"Not to comprehend contrasts to a comprehensible but restricted unity but to consider the pieces as equally significant, allow differences and have free boundaries. Good for us, good for the children ..."
Anke Meyer (double 2/2010)

This quote from an article about the last hellwach-festival 2010 vividly elucidates the basic attitude which the international theatre festival for the young audience in its ten years of being amounts to – an encounter of art and a young audience on an equal footing.
In 2002 Barbara Kölling and Michael Lurse, artistic directors of the HELIOS Theater, for the first time put into practice their idea of establishing the Hellweg region as a lasting venue for supraregional oriented, international theatre festivals with extraordinary children’s and youth theatre productions.

Together with reliable sponsors like the regional promotion of culture of North Rhine-Westphalia and the art foundation North Rhine-Westphalia and an increasing number of dedicated organisers and sponsors in the cities and communities of the region, they made hellwach a well-known and -liked meeting point for international theatre artists, experts and local audience even beyond the boarders of North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany.

Beyond a selection of innovative works of theatre from different genres like object- and materialtheatre, figure- and shadowplay and dance for all age groups that are to be seen in Hamm as well as in different performance spots nearby, the events of the framework programme  contribute to the charm and enchantement of the festival. The Helios Theatre develops the festival concept continuously and presents this year, yet again, an ambitious total package.

November third till November eleventh 2012 there will be almost 40 performances in Ahlen, Bergkamen, Bönen, Hamm, Erwitte, Lippstadt, Lünen, Schwerte and for the first time also in Holzwickede, displaying the wide range of contemporary children's and youth theatre. Ensembles from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland and Turkey present their works.

In "Mr. Satie", an exciting investigation of material for the smallest from the young polish Teatr Atofri, the material paper does not only play a role as a prop but also as a fellow player. The innovative play will be in good company with true classics like Barbara Melois' spectacle "Aluminures", which frees the aluminium foil out of it's kitchen imprisonment, or "No fear of big animals" from Peter Ketturkat, one of the founders of German object theatre. 
Tiyatrotem from Istanbul skillfully merges traditional Turkish shadow theatre and modern theatre approaches in their piece "How to tell?" and switches neatly between shadow and puppet play as well as performance. The Spanish Teatro Paraiso invites everyone aged three years plus to a journey through fascinating picture worlds with "Kri Kra Kro".
The Pyromantiker from Berlin tell a poetic-comedic story of human and animal in the age of global warming in their clownpiece "Elephants never forget...".
With "kitchen garden" from the Dutch Compagnie sQueezz hellwach also casts an eye on thrilling evolutions in European dance for the youngest. A completely new development within this festival is the support of young European theatre makers, who just now begin to create pieces for a young audience.

Hamm also exhibits "Happy Lights" from the French artist Flop, a walk-in installation concept out of light, projections and reflections, with which hellwach builds a bridge to the fine arts.

Discussions, lectures and workshops top off the festival. The performances are accompanied by theatre pedagogical workshops, that prepare, widen and enrich the theatre visit: theatre pedagogues on site in advance equip children with the abc of theatre.