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In German, Kleinkunst (small art) is the art of small forms. The word is commonly used to describe the exercise of the performing arts by one or few artists for a small audience in changing venues and with little or no stagecraft.

This Kleinkunst is an umbrella term for cabaret, theatre, music, comedy, chanson, puppetry, pantomime, juggling, stage magic, poetry reading or other performances made under these circumstances. In Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands, it is also recognized as an artistic genre in its own right, at the threshold between popular and high culture, and has numerous prizes and festivals dedicated to it.

The word Kleinkunst is also used in German by art historians to mean physically small works of visual or plastic art. Moreover, it has been used by literary theorists to describe "small" works of literature such as short stories, essays or aphorisms. This article will cover Kleinkunst only in the context of the performing arts.

Festivals and awards
The oldest and most significant Kleinkunst award is the Deutscher Kleinkunstpreis, awarded by the unterhaus theatre in Mainz since 1972. The Österreichischer Kleinkunstpreis has been awarded by a jury on behalf of the Austrian Posthof venue since 1986, the Schweizer KleinKunstPreis on behalf of the Swiss actors' and producers' association since 1993. Regional awards of note include the Ravensburger Kupferle on behalf of Ravensburg since 1989, the St. Ingberter Pfanne of St. Ingbert since 1985, the Thüringer Kleinkunstpreis since 1996 and the Kleinkunstpreis Baden-Württemberg since 1986.