The Giessen Institute for Applied Theatre Studies has in recent years sought dialogue with the expressive forms and strategies of other art forms. Its research and interdisciplinary investigations in dance, music, art and new media have made the institute synonymous with an altered theatre practice that is driven by relentless self reflection concerning its own means of representation. Performance groups like 'She She Pop', 'Gob Squad', 'Rimini Protokoll' and 'showcase beat le mot' or authors like René Pollesch, Tim Staffel and Moritz Rinke began their artistic discussions in Giessen undertaking experiments in contemporary theatre inimitably combining theory and practice. Whilst regarded by the FAZ newspaper as "one of the greatest forgers of misfortune in German theatre", the Giessen School has long been celebrating by others for its courage in theatre forms.The composer and director Heiner Goebbels belongs to the most important exponents of the contemporary music and theatre scene and is a professor at the Institute of Applied Theatre Studies (Drama Theatre Media) at the Justus-Liebig-University Giessen.