KosmosTheater

The Kosmos Theater stands on Siebensternplatz in Neubau, the seventh district of Vienna. It occupies the former Kosmos cinema, a building with a long history that now serves as a lively arts venue. The theatre’s roots lie in the late 1990s, when a group of women artists founded the LINK.* association to create space for female voices in art and politics. Their campaign, backed by thousands of supporters, pushed for a dedicated cultural centre that would give women artists visibility and creative freedom. The theatre opened in 2000 as the kosmos.frauenraum and became the Kosmos Theater two years later. It programmes contemporary theatre, performances, dance, music, visual art, comedy and clowning, often highlighting feminist themes. Since 2018 the artistic director Veronika Steinböck has led the theatre, focusing on new writing, premieres and collaborations with independent collectives. Productions frequently explore role models, utopias and gender issues, with women making up at least half of each creative team. Inside, the 850-square-metre space includes a flexible 200-square-metre theatre hall and a bar for pre- and post-show gatherings. The programme changes regularly, offering a mix of in-house and visiting work that reflects the theatre’s commitment to gender balance and contemporary culture. The building itself, once a cinema, now pulses with the energy of live performance and debate.