Studiobühne Köln

The Studiobühne Köln sits in a quiet side street off Universitätsstraße in central Cologne. The building houses both a small theatre and a film studio run by the University of Cologne. Since 1920 it has been Germany’s oldest university theatre, growing from classical plays into an experimental laboratory for theatre, film, photography and dance. Its reputation rests on the work of around 450 students taught by fifteen practising artists each year. The stage itself measures up to eighty square metres and seats three hundred, while larger shows spill over into the university’s main hall where twelve hundred can watch. Public funds from the city, the state and arts foundations keep the doors open and the lights on. Visitors find a compact but versatile space where new plays, short films and mixed-media performances take place every week. The foyer doubles as a gallery for student photography, and the whole building is fully accessible. Behind the scenes, rehearsal rooms buzz with preparations for the next production.