Hello Atmosphere + Advice of Generations

Society today faces a number of profound challenges. The central conflicts of our time include a shift toward populism, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, energy crises, the extinction of species, and a growing generational disparity as is evident, for example, in addressing climate change. And due to the demographic trend in Germany, young people are now in the minority. Against the backdrop of this thematic complex, the Theater der Jungen Welt (TDJW) has teamed up with the Dutch Theater Artemis to develop a theatre project that interconnects artistic intervention with reflection on generational justice in society. The performative project “Hello Atmosphere” encourages people of all ages to communicate with one another. In an open-air performance in downtown Leipzig in June 2025, six children on stage and 150 adults in the audience will participate in a forum that invites the young artists and the audience to engage in dialogue. The artistic intervention is modelled after a requiem and confronts adults with fundamental questions concerning generational justice and potentially protecting a new minority – the youth of Germany.
The subsequent project, entitled “Advice of Generations”, is conceived as an experimental committee consisting of members representing various age groups. Researchers, politicians, artists, activists and legal practitioners together with children, adolescents, adults and senior citizens will work together to draft a contract for a generationally equitable coexistence. The project sees itself as an artistic-political intervention which shifts the often marginalised perspective of young people to the fore and creates new opportunities for democratic participation.

Artistic director of “Hello Atmosphere”: Liesbet Swings
Artistic director of “Advice of Generations”: Katrin Maiwald
Composer for “Hello Atmosphere”: Keimpe de Jong
Participants: A Leipzig children’s choir, Geheime Dramaturgische Gesellschaft, 40 citizens of Leipzig of various ages

Performances: Theater der Jungen Welt, Leipzig: 20 – 27 Jun. 2025