Simple language

Hellerau was built in 1911. It was to be a festival theatre and a school for music and rhythm. The idea came from the architect Heinrich Tessenow and the music teacher Émile Jaques-Dalcroze. The house experienced a history with many changes. First it was a school, then it was used for the military. Later it was a laboratory of artistic modernism. 

Hellerau – European Centre for the Arts 

  • is today one of the most important centres of modern art in Germany and Europe, 
  • is a house for guest performances and supports productions of different artistic directions, 
  • offers space for the production and presentation of various art movements such as  
    • dance,  
    • music,  
    • theatre,  
    • performance,  
    • visual arts and  
    • art with media, 
  • is a house where different art movements work together and unite, 
  • initiates and promotes discussions about art and society in  
    • festivals, 
    • thematic focal points and 
    • and other formats for the public, 
  • cooperates with other cultural institutions  
    • from the region,  
    • from Germany and  
    • from other countries, 
  • works in many networks and 
  • is a stage of the city of Dresden and a member of the alliance of international production houses. 

Carena Schlewitt has been working with us as artistic director since the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Together with her, the team in Hellerau designs the programme. There are about 350 events per season. Many artists come to Hellerau for this.  

We want many people to come to us. To achieve this, we want to avoid barriers. It takes a long time to see barriers and to break them down. If you have ideas or questions, please send us an email at barrierefrei@hellerau.org

Here you will find information for a visit to the Festspielhaus HELLERAU that is as barrier-free as possible.

Here we explain the website as it looks on a computer. It may look slightly different on smartphones or tablets. The outlines show you where to click.

You will see our logo at the top left of our website. You can click on it from any subpage to return to the home page.

At the top right you will see the following terms and symbols:

  • Fixture list,
  • tickets,
  • accessibility,
  • the symbol for colour contrast
  • DE for German language and
  • EN for English language.
  • Simple language

Under “Programme” you will find our programme for the coming weeks.

Under “Tickets” you will find all the information about your visit to Hellerau. You can buy tickets online. You will also find the opening hours of the Visitor Centre.

Under “Accessibility” you will find important information about visiting Hellerau.

With the colour contrast symbol you can choose the background colour of our website. There is white with black lettering and black with white lettering.

If you click on “DE”, the texts on our website are in German.

If you click on “EN”, the texts on our website are in English.

If you click on “Simple Language”, the most important information about HELLERAU is written in simple language.

The terms at the top disappear when you scroll down. The terms come back when you scroll up. You will also see them again if you click on the 3 dashes at the top right.

Below the terms you will see a magnifying glass and 3 dashes.

If you click on the magnifying glass, a search bar opens. You can type in words there if you want to search for something on our website.

If you click on the 3 lines, you will find the 6 main topics of our website:

  • Programme,
  • tickets,
  • Hellerau,
  • Service,
  • Info and
  • Social Media.

Under “Programme” there is a menu with the following items:

  • Programme,
  • Residencies,
  • Workshops and Encounter,
  • festivals,
  • projects,
  • exhibitions,
  • Guided tours,
  • Podcast from HELL,
  • Magazine and
  • archive.

Among other things, you will find answers to the following questions:

  • When can you see which plays at our theatre? (programme),
  • Which artists work at HELLERAU? (residencies),
  • Where can I participate or meet artists?
  • Where can I find out more about the HELLERAU team, artists and background information on the programme in HELELRAU? (magazine and podcast from HELL).

Under “Tickets” there is a menu with the following items:

  • Advance booking
  • Specials
  • HELLERAU Card

Under “Advance booking” you will find, among other things, answers to the questions:

  • Where can I buy my theatre tickets online? (Online sales),
  • Can I buy tickets at the box office? (box office) and
  • At which other Dresden locations can I buy theatre tickets? (Other advance booking offices).

Under “Specials” you will find information on special ticket offers with which you can save money.

Under “HELLERAU Card” you can order a ticket that allows you to attend most events at half price. 

Under “Hellerau” there is a menu with the following items:

  • Who we are,
  • Team,
  • Jobs,
  • We are many,
  • Alliance,
  • Circle of Friends,
  • Partners and Sponsors and
  • History.

Among other things, you will find answers to the following questions:

  • What is special about Hellerau? (Who we are),
  • What does Hellerau offer? (Who we are),
  • Who works here? (Team),
  • Why are we part of “We are many”? (We are many),
  • How can we support Hellerau? (Circle of Friends) and
  • What is the history of Hellerau? (History).

Under “Service” there is a menu with the following items:

  • Newsletter,
  • Press,
  • Gastronomy,
  • Technique and stay and
  • Renting.

Among other things, you will find answers to the following questions:

  • Where can I register for the monthly newsletter? (Newsletter),
  • Where can I get food and drink? (Gastronomy) and
  • Can I rent a room for my event? (Rental).

Under “Service” there is a menu with the following items:

  • Contact and Directions,
  • Covid 19 measures,
  • accessibility,
  • 360-degree view and
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

Among other things, you will find answers to the following questions:

  • What is the address, e-mail address and telephone number of Hellerau (contact and directions)?
  • How do I get to Hellerau by car, bus or train? (contact and directions),
  • What information is available on Corona? (Covid 19 measures),
  • How do I get to the Festspielhaus Hellerau with my wheelchair? (Accessibility),
  • Where can I view photos of the Festspielhaus? (360-degree view) and
  • Where can I find answers to frequently asked questions? (FAQ).

Under “Social Media” there is a menu with 4 icons:

  • the symbol for YouTube
  • the symbol for facebook
  • the twitter icon
  • the icon for Instagram

Click on an icon. You will then be taken to our social media page.

You will also find the menu with all the main topics at the bottom of our website.

Under the menu there are the 3 topics:

Severely disabled persons from 80 % (degree of disability) and their accompanying persons pay less for a ticket. Please contact our Visitor Centre. 
If you come with a wheelchair, please book a ticket for wheelchair users. You can find this ticket online and in the ticket offices. Please contact our colleagues at the Visitor Centre if you have any questions. 

Advance sale 

Tickets go on sale on the 1st working day of the month if the event takes place the month after. For example, there is an event on 15 May. Then tickets go on sale on 1 April if 1 April is a working day. Otherwise, sales start on the next working day. 

Online sales 

You can buy tickets at the Visitor:inside Centre or on our website. You can find tickets via our playbill and via the online shop. You can only exchange or return purchased tickets if there is a change to the event. 

Visitor:inside centre 

You can also reserve tickets, for example for a whole group. Call or email the Visitor:inside Centre. There are several ways to pay for tickets:  

  • with cash when collecting them at the Visitor:inside Centre, 
  • by invoice up to 10 days before the event, 
  • by credit card (Visa or Mastercard) for a minimum of 20 euros, or 
  • by EC card at the Visitor:inside Centre or at the box office. 

You can write or call us if you have any questions about accessibility before your visit. We will be happy to help you. 

Box office 

The box office opens 2 hours before the events. If you have reserved tickets, you must collect them at least 30 minutes before the event. Otherwise we will sell your reserved tickets to other visitors. The prices for the events are listed in the programme. It doesn’t matter whether you buy tickets in advance at the Visitor:inside Centre, in the online shop or at the box office. All tickets cost the same. If we send the tickets to you, you have to pay for shipping. 

There are reduced prices for these groups of people: 

  • Children, 
  • pupils, 
  • students, 
  • trainees, 
  • volunteers in the social year, federal voluntary service or voluntary military service, 
  • the unemployed, 
  • Jobseekers and recipients of social assistance (benefits under Social Code Book 2 and 12) – free admission to some events, 
  • People with a Dresden Pass (admission costs 20 per cent less, tickets can only be bought at the box office and evening box office), 
  • persons with Ehrenamtspass, 
  • Recipients under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act – free admission to some events, 
  • Severely disabled persons with a degree of disability of 80 per cent or more and their accompanying person. 

Please bring proof of your discount with you. For example, your Dresden Pass or student ID. 

Further advance booking offices 

You can buy tickets for the events in Hellerau in advance from Reservix. You can buy tickets all over Germany. 

Frequently asked questions

I bought my ticket online and didn’t receive a confirmation email. What should I do? 
Maybe our confirmation is in your spam folder. If you can’t find our e-mail, please call us on 0 35 1 26 46 24 6. 

I need an invoice for my tickets. How do I get it? 
If you need an invoice, please tell us before you buy. Then we will be happy to send you an invoice. 

How long will it take to send my tickets? 
It takes about 2 working days to send the tickets. If we send you the tickets, you will have to pay 2 Euros for shipping. We will only ship if you have bought the tickets with an invoice and have already paid for them. You can also collect your paid tickets at the box office. 

Can I also reserve tickets? 
Yes. If you buy the tickets on account, we will hold them for a maximum of 3 weeks. In exceptional cases, you can also collect your tickets at the box office. 

Can I return tickets I have bought? 
No. This is only possible if there is a change or cancellation of the event. However, we will try to ensure that you can exchange your tickets. 

Does the ticket also count as a ticket for local public transport? 
No. Information on tickets for local public transport can be found at the Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe. 

Vouchers 

You can buy vouchers at the Visitor:inside Centre, in the online shop and at the box office. There are vouchers for 10 euros, 20 euros, 30 euros and 40 euros. You can redeem the vouchers online and at the box office at least 1 hour before the event. Vouchers are valid for 3 years. A ticket may cost less than your voucher is worth. Then you can use the remaining credit for another event. However, we cannot pay out the remaining credit. Vouchers cannot be used for events of the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company. Special vouchers are available for this purpose at the Visitor:inside Centre and at the Ticket Shop of the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company. 

HELLERAU Card 

The Hellerau Card costs 25 euros and reduced rate 15 euros. If you have a Hellerau Card, you pay half price for all tickets for one year. You can buy the Hellerau Card using the order form or at the Visitor:inside Centre. 

Double Pack* 

With the Double Pack you attend 2 events with us on one evening. The specially marked events cost only half price. 

Family ticket 

The family ticket is for 2 adults and a maximum of 3 children. There is no age limit. The children need one of these ID cards 

  • Pupil:in identity card, 
  • apprentice card or 
  • student card. 

You can buy the family ticket at the Visitor Centre. 

Groups 

In a group, the individual persons pay less. Each ticket costs 18, 12 or 8 euros. The price depends on the normal price. The normal ticket prices are 23 euros, 17 euros or 11 euros. For the reduced prices, each ticket costs 6 euros. There must always be at least 10 people. 

For students up to 18 years, each ticket costs 6 euros. There is also a free ticket for teachers. There must be at least 10 pupils. 

Tram 

You can come to us by tram. At the stop, use the ramp to get on and off. Please get into the first door. Line 8 normally uses a low-floor tram. A low-floor carriage has a deep floor, so the doors are almost level with the ground. This makes it easy for wheelchair users to get in and out. 

There are 2 stops that take you to the Festspielhaus Hellerau:

Festspielhaus Hellerau stop 

The floor of the stop “Festspielhaus Hellerau” is made of gravel. It can be difficult to drive a wheelchair. You have to drive over a kerb. And you have to cross Karl-Liebknecht-Straße. Sometimes there is a lot of traffic. There are no traffic lights there. It is 330 metres from the bus stop to the Festspielhaus. There is gravel on this road, it is difficult to drive with a wheelchair. 

You can find photos of the stop “Festspielhaus Hellerau” under this link. 

Heinrich-Tessenow-Weg bus stop 

From the stop, follow the footpath on the right-hand side of the main road. It is 550 metres from the stop to the Festspielhaus. The walk is slightly longer than the walk from the stop “Festspielhaus Hellerau”. On the other hand, it is easier to use a wheelchair here. 

You can find photos of the stop “Heinrich-Tessenow-Weg” under this link. 

Parking 

There are plenty of parking spaces at the Festspielhaus Hellerau. There is a barrier-free car park in front of the Visitor:inside Centre. It is about 40 metres from this car park to the ramp into the Festspielhaus. There is a bell at the barrier-free car park. Ring the bell if you need assistance. There is another barrier-free car park. This car park is at the last entrance of the west wing in the direction of the Festspielhaus. 

There is free parking on our premises. Tickets for an event do not guarantee you a parking space.  

Access to the Visitor:Interior Centre 

You will find the Visitor:Interior Centre in the building to the left of the Festspielhaus. There is barrier-free access with a mobile ramp. We will be happy to provide this ramp for you. You can reach our staff via the bell at the entrance. 

Building 

Under this link you will find a plan of the grounds. 

Barrier-free access to the Festspielhaus HELLERAU 

There is a fixed ramp at the left side entrance of the Festspielhaus. The ramp is 1.40 metres wide. 

Barrier-free access in the Festspielhaus 

Everything on the ground floor is accessible without barriers. Access to these places is possible without any problems: 

  • Great Hall, 
  • Nancy Spero Hall, 
  • Dalcroze Hall, 
  • Music Room, 
  • East side stage and 
  • Restaurant. 

All doors are 2.10 metres wide. 

Unfortunately, the first floor is not barrier-free. It can only be reached via the stairs. These locations are on the 1st floor: 

  • Corner Salon West, 
  • Studio West, 
  • Corner Salon East and 
  • Studio East.  

Barrier-free toilet 

There is a barrier-free toilet on the ground floor. It is in the Foyer West. The door is 1.01 metres wide. The cubicles in the other toilets are 60 centimetres wide. 

Getting to know the rooms 

There are photos of the grounds and rooms on our website. They are 360-degree photos. You can use the photos to see everything in an all-round view. This way you can get your bearings before you visit us. 

Feel free to contact us with questions about access to plays in our programme. Write important questions for your visit to barrierefrei@hellerau.org. We will be happy to help you.  

Website 

On our website you can find the programme of plays. There is a filter for this. For example, with the word “barrier-free” you will find all events with special access. These events are specially marked in the programme. You can find our programme under this link.

Audio recordings and tactile tours

 

Together with Gravity Access Services Berlin, HELLERAU offers audio versions and tactile tours at various events – so-called Haptic Access Tours.  

To get an overview of the events with audio versions, you can use our filter “Audiodescription” in our programme.  

The audio version provides access to the action, costumes, settings, gestures, facial expressions, objects and other visible things of a dance performance.  

The audio version is a directly transmitted audio track spoken by a professional audio describer via a wireless system for audience members with visual impairments.  

Gravity’s team is made up of professional dancers and actors and actresses who have been trained by Jess Curtis to capture the significant visible details of a performance that would not be perceptible to audiences with visual impairments. This allows them to be described clearly and engagingly.

Haptic Access Tours (20-30 minutes) are live pre-performance tours to experience the space, actors and actresses, costumes, objects and more of a performance through touch and movement.  

Gravity Access Services Berlin: audio description and access management is supported by DIEHL+RITTER/TANZPAKT RECONNECT, funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media as part of the NEUSTART KULTUR initiative. Support programme dance 

 

Our permanent exhibition is called “Hellerau – The Idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk”. You will find most of it on the first floor of the Visitor Centre. You can only get to the first floor via the stairs. Unfortunately, it is not barrier-free. 

We want to offer the exhibition digitally soon together with the Deutscher Werkbund.  

 

 

Regular guided tours

  • Fridays, 14:00 
  • Duration: about 1 hour 
  • 6 euros/reduced rate 4 euros 
  • Registration is not necessary. 
  • On public holidays, registration is required at least 3 days in advance. 
  • on request in English  

Registration and enquiries:  

E-mail: fuehrungen-sachsen@deutscher-werkbund.de 

Telephone: 0 35 1 26 46 24 6 or 0 35 1 88 02 00 7

Guided tours on request by e-mail (number of persons, contact details, telephone number)

Guided tour of the Festspielhaus: 

  • from 15 persons 
  • in German or English  
  • Duration: approx. 1 hour 
  • 6 euros/reduced rate 4 euros per person (minimum 80 euros per group) 

Guided tour of the Garden City: 

  • from 10 persons 
  • Duration: about 1.5 to 2 hours 
  • 10 Euro/reduced 7 Euro per person, (minimum 100 Euro per group, on weekends 20 Euro more, guided tour in English 25 Euro more) 

You can cancel free of charge up to 3 days in advance. After that you have to pay half the price. If you cancel on the day of the tour, you have to pay the full price. 

It may happen that you cannot visit all the rooms on the tour. This can happen if there are rehearsals or productions.  

We ask you to be there on time. You must pay before the tour. You must bear this in mind when planning your visit. If you are going to be late, please let us know in advance. The duration of the tour will be reduced by the time you are late.

Guided tours for children

  • from 8 years 
  • with handicraft time, with films and much more 
  • The guided tour takes place in a playful way. 
  • The children learn about theatre, architecture, art history and history. 
  • Duration: about 1 hour

 

Where can I park my bicycle? 
You will find the bicycle stands next to the right main entrance of the Festspielhaus. There are further bicycle stands in front of the Visitor:inside Centre. 

What is where in the Festspielhaus? 
The Festspielhaus is divided into east and west. The east side is the right side from the main entrance. The west side is the left side from the main entrance. 

On the east side there are these places on the ground floor: 

  • the box office,  
  • the cloakroom, 
  • the ladies’ room, 
  • the restaurant, 
  • the east side stage and  
  • the Dalcroze Hall. 

On the 1st floor east there is  

  • the East Corner Salon and 
  • the Studio East. 

On the west side, on the ground floor, there are these venues: 

  • the Nancy Spero Hall, 
  • the cloakroom, 
  • the men’s toilet and 
  • the toilet for people with disabilities. 

On the 1st floor west there is 

  • the music room, 
  • the West Corner Salon and 
  • the Studio West. 

The Great Hall is in the middle of the Festspielhaus. It extends over 2 floors. The south gallery is on the 1st floor. Access is via the two staircases.  

Where can I find more information about the event? 
Information sheets with further information are available at the box office. This will give you information about the artists, companies and other events. Normally you can talk to the artists after the first event. A note on this is in the programme. For some events there is additional literature. You can look at this or buy it. 

Where is the entrance? 
Normally, the entrance is directly in front of the performance space. Sometimes you have to go to the Dalcroze Hall first if you want to go to the Great Hall. Can’t find the entrance? Ask our service for visitors. 

When does admission start? 
Admission starts 15 minutes before the performance. Sometimes it can be less than 15 minutes. 

Can I get in with a mobile phone ticket? 
Yes, the barcode or QR code of your ticket must be clearly visible. 

I forgot to print out my print-at-home ticket. 
Go to the box office before you enter. Someone there will print out your print-at-home ticket. 

Where do I drop off my cloakroom? 
The cloakrooms are on the east and west sides of the building, to the right and left of the entrance. They are free of charge. Please hand in large bags, rucksacks and other large items. This is important for fire safety. You may only bring small bags into the event. 

May I take my drink into the hall? 
No, this is usually not allowed. We don’t want anyone to get hurt. However, there are sometimes exceptions. 

Do the seats have numbers? 
No. Our guests have a free choice of seats. For a good view, you can go to the stands. 

I’m late. Can I still go to the performance? 
We try. Unfortunately, that’s not always possible. This is due to the nature of the event. Please understand and come on time. Your train is late or you were stuck in a traffic jam? Let the box office know. 

Can I bring children with me? 
Yes, some events are only suitable for children of a certain age. There are also programmes for children and young people. 

I lost something in the Festspielhaus. What can I do? 
If you have lost something, please contact the Visitor:inside Centre. We keep lost property in the West Side Building. If no one picks up the lost property, we take it to the lost property office of the City of Dresden. If you miss something and notice it on site, contact our staff in the front building. This is the company Power Personen-Objekt-Werkschutz GmbH. 

Am I allowed to take photos or make films at events? 
No. You are not allowed to take photos or make films because of copyright. You will find further information on this in our General Terms and Conditions. 

Can I pay by card at the book table? 
No. You can only pay with cash at the book table. Payment by card is not possible. 

Is there a defibrillator in the Festspielhaus? 
Yes, you will find the defibrillator in the cloakroom on the east side, to the right of the main entrance.  

Can I contact staff members directly? 
Yes, you will find the appropriate contact persons and their contact details on our website under Team. Otherwise, you can contact the head office at info@hellerau.org. 

Who can I contact if I have a suggestion or question? 
If you have any suggestions or problems, please contact the Communications Department. The head of the Visitor:inside Centre, Simone Michel, will be happy to help you. 

Häufig gestellte Fragen

The contents were created with the kind support of VERSO Dresden gGmbH.