The Federal Theatre Prize honours theatres that are located outside or on the edges of metropolitan cities. The prize is intended to spotlight the artistic work of these theatres and their dialogue with the local communities, and to provide them with a platform for cultural policy.   

Monika Grütters, State Minister for Culture from 2013 to 2021, awarded the Federal Theatre Prize for the first time in 2015, since then it has been realised every two years in cooperation with the ITI – German Centre. A total of 42 theatres were honoured in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021.  

Artistic and cultural-political issues that especially concern the work of municipal, state and touring theatres, as well as independent venues in smaller and medium-sized cities, are discussed as part of a symposium held to accompany the award ceremony. 

In 2020, in cooperation with Theater der Zeit, a publication was released that pays tribute to the work of the previous award-winning theatres, while at the same time highlighting the challenges they face on a daily basis. 

In the spring and summer of 2022, the traveling exhibition "Dialogue and Confrontation, Transformation and Strengthening - theatre work beyond the metropolitan cities" toured in nine of the eleven award-winning theatres from 2021. Further information can be found here.