Irmgard Schleier directed music and theater productions in Germany and abroad, including major events such as the international peace gala in Bochum's Ruhrstadion in 1982, and numerous premieres and first performances. She has written and directed around a hundred musical and literary revues for theater and television, founded and directed international festivals, including the Hamburg Festival of Women in 1986, the world's first international biennial for women artists; most recently the Festival of Continents in 2001 together with György Ligeti, Eva Mattes and many Berlin artists. Irmgard Schleier was head of the cultural department of the documenta city of Kassel from 1991 to 1997. She was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit by Federal President Johannes Rau for her artistic and cultural-political commitment.
