ROBIN5  

“ROBIN5” is a format developed by onlinetheater.live that views social platforms as places of societal negotiation and as a stage for artistic intervention. The project’s starting point is the observation that political and social dynamics are increasingly taking place in digital environments – in feeds, in comment sections and online communities. Extreme rightwing agitators are particularly using these forums to exert influence in a “pre-political sphere”.

At the centre of “ROBIN5” are five social media personalities who immerse themselves in various digital environments – from fitness and lifestyle to prepper and conspiracy theory communities. The participants examine the familiar visual imagery and trends of these communities and poke holes in the overly simplified and sometimes right-extremist narratives with positive and more complex narratives about empowerment, community and belonging. 

Much like the award-winning predecessor project “MYKE”, “ROBIN5” also employs cultural hacking strategies and participative forms of storytelling to counteract the dynamics of social media. The online interventions will be supplemented by performances in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, along with workshops, a symposium and a radio play, produced in cooperation with Deutschlandfunk Kultur. 

“ROBIN5” is funded through General Project Funding by the German Federal Cultural Foundation.

Artistic directors: Katharina Kraft, Luzia Oppermann, Caspar Weimann 
Participants: ISO3591, Marius Petrenz, Tomma Suki Hinrichsen, Jana Braun, Pia Röttgers, HateAid, Jasmin Degeling

German performances: HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin: 1 Apr. – 31 Jul. 2027; TDJW Theater der Jungen Welt, Leipzig: April 2027; FFT Forum Freies Theater, Düsseldorf: 1 Apr. – 31 Jul. 2027

International performances: ARGEkultur, Salzburg: 10–14 May 2027; Kleintheater, Lucerne: 2 Jun. 2027 
Digital performance: Deutschlandfunk Kultur: 1 Jun. 2027 – 31 May 2028