Helge Schmidt, born in 1983 in Schwerin, grew up in Glückstadt on the Elbe River. He eventually moved to Munich, where he studied Theater Studies, Psychology, and Modern German Literature. After completing his studies, he joined the Thalia Theater as an assistant director, where he also realized his first independent projects. He won the Young Directors Competition at Theater Erlangen with Weltverbesserungstheater and directed productions in Hamburg's independent theater scene as well as at the Mecklenburg State Theater.
Schmidt is particularly interested in political subjects, which he often brings to the stage in a (semi-)documentary style. His works have been invited to numerous festivals and guest performances. He has also served on the juries for the German Drama School Meeting and the Erlangen Young Directors Competition. He received the FAUST Award for The Cum-Ex Papers and the Rolf Mares Prize for Tax for Free.
In 2022, Helge Schmidt was elected as the youngest member of the Free Academy of the Arts Hamburg, where he currently serves as Chair of the Performing Arts Section. In the 2024/25 season, he is a fellow of the Zeit Stiftung Bucerius.
© Felix L. Salazar