The PAD Festival Performing Arts & Digitality has awarded the OPEN PORT PRIZE for young directors for the first time.

The OPEN PORT PRIZE 2024, which is associated with a one-month research residency at the Academy for Theatre and
Digitality in Dortmund, goes to Kristina Malyseva for her contribution “VERWOBENE WELTEN - Myzel und
the language of symbiosis”. In terms of content, the interactive performance deals with the world of fungi, which is largely
invisible world of fungi. Fungi are connected by subterranean networks of life that run through everything - the
so-called mycelia, which, thanks to their thread-like structures, can spread out into a huge, complex network
and communicate with each other via electrical impulses, similar to computer networks.
“Interwoven Worlds” makes it possible to get in touch with the mycelia using chatbots: By training
the mushrooms develop their own language with which they can ultimately communicate with the public.
communicate with the public.

The OPEN PORT PRIZE for young directors was awarded by the Academy for Theatre and Digitality in Dortmund and the
German Academy of Performing Arts for the first time in 2024. It is intended to provide new impetus in the artistic
artistic exploration of theater in the age of digitality. Four productions were nominated by
graduates of the directing program from universities in Ludwigsburg, Munich and Zurich were nominated for the award.
approaches to theater and digitality.