• Over 400 people - children and their families - have already been able to visit the theater since 2024 thanks to the project.
• The Aachen family elementary school, the municipal youth and school department, Theater Aachen and Theater- und Musikfreunde e. V. are cooperating on the theater project.
• Three plus points: Cultural experiences, shared family experiences and a stronger school community.

The children from the "Healthy Family Primary School" Düppelstraße had astonished eyes and enthusiastic faces when the curtain went up on their visit to Theater Aachen. For many of them, who had come to the magnificent building in Aachen's city center accompanied by their families, it was their first visit there - and the current family play "Alice in Wonderland" was very well received. "I loved how Alice kept getting bigger and smaller. It almost looked like magic!" said one of the children, who was very impressed. Parents were also delighted with the great shared experience: "It's the first time my child has been to the theater, an unforgettable moment for us!" or "I thought it was wonderful to watch the play with my two daughters."

The visit is made possible by the "Healthy Family Primary Schools" theater project, which is jointly implemented and supported by the participating elementary school, Theater und Musikfreunde e. V. and the City of Aachen. Heinrich Brötz, Head of the Youth and Culture Department of the City of Aachen, who co-initiated the theater project, picks up on the motto of the season: "The Stadttheater has chosen the motto 'Wundert Euch' for this season; it's great that we can make the world of wonder, imagination and inspiration accessible to so many children and their adult companions with the active support of the Musik- und Theaterfreunde."

Culturalexperiences and strengthening the school community
Since 2024, groups from the nine current "Healthy Family Primary Schools" in Aachen have had the opportunity to attend the latest family concert or play at Theater Aachen. In the first year alone, more than 150 people were able to celebrate their "theater premiere". 190 children and their families came to Theater Aachen in 2025. This year, Düppelstraße is making a start with a total of 80 participants - a record for a single school! - is making the start. "Cultural participation must not be a question of money! For many of our children from the eastern district, a visit to the theater is not a matter of course. So it's all the better that we can give them a cultural experience through the 'Healthy Family Primary School' Düppelstraße that they won't soon forget. Attending the play 'Alice in Wonderland' is an experience that broadens horizons and has a lasting effect on family and school life," says Ruth Wörmann, vice principal of Düppelstraße elementary school, enthusiastically.

"The project has a multi-faceted impact: We are reaching entire families. In addition to access to cultural activities, it also promotes the school community and contact and exchange between parents, and the families share common experiences," says Ulf Barteck, who coordinates the project with the team of the municipal prevention chain "kinderstark - NRW schafft Chancen" in the City of Aachen's Youth and Schools Department. In addition to attending the theater, there is always the opportunity to prepare for or follow up on the plays or family concerts attended by one of the theater educators or to take a tour of the theater workshop.

Arouse interest in theater
Children have the opportunity to gain their first cultural experiences and gain new impressions together with their families at a low-threshold level. To this end, Theater Aachen cooperates with family elementary school. The pilot project is mainly financed by Theater- und Musikfreunde e. V., which has promised renewed funding for 2026 at an early stage. "It is very important to us to enable young people to experience classical music and the special atmosphere of musical theater. There you can experience stories, music and emotions up close - unlike in the ever-present social media. I also believe that children can experience how much creativity, skill and teamwork goes into a performance. It would be wonderful if we could spark a lasting interest in theater in this way," says Dr Gottfried Behler from the Friends of Theatre and Music, explaining the association's commitment.

The individual theater visits are implemented and organized by the coordinators of the primary family schools, often together with the school social work department and the coordination of the open all-day schools or the various family education providers in the primary family schools, in the case of Düppelstraße the German Red Cross. The overall coordination of the project lies with the coordination of the municipal prevention chain in the city's Youth and Schools Department. For Soumia Taleb, coordinator of the Düppelstraße family elementary school, the event was totally worthwhile: "It was great to see how much fun the families had together. The shining children's eyes and the shared laughter show me how important such outings are for our community. It was an all-round successful evening!"

The "Healthy Family Primary Schools"
Nine elementary school in Aachen are currently being supported as "Healthy Family Primary Schools" with state funding from the "Kinderstark - NRW schafft Chancen" program. At the family elementary school, the model of the KiTa family centers is transferred to elementary school in an adapted form. The "Healthy Family Primary Schools" are therefore places where parent or parent-child services are offered free of charge and with a low threshold. The aim is to promote equal opportunities for all children, young people and their families.

The Youth and Schools Department cooperates with the Helene-Weber-Haus family education center, the Protestant family education center and the German Red Cross, each of which supports three of the nine primary family schools.

The family elementary school in Aachen: the Gemeinschaftsgrundschule (GGS) Am Haarbach, the GGS Driescher Hof, the Motessori-Grundschule Mataréstraße, the GGS Schönforst, the Katholische Grundschule (KGS) Beeckstraße, the GGS Gut Kullen, the KGS Am Fischmarkt, GGS Düppelstraße, KGS Luisenstraße, the KGS Verlautenheide and the GGS Walheim.