Cooperation with schools

The Zurich Opera House and the Im Birch secondary school in Zurich-Oerlikon are linked by a multi-year collaboration that aims to embed dance sustainably in everyday school life. Through workshops, targeted inputs, and visits to the opera house, students explore the art form, become creatively active, and develop their own movement ideas. The project now involves all students, is accompanied by academic research, and will culminate in final performances by the third-year secondary students in June 2026.

With the children’s opera "Herr der Diebe", the Zurich Opera House opens its new venue in the former Sternen cinema in Zurich-Oerlikon. In this gripping music-theatre adaptation of Cornelia Funke’s bestselling novel, the abandoned cinema becomes the mysterious refuge of a gang of orphans whose enigmatic leader, Scipio, supplies them with stolen goods, until a detective and a dangerous assignment throw their world into turmoil.

"Connect" demonstrates how dance, music, and visual arts can bring people together, foster social inclusion, and create lasting impact through innovative collaboration between cultural, educational, and healthcare institutions.