A gentle touch, a handshake, a hug. Touching, feeling and exploring things. An atmosphere, a song or a smell - being touched, whether emotionally or physically, has an immediate effect on us. After a year of experimenting in digital spaces, with the ARENA Festival 2022, we are challenging and testing the boundaries of interaction, of physical and emotional touch. Following the motto »touch me!«, newly created as well as already established venues and stages in the city of Erlangen will be played on. Regional and international theatre and performance groups are invited to touch, move and engage the audience and to play with emotion and affect, intimacy and distance.

We want to touch and move, to be touched and moved. We want to question what makes us feel and what touches us when physical touch is not possible. What are the consequences of emotional and physical distances? How can these be conquered or even made productive? How can we create touch, interaction and aesthetic experiences and make them accessible? Let's create collective spaces in which being touched is possible.