Germany's museums, stages and exhibition spaces have placed big bets on soccer this year, as the World Cup extends its reach from international soccer tournament to all-consuming, nationwide extravaganza.

The art and culture projects connected with the World Cup are being organized by the German government under the aegis of the DFB (German Soccer Federation) Culture Foundation, together with the World Cup Organization Committee

Interactive

The mobile "Soccer Globe" is a huge project from multimedia showmaster André Heller; it is considered the traveling ambassador of the art and culture programs of the 2006 World Cup. A huge, walk-in soccer ball-shaped globe has room for exhibits and events. During the day, visitors can experience an interactive soccer exhibit, where they can take shots at a virtual goal, watch film clips of unusual soccer plays, or check out soccer cult objects. In the evening, the interior of the moveable exhibit becomes a stage where soccer personalities and others can meet for panel discussions, talks, or interviews.

From June 1, 2006 to July 9, 2006, Pariser Platz at the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

Other interactive exhibits on the topic of soccer:

"Is the Ball Round?" an exhibit for experimentation and exploration, for children from 5 to 12 years.

June 3, 2006 to June 18, 2006, in the Dresden Technical Museum, Junghansstr. 1-3

June 25, 2006 to July 23, 2006 in the Klick! Children's Museum in Hamburg, Achtern Born 127

Museums

While most eyes are on the players, another important person is running around on the field during the World Cup games -- the referee, of course. The Museum of the City of Leipzig has dedicated a cultural-historical exhibit to the guys who call the fouls. "Lord of the Rules -- the Soccer Referee" is an exhibit dedicated to international referees, including their outfits and accoutrements from history to the present. The museum even speculates on what life will be like for the referees of the future, when and if computer chips are ever installed in soccer balls.

March 3, 2006 to July 30, 2006, in the Museum of the City of Leipzig, New Building, Böttchergässchen 3

Further soccer themed museum exhibits:

"Fascination Soccer:" In this exhibit, the museum becomes a stadium.

April 30, 2006 to Nov. 26, 2006 in the Hamburg Ethnology Museum, Rothenbaumchaussee 64

Photography

The photo exhibit "Fascination Soccer" focused its lens on the past. From the pioneer days of soccer -- from 1900 to 1940 -- exciting photos shed light on the players and plays of the time, and also the folks in the stands.

June 22, 2006 to July 31, 2006, Willy-Brandt-Haus, Stresemannstr.28, Berlin

Further photography exhibits on soccer:

The photo exhibit "Soccer: A Universal Language," is traveling around the world. The exhibit on the world's love of the game will be shown in Goethe Institutes in 144 cities in 80 countries.

Check the Goethe Institute Web site for times and places

http://www.goethe.de/ges/spr/prj/tor/mag/welt/deindex.htm

Film

"Goal! Soccer and Television" is an exhibition on the relationship between sports and media. How has soccer influenced television, and vice-versa? A look at an interesting relationship.

May 4, 2006 to July 30, 2006, at the Museum of Television of the German Cinema Foundation, Filmhaus on Potsdamer Platz, Potsdamerstr.2, Berlin

Further soccer related film and video projects:

"Soccer: One Game, Many Worlds" is an exhibit on soccer as a global phenomenon. It includes a program of documentary and feature films, music, discussions, and presentations. A multicultural look at the world-wide popularity of soccer.

May 18, 2006 to Sept. 3, 2006 in the Museum of the City of Munich, St. Jakobs Platz 1

Theater

"A Heart Is Not a Soccer Ball" is a piece by the Berlin theatre group, RambaZamba/Sonnenuhr, which consists of handicapped and non-handicapped players. Seventeen mentally handicapped actors and musicians, professional musicians, and a group of teenage drummers have become an acting troupe worth keeping an eye on. The actors have been touched with soccer fever, and in the piece "A Heart Is Not a Soccer Ball," they are all searching for a lost ball.

Aug. 1, 2006 to Aug. 4, 2006 in Berliner Kesselhaus der KulturBrauerei, Schönhauser Allee 36-39

More theater soccer events:

Can theaters compete to win their own World Cup? "Theatersport-WM" ("Theater Sports World Cup") is an international theater workshop and competition that takes place at the same time as the World Cup. Sixteen teams from around the world improvise songs and texts in an open competition. After ten days of competition, the first World Theater Spots Champion will be named.

Opening at the Munich Volkstheater on June 26, 2006, runnign through July 7, 2006. In Berlin, Bremen, Dresden, Göttingen, Halle, Hamburg, Hanover, München, Nürnberg, Rhein-Neckar region, and the Ruhr Valley. The games end with the "Long Night of Theater Sports" on July 8, 2006 im Shake! Tent, Pariser Komune at the corner of Mühlenstrasse, Berlin