The new TikTok account @theatern, a collaboration between HAU Hebbel am Ufer and the team behind the educational Instagram account “erklär mir mal...”, explores the intersection of encounter, art and digitality. @theatern takes an entertaining yet critical look at HAU from the queer, post-migrant perspective of “erklär mir mal...”. It's about approaches to theatre from all possible directions: What can theatre be for, and whom is it for? What can a cultural institution learn from an empowering, critical social media practice? And how in turn can experiences from a contemporary artistic practice be shared via social media and promote a self-determined critical approach to social media? In German, the name “theatern” suggests turning the noun into a verb, describing the engagement with theatre as a site of encounter – the audience theatres, as do the technicians and the artists, as do the people who write or translate press releases or prepare contracts.
In a series of TikTok videos – created in settings such as the stage, the backstage area, the custodian’s room or an office – these issues are addressed and put into a social context. Pupils from the Fritz-Karsen-Schule, a partner school of HAU Hebbel am Ufer, will be involved in the cooperation, can produce videos and incorporate their feedback on form and content into the TikTok performance. @theatern is a meeting format from the workspace HAU to connect at HAU Hebbel am Ufer.