Thinking Utopia together

September 2025 – The Theater am Raffelbergpark and the Kunstmuseum Mülheim an der Ruhr are joining forces in a thematic collaboration dedicated to the topic of UTOPIA. At the Theater an der Ruhr, the entire 2025/26 season will be devoted to this theme. The Kunstmuseum has taken up the thematic inspiration and will open the exhibition Utopia. Collection + Saturday, 7 September, at 5 p.m.

The new exhibition format ‘Collection +’, which has been shown in changing presentations since the reopening of the Mülheim Museum in May 2024, presents a critical examination of the municipal collection from various thematic perspectives. Both the theatre and the museum approach the theme of utopia in different formats and media, jointly opening up spaces for thought and action. With this shared theme, the theatre and museum appeal to different audiences.

Stefanie Kreuzer, director of the Mülheim Art Museum: "Art is always a testing ground for new models of thinking, models of perception and even new forms of society. That's why the theme of UTOPIA is naturally of particular interest to us as a museum. We also believe it is important, especially today, to devote ourselves to the potential of utopian thinking. It therefore makes sense to do this together." 

Sven Schlötcke, artistic director of the theatre, emphasises:"We are very much looking forward to working with Stefanie Kreuzer and her dedicated team. Visual art has always been an essential aspect of theatre art. The fact that our joint reflection begins with the theme of UTOPIA is, in the truest sense of the word, a forward-looking start: in times of climate change, war, digital manipulation and major threats to democracy, it seems more necessary than ever to consider how we want to live together in the future. The collaboration offers the audience an opportunity to approach a topic with us from different perspectives."

The exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Mülheim runs until 13 April 2026. In November, the Theater an der Ruhr invites you to the next theatre event lasting several weeks with three premieres and an extensive accompanying programme (UTOPIE 1: 7–30 November). Two further ‘theatre islands’ on the theme of UTOPIA will follow in February/March 2026 and July 2026.