Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Spiel und Theater e. V.

The Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Spiel und Theater e. V. (BAG Spiel & Theater) is a German registered voluntary association and the umbrella organisation for theatre work with and by children and young people in the Federal Republic of Germany. Headquartered in Hannover, it describes itself as the Spitzenverband — the leading national association — for theatre pedagogy in the school and out-of-school cultural youth education sector. Its membership comprises 22 associations and organisations, including nationwide play and theatre centres, specialist associations for play and theatre pedagogy, and working groups. The association was founded in May 1953 in Königswinter am Rhein on the initiative of Rudolf Mirbt, initially under the name Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Laienspiel und Laientheater. It built on the amateur play traditions of the youth movement and reform pedagogy while also opening itself to broader play and theatre phenomena. From the outset, youth play, school play and adult play were all represented within the BAG. BAG Spiel & Theater enables children and young people to engage in artistic-aesthetic theatre practice, reflection, organisation and innovation through diverse formats at national and international level. Its work includes advising on funding questions, arranging projects and speakers, developing target-group-oriented programmes, intercultural and development-related encounter programmes, model projects in Germany and abroad, and specialist conferences for multipliers. It also publishes a Zeitschrift für Theaterpädagogik (journal for theatre pedagogy) and a range of specialist publications, and produces the AUFgenommen theatre podcast and the BAG[po:st] newsletter. The association is a member of numerous cultural bodies, including the Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Kinder- und Jugendbildung, the Deutscher Kulturrat, the Rat Darstellender Kunst und Tanz/Deutscher Kulturrat, the Fonds Darstellende Künste, the Bundesakademie für kulturelle Bildung Wolfenbüttel, the Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der deutschsprachigen Amateurtheater, the International Amateur Theatre Association, the Central European Committee and European Drama Encounter. Its chairman is Michael Zimmermann. A long-running international partnership between Ghanaian and German theatre experts, initiated by the BAG, marks its 25th anniversary in 2026 with a conference and exchange programme in Hannover under the theme MAPPING SUSTAINABILITY.

The Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Spiel und Theater e. V. was founded in May 1953 in Königswinter am Rhein on the initiative of Rudolf Mirbt, initially as the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Laienspiel und Laientheater. It connected to the amateur play traditions of the youth movement and reform pedagogy, while also seeking engagement with broader play and theatre phenomena. From the beginning, youth play, school play and adult play were represented within the BAG. Over the decades the association evolved from its amateur theatre roots into a national umbrella body for theatre pedagogy. It became a Dachverband for nationwide play and theatre centres, specialist associations for play and theatre pedagogy, and working groups; today 22 associations and organisations are members. Its headquarters are in Hannover. The BAG's fields of activity include advising on funding questions, arranging projects and speakers, creating target-group-oriented programmes at national and international level, intercultural and development-related encounter programmes, model projects in Germany and abroad, and specialist conferences for multipliers. Public relations work includes correspondence and the Zeitschrift für Theaterpädagogik. The association is a member of numerous cultural organisations, including the Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Kinder- und Jugendbildung, the Deutscher Kulturrat, the Rat Darstellender Kunst und Tanz/Deutscher Kulturrat, the Fonds Darstellende Künste, the Bundesakademie für kulturelle Bildung Wolfenbüttel, the Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der deutschsprachigen Amateurtheater, the International Amateur Theatre Association, the Central European Committee and European Drama Encounter. A significant strand of its international work is the collaboration between Ghanaian and German theatre experts initiated by the BAG, which marks its 25th anniversary in 2026 with a conference and exchange programme in Hannover (13–19 September 2026) under the theme MAPPING SUSTAINABILITY. The association continues to publish specialist materials, including the Zeitschrift für Theaterpädagogik, the Heft series, the AUFgenommen podcast and the BAG[po:st] newsletter, and its current chairman is Michael Zimmermann.

• 2026

  25th anniversary of the BAG-initiated Ghana-Germany theatre exchange, marked by a conference and exchange programme in Hannover, 13–19 September 2026, under the theme MAPPING SUSTAINABILITY.

• 1953

  Founded in May 1953 in Königswinter am Rhein on the initiative of Rudolf Mirbt as the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Laienspiel und Laientheater.

National umbrella association (Spitzenverband) for theatre work with and by children and young people in Germany, operating in school and out-of-school cultural youth education.

• Zeitschrift für Theaterpädagogik

  Specialist journal for the field of theatre pedagogy.

• AUFgenommen theatre podcast

  Podcast produced by BAG Spiel & Theater.

• BAG[po:st] newsletter

  Newsletter covering current topics, projects and calls for proposals.

• Heft series (specialist publications)

  Publication series including titles such as Kreatives Schreiben, Regie und Spielleitung, Theaterpädagogik postkolonial, fairCulture, Theater mit Kindern, Labore, Theaterpädagogisches Wissen im gesellschaftlichen Kontext, Kulturelle Bildung reloaded, Produktivität der Krise, and the book Protokolle theaterpädagogischer Praxis.

1. 1BAG Spiel & Theater e.V. – Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Spiel und Theaterbag-online.de
2. 2Wikidata Q1005590wikidata.org
3. 3Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Spiel und Theater – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org