The Alliance of International Production Centres was founded in 2015 as an association of the seven most important production and presentation venues for independent contemporary performing arts in Germany: FFT Forum Freies Theater (Düsseldorf), HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin), HELLERAU Europäisches Zentrum der Künste (Dresden), Kampnagel Zentrum für schönere Künste (Hamburg), Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm (Frankfurt a. M.), PACT Zollverein (Essen) and tanzhaus nrw (Düsseldorf). Founded as theatres without permanent ensembles, they are now the most important anchor institutions for the independent performing arts in their regions as well as the most important partners for national and international (co-)productions and guest performances. The spectrum of artistic production includes contemporary theatre, dance and performance as well as music, discourse and visual arts projects.

In addition to their established programs and practices, the production houses jointly realise special artistic projects at their respective locations, some of which last several years. These deal with the economic, social, cultural and ecological transformation of cities and the world in the 21st century, playfully explore the future of society, theatre, dance and art and test exemplary scenarios of coexistence. In addition, the theatres combine their expertise in the further development of advanced production methods in the field of performative art and their extensive local and international networks more closely than before. Proven practices such as enabling artist residencies, commissioned works, co-productions and site-specific project developments as well as the strengthening, mediation and supra-regional and international visualisation of artistic positions and local contexts will be further developed and expanded in this decentralised model of cooperation in a forward-looking way.

The 2026 federal budget no longer provides for the Alliance of International Production Houses. This means that a successful cooperation model for the establishment, development and internationalisation of the independent performing arts no longer has the support of federal cultural policy. Thanks to cooperative funding from the Performing Arts Fund and residual funds, we will still be able to realise one more edition of the Claiming Common Spaces festival in 2026. The eighth edition of the annual festival format will take place from 10 to 12 September 2026 in Düsseldorf, organised by the production houses tanzhaus nrw and FFT Düsseldorf. 
We are convinced of the necessity of nationwide networking and will, of course, continue to work towards ensuring that our work is funded again.