The conversion and building work on the Kraftwerk Mitte project has created a new centre for culture and creativity in Dresden city centre. Alongside the college of music, an events location and plenty of space for young, creative companies and startups, it also offers two important Dresden playhouses a new home.
Dresden State Operetta, previously on the city outskirts, and the Junge Generation theatre have a new venue whose foyer they share along with various functional units. At the same time, Kraftwerk Mitte enables them to put on shows at the same time, with separate staff and their own independent structures.
The Kraftwerk Mitte venue is a successful combination of old fabric and a new development. The old power station’s machine room, with its rusty steel girders and old gantry crane, is now used as a foyer. The new extension accommodates four stages: the hall for Dresden State Operetta, which seats 700, and the large stage of the Junge Generation theatre, which seats 350, plus the small stage and the studio stage. Further rehearsal rooms are found in a tower. SBS supplied and installed all the stage equipment and the COSTACOwin® computer control system for all four stages. In December 2016, Kraftwerk Mitte was officially opened and immediately went into regular operation.

In May 2017, the Eastern group of the German Theatre Technical Society (DTHG) met at Kraftwerk Mitte. In addition to some interesting lectures, there were tours of Kraftwerk Mitte and the Kulturpalast. There was great interest among the almost 100 DTHG members; it is unusual for regional group meetings to attract such large numbers.

Photo: Kai-Uwe Schulte-Bundert