Services for children and families

From little ones under the age of six to primary school children, to teenagers – the Ruhrtriennale programme offers bespoke events for all age groups. This festival season onwards, parents and families can look forward to events specially tailored for them, making a visit to the Ruhrtriennale an unforgettable family outing. Here we present to you a selection of events for families! 

For three days in a row, life-sized artist-built elephants will explore the cities of Duisburg, Essen and Bochum. Presented by the Handspring Puppet Company from South Africa –famous around the world for their fantastic creations –in collaboration with the Ukwanda Puppets & Designs Art Collective, school classes, children and families are invited to take part in this spectacle! They can make their own animal figures at school and at the Festival Centre Wunderland and bring them to life in the parade. A celebration you won’t forget!For all ages

In our new series Little Ears, Tiny Feet the Belgian company Theater De Spiegel present AORTA, a piece that invites them to listen, watch and join in. In a trusting and protected atmosphere, all the senses of the youngest festival visitors are addressed and involved in a playful way, just like the children themselves. 

The piece itself investigates the engine that powers movement. This search is accompanied by musical themes ranging from Debussy to Schubert. After the performance the young audience can explore the stage space together with the performers – because curiosity is one of the things that drives us best!

Recommended from 9 months to 6 years

Sunday is family time! And this is why Sundays at the Ruhrtriennale will become family afternoons filled with exciting experiences. In our Happy Sundays parents and their children of primary school age can experience performances in parallel: while the adults see the afternoon performance, the children will take part in a professionally-run workshop. Here they will experience the themes of the work in a playful and age-appropriate way and explore them creatively. These two events will be combined in a shared memory of a lively family Sunday.

Reommended from ages 6 to 11

Teenagers between the ages 12 to 18 will devise their own project, developing creative talk formats in Triennale Teens Talk which will lead to some lively exchanges on the festival site. Supported by the Geheime Dramaturgische Gesellschaft, they create formats and methods in a playful and unexpected way. Together with other young people, they will also attend various performances at the Ruhrtriennale 2024, including the production I Want Absolute Beauty or The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions.

Recommended from ages 12 to 18