Education – Otto Falckenberg Schule

Application

We value diversity and therefore welcome all applications – regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social background, religion/belief, disability, sexual orientation and identity.

Prerequisites for the training course are:

– exceptional artistic talent
– sufficient command of the German language
– graduation from secondary education
– at the beginning of the school year, applicants should be between 17 and 24 years old (for acting) or between 21 and 28 years old (for directing).

All applicants must take an entrance exam. Passing the exam is a prerequisite for admission to the school. Candidates who fail the entrance exam twice will not be admitted.
ACTING

It is currently NOT possible to apply.

The next possible time to apply is probably the beginning of 2026.

For questions about the application process, please contact: bewerbung[at]ofs-muenchen.de.
DIRECTING

It is currently possible to apply.

Application Tasks for Directing 2026/27

Registration for the Examination

Please first register at https://ofs-bewerbungen.de/registration. Then log in at https://ofs-bewerbungen.de/login, complete the online application form, and upload the required documents to the application portal.
You will only be considered registered once all documents have been fully uploaded. You will then receive an automatic confirmation of registration.

Application Deadline

January 15, 2026, at 11:59 PM

Application Tasks

Please prepare the following tasks in writing and upload the files to the application portal.
We are interested in what interests you.

1. Create a staging concept (maximum of 2 A4 pages, typed) for one of the following things:
a) Rainald Goetz: Baracke
b) Sex Education (Netflix)
c) A project not based on a literary work but inspired by a topic (e.g., climate crisis, Middle East conflict, the new right wing, debate on the cityscape, artificial intelligence), urban space exploration, a political campaign, or any other concept.

Note on the play text:
The text in German is available as PDF file upon request. If you wish to create a staging concept for the play, please contact us at bewerbung[at]ofs-muenchen.de.

2. Sketch a design for the stage or space.

3. Briefly describe:

– Another project idea you wish to realize in a theatrical context.

– An artwork you consider important.
(Combined maximum: 1 A4 page, typed).

4. A letter of motivation explaining why you want to study directing.

5. Create a video (approx. 3 minutes) with the title or theme “Heroes” (“Held*innen”). The video does not need to be a professional production; a smartphone camera is sufficient. Editing, additional lighting, titles, etc., are not required. The video must be in .mp4, .mov, or .avi format and no larger than 100 MB.

6. A CV in tabular format (maximum 1 A4 page, typed).

Entrance Examination – Part 1

Date:

The first part of the entrance examination will take place on March 2, 2026.

Once your application is reviewed, you may receive an invitation to this date via email. Please note that travel should be arranged for the day before, as a theater visit is scheduled for March 1, 2026.

Entrance Examination – Part 2

Applicants who pass the first part will participate in a multi-day second round of examinations, during which they will stage a short scene according to a given assignment.

Date:

April 13–15, 2026

Details of the process will be communicated later.

Additional Documents

After successfully passing the entrance examination, the following additional documents are required:

1. Birth certificate (original or certified copy).

2. School diploma or most recent transcript (original or certified copy).

3. Medical certificate confirming fitness and physical resilience for body training (a form will be provided).

4. Police clearance certificate (not older than 3 months; please apply early).

Start of Training

Training begins on September 15, 2026, following successful admission.

Internship

During the program, directing assistants must work on in-house productions and, in the second year, assist in two productions at the Münchner Kammerspiele.

Equal Opportunity

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of cultural or social background, religion, worldview, disability, or sexual identity.

For questions about the application process, please contact: bewerbung[at]ofs-muenchen.de.

→ 26-27_Process of application for stage direction
The training course lasts four years. Participation in classes is compulsory.

→ directing training course
In the fourth year of the training course, students take a final examination which consists of a practical and a theoretical part. Upon successful completion of this examination, students receive a certificate of professional qualification. The degree from the Otto Falckenberg School’s acting department is equivalent to a university degree.
Training at the Otto Falckenberg School is free of charge. No fees are charged for the training, examinations or admission.
Frequently asked questions and answers about our acting or directing training:

→ Acting
→ Directing

Acting

WHAT YOU WILL – or: acting training at the OFS.

The professional profile of an actor is constantly evolving due to the diverse and various styles and methods deployed in contemporary productions in theatres as well as on the independent scene, in the visual arts and digital media. This diversity – alongside a focus on international networking – forms a key part of today’s actor training.

The training at the Otto Falckenberg School instructs in and reflects on acting and production techniques, teaches solid craftsmanship and promotes in its students the development of an independent artistic personality whose ability to perform is shaped by the desire to deal with complex socio-political contexts.

The basic training in the first year of the programme teaches dramatic, technical and theoretical skills which enable the students to recognise the means of expression at their disposal, reproduce them and individually utilise them. Improvisation, dramatic exercises and the engagement with theatrical texts are the focus of acting lessons and serve to help the students think about the body and language as important means of expression, to experience them with all the senses and to utilise them.

Body work, speech training, voice training and singing become the foundations of the students’ basic technical skills. A third essential component is the theoretical instruction during the training which is intended to mentally and conceptually enrich and support the students’ access to practical dramatic work and to support their political education.

In order to push the students into developing an independent artistic practice, after the basic training in the first year, study at the Otto Falckenberg School is characterised by a self-organised approach to learning and to the implementation the curriculum. The modular structure of the course gives students the chance to design their curriculum largely by themselves. The variety of opportunities ranging from cross-year stage work and independently developed projects to workshops by acclaimed guest lecturers and numerous cooperations with the Münchner Kammerspiele and other theatres and cultural institutions, present the ideal framework for this.

Directing

The work of a director is grounded in the desire to tell a story. An individual perspective on people and the world should be conveyed to the audience via the director’s personal aesthetics of expression. The school therefore sees itself as a source of inspiration and a trainer, as a field for experimentation and a free space in which the directing students can undertake the search for their individual style.

The four-year course is based on the following corresponding key concepts: individuality, engagement, skilled crafts and support.

In addition to having a creative personality, we expect prospective directing students to have had several years of professional and/or training experience. A special feature of the directing training at the academy is the close link to the Münchner Kammerspiele. Students can gain practical experience during internships, assistant directorships and work placements in the various theatre crafts (set design, costume design, lighting et al). In the second year of training, directing students are expected to undertake two assistant directorships at the Münchner Kammerspiele. These are coordinated between the academy and the theatre in accordance with the wishes and availability of the directing students.

At the beginning of their training, the directing students participate in the classes of the acting students, becoming familiar with the actors’ means of expression and learning how to describe them. The theoretical and practical development of concepts, dramatic exercises with actors and drama students and closely supported themed projects are the focus of the first two years of training. In addition, by staging their own productions from the second year onwards and with their graduation project in the fourth year, the directing students have the opportunity to develop their individual and independent style of storytelling.