual audience members

• Depiction of evacuations
• Depiction of physical violence
• Performers jump, pull and throw themselves about, at times violently
• Militaristic behaviour
• Fire

Auditory stimuli

• Loud music
• Dripping water

• IV bags as stage props
• Cynical/ironic trivialisation of acts of war
• Themes addressed: war and imperialism, racism
• Description of acts of war: bombs, genocide, suffocation, arms shipments, death by electrocution, exploitation
• Mention of human trafficking and sex trafficking

Auditory Stimuli

• Loud music
• Heavy bass
• Loud sounds and speech simultaneously

Visual stimuli

• Stroboscope
• Darkness

Taste/Smell

• The audience is served a vegan three-course meal

Tactile

• Audience members touch cutlery and paper cards (voluntary)

Interaction with the audience

• Individual audience members are addressed directly
• Performers move through the audience
• Audience members are encouraged to talk to one another

• Addressing structural racism
• Fog

Auditory stimuli

• Violin music

Interaction with the audience

• Performers move through the audience

•  Naked bodies
• Performers spit a starchy liquid