A grand finale? If we take a look at the three newly established cultural organizations in the final round of our training program, definitely!
Together with our sponsors, we have selected the participating organizations for the third—and, for now, final—round of our “More Diversity in Culture” training program, which is unique in Germany, through a two-stage application process.
Starting July 1, 2026, the Rheinisches Landestheater Neuss, the Theater der Jungen Welt Leipzig, and the Staatstheater Regensburg will receive support for one year as they work toward greater inclusion of people with disabilities in their theaters.
This application phase took place under different circumstances than the previous two rounds: the drastic cuts to cultural funding were just as noticeable as the tense political situation. In 2026, diversity will have to be defended in an entirely different way. We are all the more pleased that we received numerous highly qualified and ambitious applications from all over Germany. The three selected organizations impressed us the most:
The Rheinisches Landestheater Neuss embodies a broad understanding of accessibility: The theater’s “Open Foyer” has already established itself nationwide as a best-practice example of a consumption-free “third place.” The theater also brings this approach of viewing the theater as a space for social resonance to rural areas, where discourses on diversity are often less firmly established.
The Theater der Jungen Welt in Leipzig is already in the midst of a profound transformation process and has firmly established inclusive practices as a cross-cutting theme. This includes multisensory productions, mixed-ability theater clubs, and the clear goal of creating working conditions that enable artists with disabilities to work at the theater on a long-term basis.
The Staatstheater Regensburg, which, incidentally, has just been designated a state theater, impressed with a clear commitment to structural change and an awareness that many barriers only become visible when people with disabilities are actively included. As a multidisciplinary theater with over 350 employees from nearly 30 nations, the Staatstheater Regensburg offers a wide artistic range.
The program, part of the “Access Maker – Innovation Hub” project, supports three cultural organizations each year with training and individualized mentoring to sustainably embed inclusion in the areas of programming, staff, audience, public relations, and partnerships. The cultural organizations are supported by an experienced team of consultants with diverse disability perspectives and experts in inclusive cultural work. Each of the selected organizations participates in ten to twelve training sessions (totaling at least 60 hours) and receives ongoing mentoring throughout the entire training period.
The training program runs from July 2026 to June 2027.
Access Maker – Innovationshub is sponsored by
