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Adi Glavinić
Producer | Independent | Živinice, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Adi Glavinić is a multidisciplinary artist and cultural organizer based in Živinice, Bosnia and Herzegovina, working across acting, directing, producing, lighting design, composition, and projection design. He serves as President of the citizens’ association “Aplauz,” producer at the Bosnian Cultural Center Živinice, and external associate and lighting designer at the National Theatre Tuzla. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Applied Music Research at the University of Arts in Belgrade.
Aplauz
Udruženje građana “Aplauz” is a citizens’ association based in Živinice, Bosnia and Herzegovina, founded in 2023 under the mission “Culture and art for every child.” The organization runs youth-focused cultural and artistic programs, including a drama studio, a film studio, and AMP CAMP, a music education program for young people. Aplauz works to expand access to cultural and artistic opportunities in Živinice and the wider Tuzla region, and is actively developing partnerships and EU funding applications to grow its programming and reach.
Ajla Bešić
Theatre director | Independent | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Graduated in Multimedia Directing from the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. As a director, she works within the field of contemporary performance practices, creating theatre productions, performances, and staged readings across institutional and independent productions. Her work has been presented at, among others, the National Theatre Zenica, National Theatre Tuzla, Sarajevo Youth Theatre, and Sarajevo War Theatre. She is currently developing her new play “U stanu” at Theatre 071 Sarajevo. Alongside her directing practice, she is completing her Master’s degree in Photography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo.
Independent
My artistic practice explores the experiences of young people through diverse theatrical forms, with a particular focus on female perspectives, queer identities and experiences, questions of class and identity, and the politics of love and intimacy.
Ajša Đuherić
Theatre Director | Realstage | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Ajša Đuherić is a theatre professional with a background in literature studies, stage production and theatre directing. She currently works as a producer at Sarajevo production house Realstage while completing her final year in theatre directing at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. Her work connects artistic practice with social engagement.
Realstage
Realstage is a Sarajevo-based cultural organisation and production company working across theatre, film, visual arts, music and interdisciplinary projects. Founded in 2015, it has completed more than 70 projects addressing human rights, inclusion and socially relevant topics.
Aleksandra Lozanović
House Team Leader | Heartefact | Belgrade, Serbia
Biography
Aleksandra Lozanović is a cultural manager and producer based in Belgrade, Serbia. As Head of Heartefact House, she oversees the development and production of contemporary theatre programmes, international collaborations, and multidisciplinary cultural projects. She graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade and holds an MA in Scenic Architecture and Design from the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad. She has extensive experience in managing regional and international cultural projects, co-productions, festivals, and touring programmes.
Heartefact
Heartefact is an independent cultural organisation working at the intersection of contemporary performing arts, social engagement, and cultural development. Founded in Belgrade, Serbia, and now operating regionally with offices in Belgrade, Skopje, and Prishtina, Heartefact produces theatre and interdisciplinary artistic projects that foster critical dialogue, cultural exchange, and the promotion of human rights and democratic values.
Alen Šimić
Director | Independent | Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Alen Šimić was born in Tuzla (December 31, 1988), where he completed his primary and secondary education. In 2011, he enrolled in Multimedia Directing at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo, under the guidance of Pjer Žalica and Elmir Jukić. For three years, he worked as a teaching assistant in the course Elements of Film and the Development of Film Styles. In the meantime, he has directed six plays, three short films, and over thirty episodes of sitcoms. Right now he is preparing to stage an adaption of Albert Camus’ “Stranger” at ICIKUM Sarajevo and “Alice in Wonderland” in the Sarajevo Youth Theatre.
Independent
I am an independent director not tied to any organisation.
Alia Luque Benlloch
Theatre director | Independent | Germany
Biography
Alia Luque is a theatre director and co-founder of Trio ACE, an interdisciplinary collective working at the intersection of theatre, choreography, installation, and visual art. Their productions have been created in collaboration with numerous theatres and institutions across Europe, including Burgtheater Vienna, Ballett Basel, Schauspiel Stuttgart, Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf, Bühnen Bern and Belgrade Drama Theatre.
Independent
Director & Choreographer
Alice Bachi
Head of Training & Inclusion Projects for Children's Theatre | Teatro Binario Vivo | Livorno, Italy
Biography
Alice Bachi graduated from Piccolo Teatro school in Milan in 2005 with Luca Ronconi. She pursued her own career, participating in major theatrical productions and also began working on personal projects: Miss Sarajevo 1993, Cajka 7050_The First Cosmonaut (Deep Festival 2016). In 2017, Alice starred in The Snow Queen, produced by Giallomare Minimal Teatro, and began working in theater for childrens. In 2023, she directed the project "Gianna, who lived in a bubble", which won the BUGS_HABITAT MULTIDISCIPLINARY FOR CHILDREN'S THEATRE 2023 call for proposals. In 2025, she began studying Neuropsychomotor Therapy in Developmental Age at the University of Pisa. She currently works as an actress, trainer, and she is involved in theater for childrens projects focused on inclusion.
Teatro Binario Vivo
I work independently with two theaters: Teatro Binario Vivo (Pisa, Italy) and Giallo Mare Minimal Teatro (Florence, Italy). I work as an actress, director, and theater teacher and I develop inclusive performance programs for children with autism or neuropsychomotor challenges.
Allan Kaldoja
Curator | Vaba Lava / Freedom Festival | Narva / Tallinn, Estonia
Biography
Vaba Lava theatre - Founder (2010), Chair of the Supervisory Board Freedom Festival - Curator (since 2023)
Vaba Lava / Freedom Festival
Vaba Lava is an Estonian independent theatre that was founded in 2010. We produce 4-6 new performances yearly, sometimes in international co-operation. In 2025 we performed in 10 countries on different continents. Freedom Festival is a bi-annual international theatre festival dedicated to the matter of freedom. Next festival will take place in August 2027.
Amel Ugarak
Producer, Theatre Worker & Festival Manager (Amateur Theatre) | FEDRA Theatre Bugojno | Bugojno, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Since 1995. is member of FEDRA Theatre. Played a role in 16 plays produced by FEDRA Bugojno and directed 10 plays. Won several awards as best actor in national and international festivals, as well as director's achievements. Participated in theater workshops in BiH, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Romania, Germany, Georgia, Macedonia, Great Britain, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia and Portugal in the field of conventional and new forms of theater. In FEDRA Theatre since 2008 working as a Secretary - and as a project manager successfully implemented and managed many projects. Part of the team that in Bugojno organize: Theatre Festival FEDRA BiH, Festival of puppet theaters BiH, „Bugojno Puppet Biennale“ and director of the international festival TIFBU.
FEDRA Theatre Bugojno
Theater FEDRA was founded 23.11.1963. under the name Amateur Theater Bugojno, but since 1989. we work under the name Teatar FEDRA Bugojno. This theater has been working as an organizator or as a partner in organization of Theater Festival FEDRA BiH, Festival of puppets theatres BiH, Bienale puppet, and TIFBU . Theater FEDRA has been awarded at numberous festivals in BiH and abroad in past ten years. Besides it’s fundamental purpose in creating and playing theater plays, Theater FEDRA has been organizing educational workshops in theater domain, but also in domain of literature, public performance, democracy and basic good communication. Our vision and mission is further empowering and in a way, institutionalizing of the Theater
Ana Bateva Zdraveska
Theatre Director / Cultural Manager / Festival Curator | SPAM Studios | Sofia, Bulgaria
Biography
Ana Bateva is a Bulgarian theatre director, cultural manager, and co-founder of SPAM Studios, an independent platform for contemporary performing arts in Sofia. Her work focuses on contemporary dramaturgy, experimental theatre, and international collaboration. Her productions have been presented and awarded at numerous festivals across the region and beyond. Since 2025, she has also been the artistic director and curator of the Festival of Authorial Theatre in Sofia.
SPAM Studios
SPAM Studios is an independent contemporary theatre platform based in Sofia, Bulgaria, focused on experimental performance, contemporary dramaturgy, international collaboration, and the development of international cultural partnerships and exchange through performances, workshops, festivals, and interdisciplinary artistic practices. Its productions have been presented and awarded at numerous international festivals. In March 2026, SPAM Studios was a partner of Art Trema Fest, curating the accompanying programme, leading workshop, shaping the festival’s visual identity, and selecting four Bulgarian performances for the festival. SPAM Studios is also organising the 7th edition of the Festival of Authorial Theatre in Sofia at Toplocentrala (27–29 November 2026).
Ana Tomović
Theatre Director | Independent | Belgrade, Serbia
Biography
Ana Tomović (b. 1979, Belgrade) graduated in theatre directing from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. She taught as an assistant professor at FDU (2019–2024) and currently teaches at the FMK. She has directed over twenty productions based on works by Brecht, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Bergman, Milena Marković and others, at theatres including the National Theatre, the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, Atelje 212, Serbian National Theatre and region. She is a two-time recipient of the "Joakim Vujić" Award for directing; her production Brod za lutke (Ship for Dolls) won the Sterija Theatre Festival in 2009. She has worked as an ass. director to Frank Castorf, Bobo Jelčić, and Stephan Kimmig. She is co-screenwriter of the film No One's Child (Ničije dete), which won over 30 international awards.
Independent
My independent practice moves between classical and contemporary drama — from Brecht, Shakespeare, and Dostoevsky to living playwrights such as Milena Marković and Florian Zeller — always searching for what speaks most urgently to a present-day audience. I am drawn to stories that ask fundamental human questions about freedom, morality, and connection, and to collaborators willing to fully commit to a shared artistic vision. Beyond institutional theatre, I have led public play readings for emerging playwrights and directed for young audiences, believing theatre should remain a space where meaning and beauty can still be created, regardless of circumstance.
Andrej Nosov
Director | Heartefact | Belgrade, Serbia
Biography
Andrej Nosov is a theatre director and cultural manager from Serbia, and the Director of Heartefact, an independent organization dedicated to contemporary performing arts, socially engaged artistic practices, and regional collaboration in Southeast Europe. He is also a Fellow of the Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts, a network bringing together artists and cultural leaders committed to using art as a tool for social change and dialogue. As a theatre director, his work explores themes of memory, identity, social responsibility, and contemporary political realities. His productions and collaborations have been presented internationally, connecting artistic practice with broader social and cultural conversations.
Heartefact
Heartefact is an independent cultural organization based in Belgrade working at the intersection of contemporary performing arts, social engagement, and regional collaboration in Southeast Europe. It operates simultaneously as a producer of artistic projects, a grant-giving and funding organization supporting artists and initiatives, a regional network connecting cultural actors, and a platform for developing new projects and partnerships. Through productions, open calls, support for contemporary playwrights, international collaborations, and capacity-building programs, Heartefact creates spaces for dialogue, artistic exchange, and the development of new voices and ideas across the region.
Andrzej Pakuła
Artistic Director & Curator | Pawilon | Poznań, Poland
Biography
Andrzej Pakuła is a curator, cultural manager, programmer, and artist working across performing arts, theatre, visual arts, and new media. He studied at the University of Warsaw and Magdalena Abakanowicz University of the Arts Poznań, where he also completed doctoral studies. He has developed artistic, curatorial, and institutional projects presented in leading cultural institutions and festivals in Poland and internationally. Since 2018, he has co-created Pawilon in Poznań, now a branch of the Arsenał Municipal Gallery, where he serves as Head of Programme. He focuses on performance and theatre, international collaboration, co-production models, and artistic mobility.
Pawilon
Pawilon is a cultural institution based in Poznań, operating since 2018. Its programme focuses on performing arts, experimental music, media art, and socially engaged projects, with a strong emphasis on collaboration with local artists, queer communities, and migrants. Since its inception, Pawilon has presented artists working across theatre, dance, performance, and visual arts. In 2025, the institution entered a new phase of development by launching its own performance production programme. Since then, Pawilon has expanded its role as a production house and residency space for performance artists, supporting the creation, development, and circulation of new works in collaboration with Polish and international practitioners. Pawilon is a branch of Arsenał Municipal Gallery.
Angela Fegers
Producer, Curator (Apricot) & PR, LAKE Studios Berlin | Apricot Productions | Berlin, Germany / New York City, USA
Biography
Angela Fegers is a U.S.-American director, producer, and dancer from C. Florida, based between Berlin. She holds a BFA in Dance from New World School of the Arts & an Associate Degree in Media & Communications. In 2015, she moved to NYC, where she performed works by Cunningham, Lindy Fines, Erik Montes. In 2016, she moved to Europe for a more sustainable freelance career. In 2021, she co-founded Apricot Productions, a platform & community supporting 150+ artists. Its branch, Rooted, curates festivals & workshops collaborating with LAFT, Tanzbüro, and NYU. Her immersive works—The Hotel Who?, A Love Story, and La Séance—premiered in LA in 2022. She lectures at NYU Tisch. Angela is on the team at LAKE Studios since 2017, supporting marketing management for Submerge Festival
Apricot Productions
Apricot Productions is an international production and PR house offering creative services to interdisciplinary artists and companies. Their community branch, ROOTED, creates festivals, workshops and webinar series.
Anna Chrtková
Curator | Divadlo X10 / Y Events | Prague, Czech Republic
Biography
Anna Chrtková is a curator, artist and scenographer based in Prague. Her practice focuses on creating shared spaces with a focus on different speeds of the presentation act. She runs the curatorial platform Y Events at X10 Theatre and is a member of the artist collective Monika. Together with the collective Intelekturálně, she holds a Prize For Imagination at the Prague Quadrennial 2019 for the project Prague is not Czech. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate and external pedagogue at the Academy of Performing Arts, with artistic research on Scenographers Performability and Curatorial action.
Divadlo X10 / Y Events
Founded in 2013 and based in the historic Art Industry Building in Prague’s downtown since 2017, Divadlo X10 is one of the largest and most recognised non-profit NGO platforms within the Czech independent performing arts scene. It is an open, multigenerational creative community and the recipient of the “Theatre of the Year 2023” award. Operating as a vital conceptual division of Divadlo X10, Y Events is a programming line established in 2019 that bridges the gap between performing arts, visual arts, and contemporary theory. This platform curates long-durational collaborative events formatted around pressing societal themes such as ecology, feminism, technology, and decolonisation, presenting live art, video games, installations, and participatory formats.
Anne Habermehl
Author / Director / Professor | Münchner Kammerspiele / freelance | Munich, Germany
Biography
Since 2008 I write and direct plays in the professional theatre landscape, most in Germany, but also in Argentina, Rumania, Italy. My main topic is how political and social breaks (first of all in a “german” but also in an european context) are written down in private biographys and relations. Since 2022 I am one of the permanent writers at Münchner Kammerspiele and since 2024 I lead the directing apartment of their public theatre school.
Münchner Kammerspiele
The Münchner Kammerspiele are one of the most important theatres in Germany, and they also force a lot of international colaborations. The Otto-Falckenberg-School is part of the theatre and also on of the leading theatre schools in Germany.
Annick Emdin
Playwriter | Binario Vivo | Pisa, Italy
Biography
Born in Pisa in 1991, Annick Emdin is a novel writer (Bruises, I am of my beloved, Skopje’s wolf), a scriptwriter (The Shadow of the Day, by Giuseppe Piccioni), and a playwriter with more than 14 plays on her credit.
Binario Vivo
Binario Vivo APS was founded by a group of artists, cultural professionals and performing arts practitioners who decided to bring together their skills and experience to develop a cultural project based on artistic production, education, participation and social inclusion. It is a Social Promotion Association (APS) registered with RUNTS, Italy’s National Register of Third Sector Organisations, operating primarily in the fields of performing arts and cultural project development. Since 2018, Binario Vivo has managed and developed the Teatro Nuovo di Pisa.
Armin Behrem
Playwright | Independent | Sarajevo, Berlin / Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany
Biography
Armin Behrem is a playwright and dramaturge based in Sarajevo. He graduated in dramaturgy at the Academy of Performing Arts Sarajevo and earned his Master’s at the Academy for Performing Arts Baden-Württemberg, completing a guest semester in Playwriting at the Berlin University of the Arts. His play “Podroom” was staged at the Sarajevo War Theatre, while two co-authored plays were produced at Theater Rampe and Schauspiel Stuttgart. His play “11 Minutes in Space” was chosen as a winning text in the Atelier program of the 1st Sarajevo Theatre Showcase. He collaborates internationally across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Croatia, and Montenegro, and writes in Bosnian, English, and German.
Independent
I am a playwright and dramaturge working between the Balkans and Germany, with a focus on texts exploring memory, borders, pop culture and queer performance. My independent practice combines writing, adaptation, and dramaturgical research across languages and contexts.
Asja Krsmanović Imamović
Curator, Dramaturge | Sarajevo Theatre Showcase | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Asja Krsmanović Imamović is a Bosnian dramaturge, screenwriter and cultural manager. A graduate of the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo, she has worked across theatre, film and cultural project development for more than a decade. She has contributed to the Sarajevo Film Festival and leads the Atelier for Playwrights within STS.
Sarajevo Theatre Showcase
Sarajevo Theatre Showcase is an international platform promoting contemporary theatre from Southeast Europe. It brings together artists, producers, programmers and theatre professionals while fostering international collaboration, artistic exchange and the circulation of regional theatre.
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Barbara Poček
Artistic Director | Glej Theatre | Ljubljana, Slovenia
Biography
Barbara Poček has been involved with Ljubljana’s Glej Theatre since 2010, contributing to its artistic and strategic development across different roles. Since September 2024, she has served as Managing Director, while also sitting on Glej’s Artistic Council and coordinating the TRIGGER internationalisation platform. Beyond Glej, she is active in international networks and cultural policy. She sits on the boards of Asociacija, the Slovenian umbrella organisation for cultural NGOs and freelancers, and EAIPA, the European Association of Independent Performing Arts. From 2017 to 2021, she was a board member of IETM, where she contributed to international discourse on performance, later coordinating IETM’s Local Journeys for Change and developing its first Green School.
Glej Theatre
Since its founding in 1970, Glej Theatre has been a key stepping stone for emerging and radically different artists in Slovenia. Operating as both a production house and a venue, it supports experimental, process-based and interdisciplinary practices that often fall between formal academy training and institutional theatre. Its programmes, including ŠtudenTeater and Boundary Crossing, create learning, mentoring and production spaces for young and transdisciplinary makers. Through the TRIGGER platform, coordinated with partner organisations, Glej also strengthens the internationalisation of Slovenian artists by combining a showcase, professional exchange and capacity-building for local artists and producers.
Beka Vučo
Founder and President | My Balkans Inc | United States
Biography
Beka Vučo is a producer, cultural manager and Founder/President of My Balkans, a New York based organization that supports and promotes artistic and cultural events from the Balkan region worldwide. Her career spans from Producing Director of Theatre Atelje 212 and BITEF in Belgrade, Serbia to Balkan Regional Director at Open Society Foundations in New York. Beka’s work focuses on human rights, democracy and equality, combined with arts. She is the President of the Board of No Borders Orchestra and a member of KoneKtor Steering Committee, Philanthropy East Forum. Most recently Beka produced a Balkan performing arts festival From the Other Side, Edition 1 at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York during December 2025.
My Balkans Inc
The guiding purpose of My Balkans is to support and encourage people to build a better, more just and open democratic society using arts, culture and education. My Balkans mission is multifold: to develop and produce projects, programs, and activities in the region and beyond; to raise social awareness; to build partnerships and alliances with individuals and organizations; and to support societies committed to justice and equality. All this, in order to promote freedom of expression, social openness, artistic excellence and educational advancement. The arts, culture, and education play an essential role in human development and help create safe spaces for free expression, exchanges, and mutual understanding and contribute to social equality, cohesion, innovation, and change.
Berit Wohlfarth
Program Coordinator | Goethe-Institut Headquarters, Munich | Munich, Germany
Biography
Berit Wohlfarth graduated in German philology and dramatics. After having worked in the free theatre scene she volunteered at a theatre publisher before she started her employment at the theatre and dance department at the Goethe-Institut. There her focus is on the support of translations of new German drama into other languages and participation in several programs concerning international drama.
Goethe-Institut Headquarters, Munich
In the cultural department we practice consulting service for the local branches of the Goethe-Institut worldwide as well as support for artists and theatre groups. The support can be provided in a financial way, but also as expert advice and within the frame of international exchange.
Bernhard Studlar
Playwright | Wiener Wortstaetten | Vienna, Austria
Biography
Bernhard Studlar is a Viennese playwright, dramaturg and director who has worked across Austria, Germany and Switzerland for more than 20 years. His plays have been translated into several languages and he has received numerous awards. He also works as a mentor and tutor for international playwriting programmes.
Wiener Wortstaetten
Wiener Wortstaetten was founded in 2005 as an intercultural playwriting project focused on creating new stage texts, addressing socially relevant issues and building networks between local and international playwrights.
Bojana Karajovic
General Manager, Theatre "Duško Radović" | Little Theatre "Duško Radović" | Belgrade, Serbia
Biography
Graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts at The Department for Management and Production in Theatre, Radio and Culture. Theatre producer with more than 20 year experience in the field of theatre production, festival and congress organisation, and working in cultural institutions and organisations: Little theatre Duško Radović, Theatre Boško Buha, Bitef theatre and Belgrade Drama Theatre , Bitef Festival, Belgrade Dance Festival, IFTR Congress, IETM Network since 2007. She is a member of the Alumni Network, a voluntary Creative Mentorship. She works as a producer in numerous independent productions. Since 2014, she has been the executive director of the Belgrade Drama Theatre. Since June 2023, she has been the general manager of Little theatre Duško Radović.
Little Theatre "DUŠKO RADOVIĆ" has been located at the present address since 6 June 1968, The engagement of theatre director Anja Suša as general manager of Little Theatre (2002) resulted in the apparent revival of the Evening Scene based on the solid repertoire concept. The first performance on the Youth Scene was “Sex for Beginners”, based on the book of Jasminka Petrović. The reconstruction of the main building (that was damaged from bombing in April 99th) was completed in late 2014. It was equipped with the modern stage mechanics and lighting. Today, theatre performs productions for all ages, trying to approaches the main questions that children and youth are dealing with on a daily basis. It is open to young artists and aims to break down all taboos that exist among youth.
Bojana Kovačević
Theatre Manager | Sombor National Theatre | Sombor, Serbia
Biography
Bojana Kovačević has served as General Manager of the Sombor National Theatre since 2019, following her earlier role as Project Manager and International Cooperation Coordinator. She holds a degree in Sociology from the Faculty of Philosophy. Under her leadership, the theatre has strengthened its position as an award-winning regional institution and successfully expanded its international collaborations, while continuing to develop the renowned Theatre Marathon festival.
Sombor National Theatre
Founded in 1882, the Sombor National Theatre is one of Serbia's oldest continuously operating theatres. Known for its artistic excellence, extensive touring activity, and award-winning productions, it hosts the internationally recognized Theatre Marathon festival, which has been a cornerstone of its annual programme since 1993.
Branislav Cerović
Producer | Independent | Slovenia
Biography
Branislav Cerović is a theatre producer with over 25 years of experience. He has worked on more than 100 diverse theatre projects, from children’s plays and post-drama theatre projects to large-scale musicals, working with major institutions across Southeast Europe. Currently based in Ljubljana, he works as executive producer at Mini teater, continuing his long-standing engagement with culture, fashion, and the arts. Head of Studies STS since 2025.
Independent
Independent
Bryce Lease
Professor of Theatre, Co-Director, Centre for Performance, Technology and Equity | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London | London, United Kingdom
Biography
Bryce Lease is Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London. He is author of After ’89: Polish Theatre and the Political (2016) and Commemorative Theatricality: Embodied Dynamics of Memory and Memorial (2026) and co-editor of Performing Queer South Africa (2017), Contemporary European Playwrights (2020), Outing Archives: Archives Outing (2021), A History of Polish Theatre (2022), Staging Difficult Pasts: Transnational Memory, Theatres, and Museums (2024). He is Co-Editor of the journal Contemporary Theatre Review and the book series ‘Staging Difficult Pasts’ (Routledge) and is currently Co-Director of the Research England-Funded Centre for Performance, Technology, and Equity (PTEQ).
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama is a leading UK conservatoire with a strong practice research culture. PTEQ at Central champions research across performance, technology, and equity, to imagine the cultural change possible at their intersection.
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Carlo Scorrano
Producer, Artistic Director & Theatre Manager | Binario Vivo – Teatro Nuovo | Pisa, Italy
Biography
Carlo Scorrano is a cultural manager, artistic director, and project coordinator with extensive experience in the performing arts sector. Since 2018, he has served as Artistic Director of Teatro Nuovo di Pisa, leading artistic programming, audience development, and cultural innovation projects. He coordinates international collaborations within the EU Creative Europe programme, including the project Expanding Theatre Landscapes, developed with partners in Norway and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Carlo has directed and co-directed several theatre and live performance festivals, managed successful applications for regional, national, and European funding programmes, and worked as a trainer and mentor in accredited theatre education initiatives.
Binario Vivo – Teatro Nuovo
Binario Vivo is a cultural association based in Pisa, founded in 2018 by artists and educators to develop artistic and educational initiatives. Since 2019, it has managed the Teatro Nuovo, transforming it into a dynamic hub for theatre production, training and community engagement, with a strong focus on social inclusion. The association organizes theatre season featuring contemporary theatre, world music and performances for children. It also hosts workshop and seasonal festivals, a three-day summer event on radio and communication. It collaborates on international projects, such as an initiative on migrating along the Balkan route with SARTR (War Thatre) in Sarajevo.
Carolin Hochleichter
Head Of Dramaturgy Department | Academy of Performing Arts Baden-Württemberg (ADK Ludwigsburg) | Ludwigsburg, Germany
Biography
Carolin Hochleichter is a dramaturg, curator, lecturer, mother of three, and founding member of the non-production collective Keep It Real. After serving as a dramaturg at Theater Freiburg from 2008 to 2011, she worked for the Foreign Affairs Festival of the Berliner Festspiele from 2012 to 2016. From 2017 to 2020, she served as a curator for the Ruhrtriennale, and in 2018–19 also as co-curator for the international program of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival. In 2023, she served as artistic director of the Berlin Theatertreffen alongside Olena Apchel and Joanna Nuckowska, and in 2025, she curated the Wiesbaden Biennale together with Rebecca Ajnwojner. Since October 2025, she has been a dramaturg and program curator in the Events Department of the Humboldt Forum at the Berlin Palace.
Academy of Performing Arts Baden-Württemberg (ADK Ludwigsburg)
The Baden-Württemberg Academy of Performing Arts is a nationally and internationally recognized training institution for theater (acting | directing | dramaturgy). Together with the Baden-Württemberg Film Academy, the ADK forms a campus—a unique creative laboratory at the intersection of theater, film, and the latest digital technologies.
Catherine Paskell
Artistic Director | Dirty Protest also Allvalidation Festival Almaty also Arts Council of Wales and Ty Pawb arts centre chair (Wrexham) | Wrexham, United Kingdom
Biography
Catherine is Artistic Director of Dirty Protest, Wales' new writing theatre company. She is Chair of Ty Pawb, Wrexham's arts centre, co-curator of Allvalidation Festival Almaty Kazakhstan and Arts Associate of Arts Council of Wales. She was a founder of National Theatre Wales, the English language National Theatre of Wales, UK
Dirty Protest also Allvalidation Festival Almaty also Arts Council of Wales and Ty Pawb arts centre chair (Wrexham)
DIRTY PROTEST is Wales' new writing theatre company, specialising in production, dramaturgy and showcasing of live performance in Wales and internationally
Christiane Mudra
Artistic Director | Investigative Theater | Berlin, Germany
Biography
Christiane Mudra (director, writer) founded investigative theater in 2013. Her work is based on long-term journalistic research into topics such as right-wing extremism, misogyny and Big Tech. With freiheit.exe – Utopias as Malware, about the ideological rootkits in Silicon Valley, she followed up on her production BETA at Deutsche Oper Berlin. With a trilogy on the continuities of right-wing extremism, she staged performances at crime scenes throughout Munich’s urban space. She was an artist-in-residence at the Venice Biennale and directed in Brazil. Her film The Holy Bitch Project on violence against women screened at the NYC Indie Film Festival. Mudra’s research is also published in non-fiction books and podcasts.
Investigative Theater
Investigative theater stands for long-term journalistic research, which is based on primary sources and uncovers unknown facts. investigative theater portrays research utilizing a variety of interdisciplinary formats, often outside traditional theater spaces while seeking interaction with the audience.
Cira Santoro Cengic
Artistic Consultant & Performing Arts Expert | Independent | Bologna, Italy
Biography
Cira Santoro is a leading figure in the Italian performing arts, currently a freelance consultant (Roma Europa Festival, 369gradi, Fondazione Solares delle Arti). As Artistic Director of Fondazione Sipario Toscana (2023–2026), she achieved significant results, including the Premio Eolo awarded to the production K(-A-)O for its "creative use of stage languages" Previously, during her work at ATER Fondazione (2015–2023), and previusly at ERT Fondazione (2005 - 2015) her projects Teatro Arcobaleno—focused on gender differences through performing arts—won the Premio Eolo 2018, and Sciroppo di Teatro was the first project of Theatre of prescription in Europe. A specialist in audience development, she currently serves as a jury member for the Premio Riccione Young generations.
Independent
Cira Santoro is a freelance artistic consultant specializing in performing arts for young generations. Currently, she curates the international co-production "Action Briquette Z" by Kenji Shinohe, debuting at the Roma Europa Festival in November 2026. She collaborates with 369gradi on contemporary dramaturgy and consults for Youth Theatre at Fondazione Solares delle Arti. Since 2025, she has been a jury member for the Premio Riccione for Youth. She also coordinates scientific research with the University of Pisa on digitalizing theatre education archives She is member of C.Re.Sco - Coordinamento delle realtà di scena contemporanea
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Daniel Veldhoen
Artistic Managing Director | Münchner Kammerspiele | Munich, Germany
Biography
Daniel Veldhoen is Artistic Managing Director of the Munchner Kammerspiele since 2020, where he is in charge of the Artistic Production Office and the PR department. In his role he acts as producer of all MK productions, networks and collaborations, public relations and marketing.
Münchner Kammerspiele
MK brings together outstanding artists and provide them with unique conditions. MK is a theatre for the new and surprising with strong links to Eastern and Central Europe. MK is drawing on its founding traditions: it brings new, unheard voices to the stage to address the issues of our time. At the heart of the MK is our acting ensemble. Our theatre is run by over 300 employees, known for the quality of our actors and our departments. The MK has a multifaceted programme. We develop new drama with playwriters. We explore new artistic forms, for example with artists with and without impairments. Many of the international collabs we develop are longstanding to enable us to create productions of the highest artistic quality.
Denis Krdžalić
Executive Producer | Bosnian National Theatre Zenica | Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Since 2014, he has served as Executive Producer at the Bosnian National Theatre Zenica, where he has overseen the production of more than forty theatrical performances and coordinated numerous festivals and cultural events. He is the Executive Producer of the International Festival of Bosnian-Herzegovinian Drama Zenica and of the international event European Theatre Night. He currently serves as lead project manager of the Creative Europe–funded initiative Sexual Theatre: A Feminist Readings of Classics. He is also the producer of the Erasmus+ project Space for New Generations. Alongside his production work, he is actively engaged in academia. He works as an associate at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Tuzla and at the Department of Cultural Studies in Zenica.
Bosnian National Theatre Zenica
Bosnian National Theatre Zenica, founded in the 1950, is the most important artistic institution in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its modern, engaging repertoire spans the world's leading playwrights alongside Bosnian and South Slavic authors, earning numerous awards and a distinctive place among Bosnian theatres. Each season it premieres four to six productions for audiences of all ages. Beyond performances, BNP Zenica hosts three annual festivals (the Festival of Bosnian Drama, the International Festival of Educational Theatre, and Sexual Theatre), as well as European Theatre Night, and develops and delivers international, socially engaged projects with partners at home and abroad.
Diellza Ilgner
Performance Artist / Arts Manager | Independent | Rabat, Malta
Biography
Diellza Ilgner is a performance artist, writer, director, and cultural practitioner whose work bridges theatre and movement. She creates participatory and interdisciplinary projects exploring identity, displacement, belonging, and collective imagination. A First-Class BA (Hons.) Performing Arts graduate and MA Creativity and Innovation candidate, she has written, directed, and performed original works including Blackout, Homesick, Identità, and @dd_icted. Blackout premiered in Malta and was later programmed at Neues Schauspiel in Leipzig, Germany. Alongside her own creations, she has performed in numerous contemporary and mainstream productions across Malta and Germany. She is also the founder of Maghna, Malta's first inclusive dance group for people with physical disabilities.
Independent
Diellza Ilgner is a Malta-based performance artist, writer, and director. Her work moves between theatre, movement, and participatory practice, often in public spaces, often with communities. She makes performances about identity, displacement, and what it means to belong somewhere. She also founded Maghna, Malta's first inclusive dance group for people with physical disabilities, because that space didn't exist and she decided to build it
Dorotea Šušak
Manager And Artist | Trešnjevka Cultural Centre | Zagreb, Croatia
Biography
Dorotea Šušak is a Croatian dramaturg, arts manager, artist, and cultural professional based in Zagreb. She works at the Trešnjevka Cultural Centre, where she develops theatre and interdisciplinary cultural programmes while collaborating with artists, institutions, and international partners. Her work focuses on contemporary theatre, dramaturgy, cultural management, and international collaboration. She is also a poet and playwright whose work explores contemporary social issues, identity, and human relationships. Alongside her artistic practice, she is an activist dedicated to the prevention of gender-based violence and the promotion of women's rights through cultural and community initiatives.tives that combine art with social activism.
Trešnjevka Cultural Centre
Trešnjevka Cultural Centre is one of Zagreb's leading public cultural institutions, dedicated to the development and promotion of contemporary arts, cultural participation, and community engagement. Its programme includes theatre, music, visual arts, film, literature, education, and interdisciplinary projects, supporting both established and emerging artists. The Centre actively develops international collaborations and participates in European cultural networks and projects, fostering artistic exchange, audience development, and socially engaged cultural practices. Through its diverse activities, it serves as an important platform for innovation, inclusion, and intercultural dialogue.
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Đorđe Nešović
Artistic Director | Prince's Serbian Theatre | Kragujevac, Serbia
Biography
Đorđe Nešović graduated in Theatre and Radio Directing from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, where he also completed his Master's studies, and is currently pursuing doctoral artistic studies. He has directed numerous acclaimed productions in Serbia and the region, including Why Is He Laughing?, All the Good Barbies, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Healing Regime... Since December 2024, he has served as Artistic Director of the Prince's Serbian Theatre (Knjazevsko-Srpski Teatar) in Kragujevac. He is the recipient of the Dr. Hugo Klajn Award for the best theatre directing student of his generation, as well as the Special Sterija Award in 2026.
Prince's Serbian Theatre
The Prince's Serbian Theatre (Knjazevsko-Srpski Teatar) in Kragujevac is the oldest professional theatre in Serbia, founded in 1835 during the reign of Prince Miloš Obrenović. As a pioneering cultural institution, it played a crucial role in the development of modern Serbian theatre and performing arts. Today, the theatre continues to produce a diverse repertoire of classical and contemporary works, serving as one of the country's leading regional theatre centers. It is also closely connected to the JoakimFest International Theatre Festival, which brings together prominent theatre artists and companies from across the region.
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Ema Andrea
Actor and Producer | M.A.M Foundation | Tirana, Albania
Biography
Ema Andrea, born in Tirana in 1971, is a professor at the University of Arts in Tirana, where she teaches body language. She has played around 40 roles and directed more than 15 projects. Her work focuses on contemporary, independent and socially engaged performance.
M.A.M Foundation
MAM is an Albanian organization founded in 2013 by actress and activist Ema Andrea. It supports independent artists through workshops, trainings, performances and educational projects, and builds bridges between Albanian and international art scenes.
Emina Kovačević-Podgorčević
Theatre Director/Dramaturge/Playwright | Independent | Sarajevo and Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Emina Kovačević-Podgorčević, born in 1995, is a Bosnian-Herzegovinian, theatre director, playwright and poet. She graduated in Dramaturgy from the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo in 2021 and completed an MA in Advanced Theatre Practice at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London as a Chevening Scholar. She is the author of the award-winning plays Farewell, California!, Perseids, and Mala (with Emina Omerović and Nedzma Čizmo), and the recipient of the Miodrag Žalica Award for Best Bosnian-Herzegovinian Play, as well as awards for Best Contemporary Play at the Theatre Games of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Jajce.
Independent
Emina Kovačević-Podgorčević started her career exploring the human condition through plays that depict everyday life and occurrences, often with a dash of dark humor. Since 2025, she took a turn in her practice towards more experimental forms in contemporary theatre practices, while also maintaining a steady engagement across projects taking upon different roles as a theatre director, playwright, dramaturge and drama educator.
Erell Blouët
General Secretary | La Mousson d'été | Pont-à-Mousson, France
Biography
After working for eight years in the field of cultural diplomacy, including several positions as a project manager in French cultural centres and embassies overseas - Erell Blouët joined La Mousson d’été in 2019 as a communication officer with a mission to strengthen its international collaborations, especially within the networks "Fabulamundi Playwriting Europe" and "Tintas Frescas" in South America. She was appointed General Secretary in November 2021.
La Mousson d'été
La Mousson d’été (est. 1995) is a French festival and structure dedicated to renewing the theatrical repertoire by promoting new contemporary plays from France and other countries. La Mousson d’été organizes two annual festivals that showcase a selection of recent plays: • La Mousson d’hiver: held in March, it is aimed for the youth (high school and university students); • La Mousson d’été, International Theatre Encounters:, a six-day event in August, dedicated to new dramatic writing. It features a Summer University on contemporary playwriting, open to 80 people. La Mousson d'été also supports play translations and publications, and organizes residencies and workshops. It belongs to several international networks, including "Fabulamundi Playwriting Europe" (supported by Creative Europe).
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Fatih Gençkal
Artistic Director | A Corner in the World | İzmir, Turkey
Biography
Fatih Gençkal is a performing artist, choreographer, and curator based in İzmir, working across Turkey, the SWANA region, and Europe. His practice spans performance, choreographic research, dialogic publication, and curation — driven by a long-term inquiry into how artistic knowledge is produced, transmitted, and valued across contexts. He is co-founder of A Corner in the World, an independent curatorial platform creating frameworks of visibility and exchange for contemporary performance within Turkey and across its neighboring geographies, and of tibia x fibula, a collaborative practice working across disciplines to create live experiences at the intersection of art, play, and daily life. Fatih is currently a Das Third fellow at the Amsterdam University of the Arts.
A Corner in the World
A Corner in the World is an organization working at the intersection of arts, culture, and social sciences, creating diverse and thought-provoking curatorial content that explores timely issues through the lens of performance and its interaction with other disciplines. We are based in İstanbul and İzmir but our practice expands to various cities nationally and internationally.
France Morin
Director | AMA brussels | Brussels, Belgium
Biography
France Morin is the director and founder of AMA brussels, an international production and distribution office. A recognized trainer in performing arts production and distribution (Artist Project, Conservatoire de Mons, Arts Council Luxembourg, Charleroi danse's Master danse...), she is also co-founder of the ZIFFA festival in Senegal. Since 2026, she has served as distribution manager for the Ailleurs & ici hub in France.
AMA brussels
AMA brussels is a Brussels- based production and distribution office dedicated to supporting choreographic creation. At the core of its approach is a commitment to long-term artistic development, following artists throughout the evolution of their practice and viewing their work beyond the sole framework of production and touring. AMA brussels strives to create the conditions for artists to develop their work in the most meaningful and sustainable way. Working in close partnership with the artists it supports, the office helps shape a framework that nurtures creation, encourages experimentation, strengthens visibility, and fosters the long-term sustainability of artistic projects.
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Gordana Goncić
Acting Director | Atelje 212 Theatre | Belgrade, Serbia
Biography
GORDANA GONCIĆ Dramaturg and Acting Director of Atelje 212 Theatre Permanent Dramaturg at Atelje 212 Theatre since 1994. Acting Director of the Cultural Centre of Belgrade (2017 – 2019) Deputy Secretary at the Secretariat for Culture of the City of Belgrade (2019 – 2024) Chairman of the October Salon – Belgrade Biennale Committee (2018 – 2021) Chairman of the Belgrade Summer Festival (BELEF) Committee (2021 – 2025) Acting Director of the Atelje 212 since October 2024.
Atelje 212 Theatre
Atelje 212 was founded on 12th November 1956, seventy years ago. It was the first theater in Eastern Europe to present Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”. The remarkable success of this production paved the way for many other avant-garde playwrights and works to appear on its stage and introduced to our audiences here for the very first time. Under visionary leadership of the theatre director Mira Trailović, Atelje 212 transcended the borders of former Yugoslavia and gradually earned an international reputation. She also founded international theatre festival BITEF. Established at Atelje 212 in 1967. Today, Atelje 212 operates with two performance spaces and has a permanent ensemble of thirty actors while remaining open to collaborations with artists from Serbia and abroad.
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Hasibe Kalkan
Festival Programmer / Critic / Theatre Scholar | TheatreIST, TEB Oyun, Istanbul University | Istanbul, Turkey
Biography
Hasibe Kalkan earned her PhD with a dissertation on "Documentary Theatre". She worked as a production translator and dramaturg for the Istanbul State Theatre and wrote theatre reviews for various newspapers and journals. She taught in the Department of Theatre Studies at Freie Universität Berlin and was a fellow at the Interweaving Performance Cultures Centre. Since 2023, Hasibe Kalkan has served as Chair of the Department of Theatre Criticism and Dramaturgy at Istanbul University. Her major publications include "Documentary Theatre", "Semiotics in Theatre", and "Postmigrant Theatre in Germany". Hasibe Kalkan currently serves as President of the Turkish Section of the "International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC)" and is one of the Co-Founders of "TheatreIST" (Showcase Istanbul).
TheatreIST, TEB Oyun, Istanbul University
TheatreIST was first heard with the Showcase made in 2022. It is an umbrella term to cover the Showcase. Under this umbrella we present productions by independant theatres, are holding panels, discussions, workshops, talks with theatre professionals from Turkey and around the world.
Hazim Begagić
Producer, University Professor and Researcher; Head of Department | University of Zenica – Cultural Studies Programme / Department for Cultural and Tourism Studies | Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Hazim Begagić is a producer, university professor and researcher specialising in performing arts and cultural policy. He holds degrees from Sarajevo, Bologna, Siena and Zagreb, and served for a decade as director of the Bosnian National Theatre Zenica and the International Festival of Bosnian-Herzegovinian Drama. Throughout his career, he has led and produced more than 100 artistic projects and international co-productions, while also working as a festival programmer, jury member, author and cultural policy expert. He currently leads the Cultural Studies Programme and heads the Department for Cultural and Tourism Studies at the University of Zenica.
University of Zenica – Cultural Studies Programme / Department for Cultural and Tourism Studies
The Cultural Studies Programme and the Department for Cultural and Tourism Studies at the University of Zenica focus on interdisciplinary education and research in culture, cultural policy, arts management, tourism and the creative industries.
Hilde Guri Bohlin
Theatre director | Ibsen Scope | Norway
Biography
Hilde Guri Bohlin has been the director of Ibsen Scope since 2009 planning and conducting Ibsen Scope Festival and Ibsen Scope Grants, which include 54 grant winning performances in 32 different countries. In addition, she as has co-produced theatre performances with Zoukak Theatre Company, Lebanon, Theatre Anfass, Morocco, Robert M. Johanson and Sibyl Kempson, USA and Dramatikkens Hus, Norway to mention a few.
Ibsen Scope
Ibsen Scope was initiated by the Norwegian Government in 2007 and had its initial year in 2008. Ibsen Scope aim is to discuss Ibsen, theatre, and political relevance from a contemporary perspective – in a world where the social, political an economical landscape is rapidly changing. Henrik Ibsen is a key figure in theatre history. His discussions of emerging modernity and his different treatments of poetics vs reality has set strong marks around the globe. Is theatre a representation of a time and an era? Do Ibsen’s plays resonate the local and global challenges of today? With Ibsen’s dramatic universe as a pivoting point for addressing different conflicts and thresholds between the local and the global, the private and the collective, them and us, Ibsen Scope investigates the relations between theatre and society in different parts of the world through The Ibsen Scope Festival and Ibsen Scope Grants.
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Inga Remeta
General manager | SLOVENSKO MLADINSKO GLEDALISCE | Ljubljana, Slovenia
Biography
I was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 10 March 1979, and have lived in Ljubljana, Slovenia, since 1996. I graduated in Social Work in 2004. Since 2003, I have worked in contemporary performing arts, beginning my career at Glej Theatre. From 2010 to 2024, I served as General Director of Glej Theatre and, from 2018 to 2024, as a member of its Artistic Board. I was Vice President (2015–2018) and President (2018–2024) of Asociacija, Slovenia's umbrella organisation for the independent cultural sector, and Vice President of EAIPA (European Association of Independent Performing Arts) from 2020 to 2024. Since August 2024, I have been General Director of the Slovenian Mladinsko Theatre.
SLOVENSKO MLADINSKO GLEDALISCE
The Slovenian Youth Theatre is one of Europe's leading contemporary theatre institutions, renowned for politically engaged, socially relevant and artistically innovative work. Based in Ljubljana and deeply connected to international networks, we create performances that challenge conventions, foster dialogue and actively engage with the public sphere. Working across disciplines and generations, we combine bold artistic languages with collective creation and a strong commitment to critical reflection on contemporary society. Since its founding in 1955, the theatre has continuously redefined its mission while building a strong international presence through extensive touring across Europe and beyond.
Isabelle Kaiser
Szenographer | IK SCENOGRAPHY, "Independent" | Berlin, Germany and Switzerland
Biography
Originally from Switzerland, Isabelle Kaiser is a scenographer and costume designer working across stage design, costume design, public space and exhibitions. Based in Berlin, she trained in Zurich and Berlin and has collaborated with independent companies, state theatres, opera houses and philharmonics internationally.
IK SCENOGRAPHY
IK SCENOGRAPHY is Isabelle Kaiser’s independent practice. It focuses on scenography, costume design and spatial concepts for theatre, opera, public space and exhibitions, with international collaborations across the independent scene and institutional productions.
Ishak Jalimam
Producer | Sarajevo War Theatre SARTR | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Ishak Jalimam is a graduate of the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo, where he studied Production and currently works as a teaching fellow. He previously served as Head of CineLink at the Sarajevo Film Festival. Jalimam is a producer at the Sarajevo War Theatre (SARTR) and also produces the Festival Juventafest. He has previously worked as Technical Director of the Festival MESS. Throughout his career, he has been involved in numerous films in various capacities, with works screened at major international festivals including Sundance, CPH:DOX, La Biennale di Venezia, Sarajevo Film Festival and others. He is the founder and president of Realstage. In 2020, he received the Young Producers Award at Sofia Film Festival, and in 2024 he was awarded the Ivica Matić Award.
Sarajevo War Theatre SARTR
Sarajevo War Theatre SARTR was founded on 17 May 1992, bringing together actors and other theatre professionals from Sarajevo’s three professional theatres, which had been forced to suspend their work due to the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the war, actors and other theatre practitioners from Sarajevo became closely involved with SARTR, performing more than 200 shows over the four years of the siege. SARTR not only preserves the memory of that period, but continues today to strongly uphold universal values: the richness of diversity, anti-fascism, the sanctity of peace, activism, internationalism, and solidarity with all those who suffer injustice around the world. Through its legacy and its work, SARTR strives to remain a place of conscience and courage.
Iva Srnec Hamer
Theatre Director | Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb | Zagreb, Croatia
Biography
Iva Srnec Hamer is a theatre director, drama educator, and producer based in Zagreb, Croatia. She holds an MA in Theatre Directing and Radio Production from the Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb, and is a certified drama educator accredited by the Croatian Centre for Drama Education. She has served as Head of Artistic Educational Production at the Academy of Dramatic Art, coordinating theatre and dance productions. She is the founder of theatre companies Točka na i and Empiria Theatre For more than fifteen years, she has worked as a drama educator, leading workshops for children, young people, adults, and theatre professionals. Her work focuses on applied theatre, forum theatre, inclusive artistic practice, and the development of creative and participatory methods in theatre.
Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb
ISH is a creative practice founded by theatre director, drama educator, and producer Iva Srnec Hamer, dedicated to theatre production, directing, drama education, and the development of participatory artistic projects. ISH creates original theatre productions, educational program, and workshops for children, young people, adults, and professionals. Its work brings together artistic excellence, social engagement, and innovative learning methods, with a particular focus on applied theatre, forum theatre, inclusion, and community participation. ISH collaborates with theatres, cultural institutions, NGOs, and international partners, developing projects that connect artistic practice with education and social impact.
Ivan Loboda
Programme Curator | Koper Theatre | Koper, Slovenia
Biography
Ivan Loboda is a Slovenian theatre director, producer, and curator. He is the Artistic Director of the international FUGA Festival and has worked at Koper Theatre as a producer, programme coordinator, and curator. He graduated in Theatre Directing from Middlesex University in London and continued his studies at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television in Ljubljana. His productions have been presented in Slovenia's leading theatres and selected for the Borštnik Theatre Festival and the Week of Slovenian Drama. His work explores contemporary performance, visual dramaturgy, and interdisciplinary approaches while combining artistic practice with cultural management and international collaboration.
Koper Theatre
Koper Theatre (Gledališče Koper) is one of Slovenia's leading public theatres, located in the coastal city of Koper. Established in 2000, it produces a diverse repertoire of contemporary and classical drama, supports emerging artists, and regularly collaborates with international partners. Alongside its main stage productions, the theatre develops educational programmes, festivals, and projects that strengthen cultural exchange and engage audiences of all generations.
Ivan Plazibat
Theatre Director | Independent | Split, Croatia
Biography
Ivan Plazibat is a theatre director from Croatia. He has directed 40 plays in Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in theatres such as HNK Split, HNK Varaždin, HNK Osijek, HNK Zagreb, HNK Ivan pl. Zajc, Kunst Teatar Zagreb, BNP Zenica, SARTR Sarajevo, GP Jazavac, MGL Ljubljana, and many others. His plays have been performed at numerous festivals throughout the region, such as the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Sterjinino Pozorje, Marulićevi Dani, Teatar Fest Petar Kočić, and others. In the 2023/2024 season, he was the artistic director of the Drama Department of HNK Split.
Independent
As a freelance theatre director, I work with theatre houses that are stably and continuously funded, such as the National and City Theatres, but also with independent theatres such as the Kunst Teatar in Zagreb. I have also directed numerous contemporary Croatian playwrights as well as adaptations of contemporary prose works by such authors as Ivor Martinić, Ivana Vuković, Kristijan Novak, Lidija Deduš…
Ivana Cvetkovic Bajrovic
Consultant | Independent | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Ivana is an independent consultant and film producer based in Sarajevo. Since 2021, she has served as an external advisor to Heartefact Fund, providing strategic guidance, leadership coaching, and program support for initiatives advancing social cohesion and democratic values through culture and the arts. She is a board member of Dokufest, the leading documentary and short film festival in Southeast Europe, and chairwoman of the Balkans Forward Foundation. Previously, Ivana was the Europe program director at the National Endowment for Democracy, where she managed funding for civil society organizations, independent media, and cultural initiatives across Europe. In 2025, she co-produced a documentary film DOM, which premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
Independent
My work includes cultural production, grantmaking, fundraising, festival governance, strategic advisory, leadership and management coaching, and participatory facilitation. Through collaborations with organizations such as Heartefact Fund, Dokufest, and regional cultural networks, I support initiatives that strengthen independent cultural actors, foster regional cooperation, and use arts and culture as tools for social cohesion, critical dialogue, and civic engagement.
Ivana Todorović
Producer | Youth Theatre Novi Sad | Novi Sad, Serbia
Biography
I hold both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Theatre Production from the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, Serbia. Since 1999, I have been working at the Youth Theatre in Novi Sad. Since 2004, I have collaborated with major cultural festivals, including Sterijino Pozorje, EXIT Festival, Cinema City, Zmaj Children’s Games… My work includes the production and organization of theatre performances, festivals, and international cultural events.
Youth Theatre Novi Sad
The Youth Theatre (Pozorište mladih) in Novi Sad, founded in 1932, is the oldest puppet theatre in Serbia and one of the oldest in the region. Originally established as a puppet theatre, it has evolved into a leading public theatre with two permanent stages: the Children’s Stage and the Drama Stage, founded in 1991. Recognized for its artistic excellence, it has received numerous national and international awards and remains one of Serbia’s most important institutions dedicated to theatre for children and young audiences.
Ivor Martinić
Playwright | Independent | Croatia / Spain
Biography
Ivor Martinić graduated in Dramaturgy from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. Since 2009, he has worked as a dramaturge, playwright and mentor across the region. His plays have been produced in more than one hundred productions internationally, with a particularly strong presence in South America.
Independent
Sarajevo Atelier Program
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Jana Milivojević
Playwright | Independent | Belgrade, Serbia
Biography
Jana Milivojević (2002) is a graduating dramaturgy student at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts Belgrade. She works as a dramaturge and playwright, collaborating on theatre productions while developing her own dramatic texts. Her plays have received numerous awards and international recognition. we are scared, we are learning how to count was selected by Eurodram and earned her the Slobodan Selenić Award for Best Graduation Play. Her children's play Kako vezati pertlewon the Radio Belgrade Award, while her works have been translated into Polish and French and presented at international festivals.
Independent
My writing focuses on the emotional and social realities of contemporary young people. I explore themes of identity, family relationships, loneliness, and the challenges of growing up.
Judith Martina Kuckart
Artistic Director | Independent | Berlin, Germany
Biography
Judith Kuckart is a writer, choreographer and director. She grew up in Schwelm, on the outskirts of the Ruhr region, and studied literature and theatre studies in Berlin, as well as dance at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. In 1984, she founded the Skoronel Dance Theatre, with which she staged numerous productions until 1998. Since 1999, she has been directing at various theatres, mostly staging her own texts or plays developed in collaboration with others. At the same time, she works as a novelist; her most recent novel, "Die Welt zwischen den Nachrichten" \["The World in between the News"\], was published in 2024.
Independent
My work constantly moves between dance, literature and drama. Productions are usually funded through project grants. Where possible, I collaborate with institutions, such as literary centres and theatre or dance festivals. I almost always develop my themes and material in collaboration with the performers – and, more recently, with musicians as well.
Judith Weißenborn
Editor / Agent | Felix Bloch Erben | Berlin, Germany
Biography
Judith Weißenborn is a dramaturg and literary editor based in Berlin. She studied Cultural Studies and Aesthetic Practice at the University of Hildesheim. She then worked as a dramaturg at the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus before joining Felix Bloch Erben, Germany's oldest theatre publishing house, where she works as a literary editor — advising playwrights, overseeing repertoire development, and connecting dramatic writing with the stage. She also works as an agent and represents theater directors.
Felix Bloch Erben
Felix Bloch Erben is Germany's oldest and biggest theatre publisher, founded in Berlin in 1849. The publisher represents authors and works across all dramatic genres — from classics and comedy to contemporary drama and theatre for young audiences, as well as operetta and musical theatre. Felix Bloch Erben holds performance and broadcasting rights and represents German and international playwrights and screenwriters.
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Kalina Dimitrova Wagenstein
Cultural Manager | Art Office Foundation | Sofia, Bulgaria
Biography
Kalina Wagenstein is a cultural manager with more than 30 years of experience in the field of the performing arts and cinema. After serving as a national representative at the EURIMAGES Fund of the Council of Europe and leading for almost ten years the Sofia office of the Swiss Cultural Program in South-Eastern Europe, in 2007 she created the ART OFFICE Foundation, working with Bulgarian artists and their artistic production in the country and abroad. The Foundation is considered as one of the most active bodies in the field of the independent performing arts in Bulgaria. Mrs. Wagenstein is trained in cultural policy, project management, NGO management and fundraising, attending numerous courses in Bulgaria, France, Switzerland and Hungary. She speaks English, French and Russian.
Art Office Foundation
Art Office is registered as a foundation for public benefit engaged with the promotion and circulation of non-commercial productions of the performing arts (theatre, dance, and music). It works with Bulgarian artists and their artistic production and has activities in Bulgaria and abroad. Art Office also provides educational services, organization of cultural programs, consultations, and implements surveys and studies. Its most important long-term projects are Art in Motion (a small grants scheme for touring within Bulgaria) and the US/BG Artistic Exchange Program, which stimulates the contacts and exchange between young and emerging artists from the two countries.
Karel Hermanek
Owner and Artistic Director | Bez zábradlí Theatre | Prague and New York, Czech Republic and USA
Biography
Karel Heřmánek Jr. is the owner and Artistic Director of Bez zábradlí Theatre, one of the Czech Republic's leading private theatres. Since assuming its leadership, he has overseen the theatre's artistic programming, international collaborations, and the development of new productions while continuing its long-standing tradition of presenting high-quality drama and comedy. Alongside his work as a producer and artistic director, he is an accomplished actor with credits in theatre, film, and television in both Europe and the United States. He is a two-time Thalia Award nominee, a member of Actors' Equity Association.
Bez zábradlí Theatre
Founded in 1991, Bez zábradlí Theatre is one of the Czech Republic's leading private theatres. Located in the heart of Prague, it presents a diverse repertoire of contemporary plays, classic dramas, and comedies, featuring many of the country's most acclaimed actors and directors. Alongside its own productions, the theatre hosts guest performances and develops international collaborations, introducing Czech audiences to significant works of world theatre. With a strong commitment to artistic excellence and accessibility, Bez zábradlí Theatre welcomes tens of thousands of visitors each year and remains an important part of Prague's cultural life.
Knut Geißler
Artistic Director | Off Europa Festival | Leipzig, Germany
Biography
Actor, director, dramaturg. Founder and artistic director of the MANöVER / Off Europa festivals. Co-founder and board member of the Leipzig venue LOFFT – DAS THEATER.
Off Europa Festival
MANöVER / Off Europa. Festival of Contemporary Performing Art. Founded 1992 in Leipzig, since 2028 partly also in Dresden + Chemnitz. For many years, the festival focused on specific national contexts (Bosnia and Herzegovina, for example, in 2009). Since 2023, it mainly explores thematic and/or formal approaches.
Kristina Fein
Grants Coordinator | Goethe-Institut / Culture Moves Europe | Brussels, Belgium
Biography
Kristina Fein is a Grants Coordinator for Culture Moves Europe where she has spent the past four years supporting artists and cultural professionals in carrying out mobility projects with international partners across Creative Europe. Her focus is to make European funding schemes feel less intimidating and more within reach for artists, and she is glad to talk through how to navigate the application process.
Goethe-Institut / Culture Moves Europe
Culture Moves Europe is a mobility scheme funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union and implemented by the Goethe-Institut. It supports artists and cultural professionals across 41 Creative Europe countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, by funding individual mobility and residency projects in the fields of architecture, cultural heritage, design and fashion design, literature, music, performing arts, and visual arts. With a total budget of €25 million, the scheme aims to support around 7000 artists and cultural professionals and host organisatons between 2025-2028, enabling them to travel, collaborate, and develop projects with partners in another Creative Europe country.
Kryštof Koláček
Producer / Manager / Programmer | Divadlo X10 | Prague, Czech Republic
Biography
Kryštof Koláček is a cultural manager and producer with 20+ years of experience. Since 2014, he has led Divadlo X10, the 2023 Theatre of the Year in Czechia. In 2024, he was elected President of the European Association of Independent Performing Arts. He manages the Tripoint platform for ECoC České Budějovice 2028 and co-founded the Kutná Hora Performing Arts Festival. A significant milestone is his co-founding of Continental Drift (2024), a major Asia-Europe project facilitating cross-continental collaboration and artistic exchange. His career includes leadership roles at Municipal Theatres Kladno and A Studio Rubín, as well as managerial roles in the corporate sector. He also co-founded the Bavarian-Czech Platform, actively shaping the international independent cultural landscape.
Divadlo X10
Divadlo X10 is a leading independent platform for contemporary theatre and live art in Prague. Based in the Art Industry Building since 2017, this non-profit collective fosters critical thinking through original plays addressing urgent social and universal issues. As the 2023 Czech Theatre of the Year, X10 hosts over 250 events annually, including six premieres and international tours. It also produces the Kutná Hora Performing Arts Festival, showcasing contemporary works from Central and Eastern Europe, and the interdisciplinary Y Events series, blending visual arts, performance, and discussions. Since 2013, X10 has evolved into a cornerstone of the Czech independent scene, bridging local innovation with international collaboration.
Ksenija Krčar
Dramaturg | Croatian National Theatre in Varaždin | Varaždin, Croatia
Biography
Ksenija Krčar is a Croatian dramaturg and theatre director based in Varaždin. She graduated in theatre directing from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU) and has directed more than twenty professional productions in Croatia and the Czech Republic. Her work includes classical and contemporary drama, literary adaptations, devised theatre, site-specific productions and socially engaged projects. She is particularly interested in themes of gender, power, family relationships, social conformity and personal freedom. Alongside her work as a dramaturg at the Croatian National Theatre in Varaždin, she has developed an extensive directing practice, worked with young people and participated in European theatre projects.
Croatian National Theatre in Varaždin
The Croatian National Theatre in Varaždin is a public repertory theatre and one of Croatia’s long-established cultural institutions. Housed in a historic theatre building designed by the Viennese architect Hermann Helmer and opened in 1873, it presents classical and contemporary drama, Croatian and international playwrights, new writing, adaptations, authorial projects, and performances for children and young audiences. The theatre combines the work of its permanent ensemble with collaborations involving guest artists and creative teams. It also develops educational programmes through its Youth Theatre Studio and participates in festivals, guest performances, and international collaborations, connecting repertory theatre with contemporary artistic practices and new audiences.
Ksenija Milutinovic
Producer | Heartefact | Belgrade, Serbia
Biography
Ksenija Milutinović is a theater producer and cultural manager based in Belgrade, Serbia. She works as a Producer at Heartefact, a leading regional organization supporting contemporary arts, independent culture, and human rights initiatives in Southeast Europe. Since 2022, she has been involved in the production and coordination of theater performances, public art programs, and international cultural collaborations. Her work includes producing contemporary theater projects addressing themes of gender, identity, social justice, and post-conflict memory, as well as serving as a producer and curator of PrideArt, the cultural program of Belgrade Pride. Ksenija’s practice focuses on creating spaces for dialogue, inclusion, and artistic exchange through contemporary performing arts.
Heartefact
Heartefact is a Belgrade-based cultural and human rights organization working at the intersection of contemporary arts, social engagement, and democratic development. Through theatre productions, festivals, artistic residencies, public programs, and international collaborations, Heartefact supports socially engaged artistic practices that address issues such as human rights, memory, identity, inclusion, and freedom of expression. Active across the Western Balkans and Europe, the organization creates spaces for critical dialogue and cultural exchange while fostering regional cooperation and supporting emerging and established artists. Heartefact is recognized as one of the leading independent cultural organizations in Southeast Europe.
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Laura Charlotte Mangels
Dramaturge & Festival Programmer | Theater Oberhausen | Oberhausen, Germany
Biography
Dramaturge at Theater Oberhausen. Studied Cultural Studies, Political Science, Theatre Studies and Dramaturgy at Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Universität Leipzig and Theaterakademie August Everding / Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Previously Dramaturge at Theater Regensburg, Guest Dramaturge at Volkstheater München and Ivan Vasov National Theatre in Sofia, Bulgaria. Curator of a biennial festival highlighting drama & performances from South Eastern Europe (New Stages South East, South East Revisited, MYTHOS FEST) focussed on contemporary dramatic texts, new dramaturgies and emerging artists.
Theater Oberhausen
Strongly focussing on contemporaneity, Theater Oberhausen produces 18 repertoire productions in the departments Theatre, Young Theatre, Urban Arts (newly established in 2023) and Open Haus (participatory projects with residents of the area). Emphasizing a curious, emotional and political approach to theatre, the artistic profile highlights the continuous work with (international) emerging directors and playwrights for world premieres and German language premieres. In recent seasons, perspectives and stories from the Southeast Europe region have already formed an important thematic focus, which will be continued and deepened. Theater Oberhausen was awarded with Theaterpreis des Bundes 2026 (Federal Theatre Prize 2026).
Lejla Kalamujić
Playwright | Independent | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Lejla Kalamujić (1980) is an award-winning writer and playwright from Sarajevo. She has authored acclaimed short story collections, including Call Me Esteban (winner of the regional “Edo Budiša” Award) and Požuri i izmisli grad (winner of the “Štefica Cvek” Award). Beyond fiction, she is a celebrated dramatist. Her book of plays Šake pune oblaka features works staged at the Bosnian National Theater. Her recent play Na slovo F won the Sarajevo National Theater’s competition for best domestic play, was published in Zagreb in 2025, and reached the finals of the prestigious international Aurora Award 2024. Her work has been translated into a dozen languages.
Independent
I would love to participate in STS program in order to see new performances, to meet other theater professionals and exchange experiences. This platform will help me connect with colleagues for future collaborations.
Lejla Mujkić
Assistant Minister for Culture | Ministry of Culture Sarajevo Canton | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Assistant Minister for Culture (Canton Sarajevo) is a senior civil service position within the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Canton of Sarajevo. The role involves leading the Culture Department, developing and implementing cultural policies, coordinating public cultural institutions and overseeing cultural programs and funding.
Ministry of Culture Sarajevo Canton
The Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Canton of Sarajevo is the government institution responsible for developing and implementing policies in the fields of culture and sports. It supports public cultural institutions and cultural heritage, funds programs and projects, and works to improve access to culture across the Canton.
Lena Wontorra
Dramaturg | Burgtheater | Vienna, Austria
Biography
Lena Wontorra studied Applied Theatre Studies in Giessen and at Freie Universität Berlin. In 2019/20 she became a dramaturg at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, and in the 2022/23 season managing dramaturg. She has been responsible for the festival dramaturgy of the Internationale Schillertage and is co-founder of the Institut für Digitaldramatik. In 2024/25 she moved to the Burgtheater in Vienna. She lives in Vienna and Berlin.
Burgtheater
The Burgtheater is one of the largest and most historic theatre companies in Europe. A permanent ensemble performs classical and modern plays on four different stages.
Lidija Ivanda
Producer & Artistic Director | Erato Theatre | Zagreb, Croatia
Biography
Lidija Ivanda holds a Ph.D. from the University of J.J. Strossmayer, Osijek and an MA in Film, TV, and Theatre Production from the ADU Zagreb. As artistic director of Theatre Erato and director of Ars Septima Ltd., she produces films and theatre shows, organizes workshops, and leads interdisciplinary summer schools. Her productions (and co-productions incl. The Philantropist and Betrayal) have won the most prestigious Croatian theatre awards – Vladimir Nazor, Croatian Theatre Awards, Fabijan Šovagović awards, Marul and Marin Držić – and the play Embers represented Croatia at the Theatre Olympics. Her award-winning film projects include Lea i Darija and Srečen za umret, acclaimed internationally. Her multidisciplinary work bridges cultural production, education and audience engagement.
Erato Theatre
Erato Theatre, founded on the initiative of long-time collaborators from film and theatre production, successfully produces and distributes domestic and foreign plays. It organizes interdisciplinary summer schools with partners from Canada and the USA. The most important productions include the multiple award-winning plays Embers (Vladimir Nazor et al.), What Life Has Done…, Judith French, Betrayal, The Philanthropist, The Factory of Croatians… Erato also records successful co-productions with the HNK in Zagreb and Šibenik, the KMD in Dubrovnik, etc. In addition to numerous awards, Erato continuously contributes to education and social inclusion and revitalizes and creates new scenes and programs: CeKaTe, Lea Deutsch in the Jewish Community and stage readings of dramas in KiC.
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Maria Milisavljević
Playwright | Independent | Berlin, Germany
Biography
Maria Milisavljević is a prominent contemporary German playwright whose works have been produced by leading theatres including Deutsches Theater Berlin, Burgtheater Vienna and Thalia Theater Hamburg. Her award-winning play Staubfrau received the 2025 Mülheim Dramatikpreis and Audience Award. She also works as a translator and mentor.
Independent
As a playwright and translator, Maria also teaches playwriting and mentors emerging writers. She teaches at Bard College and the University of Applied Arts Vienna and leads workshops internationally. She was a mentor in this year's STS Atelier programme.
Maria Rößler
Dramaturg & Curator | Kunstfest Weimar | Berlin / Weimar, Germany
Biography
Maria Rößler is an independent dramaturg and curator. She has been working internationally on artistic projects with various theatre and performance makers as well as for arts organisations such as Berliner Festspiele, HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin, art centre Vooruit in Ghent, Mousonturm Frankfurt am Main / Theater der Welt 2023, and Zürcher Theater Spektakel. At the end of 2025, she joined the new programme team of Kunstfest Weimar. Maria was born in East Germany and is based in Berlin.
Kunstfest Weimar
Kunstfest Weimar (Weimar Arts Festival) is an international contemporary arts festival that takes place annually in late summer at various locations in the cultural city of Weimar and its surroundings. The multidisciplinary festival programme features performances, exhibitions, concerts, readings, talk events, and more. Kunstfest Weimar was founded in 1990 as one of the first cultural initiatives in East Germany after German reunification. Since 2014, Kunstfest Weimar has been an independent division of the German National Theater (DNT) and Staatskapelle Weimar. Katharina Germo and Juliane Hahn are the new directors of the festival. Their first festival edition will take place from 20 August until 6 September 2026.
Marija Backović
Producer | Drama Studio Prazan Prostor | Podgorica, Montenegro
Biography
Marija Backović – psychologist, drama pedagogue, and producer. Director of the Drama Studio Prazan Prostor and president of ASSITEJ Montenegro. Since 2009, she has been engaged as coordinator at the Kotor Festival of Theatre. Marija has produced professional performances within the independent theatre scene, many of which have been presented at prominent festivalsearning awards and recognition. She coordinates a number of international youth projects and has implemented artistic residencies for young professionals. Her work frequently involves socially marginalized groups. She is the founder of the regional platform Od malih nog(u), focused on the development and promotion of theatre for children and youth. She is the president of the Council of the Kotor Theatre for Children and Youth.
Drama Studio Prazan Prostor
Drama Studio Prazan Prostor is a leading organization in the field of drama education in Montenegro, dedicated to the personal and creative development of children and young people through contemporary drama methods. Over the past twenty five years, more than 3,000 participants have attended its programs, and over 70 performances and public presentations have been produced. Since 2018, Prazan Prostor has also focused on professional theatre production, creating contemporary performances and contributing to the development of Montenegro’s independent theatre scene. Its most notable productions include The Rooms , Anna Karenina, and The Magic Mountain, directed by Mirko Radonjić, as well as Death in Dubrovnik, Love and Violence and Little Tesla, directed by Petar Pejaković.
Marija Bliznac
Festival programmer, Head of PR for PIT Festival, slampoet | Porsgrunn International Theatre Festival | Porsgrunn, Norway
Biography
Marija Bliznac is a spoken word artist, actor, cultural worker, and festival programmer. She is part of the four-person curatorial team behind the Porsgrunn International Theatre Festival, organized by Grenland Friteater, Norway’s oldest independent theatre group. She also serves as Head of PR for both the festival and the theatre. She is Norwegian champion in poetryslam 2023.
Porsgrunn International Theatre Festival
Grenland Friteater is Norway’s oldest independent theatre group, based in Porsgrunn. It is a professional theatre company and cultural institution with a long-standing commitment to artistic innovation, international exchange, and the development of the performing arts. The company organizes Porsgrunn International Theatre Festival, an annual festival that brings together artists, theatre makers, and audiences through a diverse programme of performances, workshops, and other cultural activities. The festival is an important meeting place for the local, national, and international performing arts community. In 2025 it had its 30 year anniversary.
Marija Sarap
Art Director | Montenegrin National Theatre | Podgorica, Montenegro
Biography
Marija Sarap earned a PhD in Cultural Studies in 2021 from the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, at the Institute of Macedonian Literature. She completed her undergraduate and specialist studies in Dramatic Arts at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje, studying under Professor Stevan Koprivica. In 2014, she also obtained a Master's degree in Dramaturgy from the ESRA European Film Academy – Paris–Skopje–New York, under the mentorship of Professor Jordan Plevneš.
Montenegrin National Theatre
The history of the Montenegrin National Theatre in Podgorica dates back to the 1950s, following the decision to move the administrative centre of the People’s Republic of Montenegro from Cetinje to Podgorica, then known as Titograd. The establishment of this theatre was preceded by an organised and continuous theatrical life in Montenegro which, from 1884 onwards, developed under the patronage of the state authorities, first in Cetinje and, from 1910, within the Royal Theatre Zetski Dom, initially known as the Knjaževsko Montenegrin National Theatre, and later as the National Theatre of the Zeta Banovina, from 1931 until the Second World War.
Marina Petković Liker
Artistic director / producer / director | Četveroruka / Fourhanded | Zagreb, Croatia
Biography
Marina Petković Liker is a Croatian theatre director, theatre maker, voice and speech teacher, researcher, filmmaker and producer. She founded the independent artistic organisation Fourhanded in 2013, where she works as Artistic Director and Producer, developing interdisciplinary, research-based and original theatre projects. Her artistic and research interests include voice and speech, the performing body, silence, female perspectives and the female principle in theatre theory and practice, autobiographical and documentary approaches to performance, trauma and memory, and specific forms of theatrical communication. She has directed more than 30 productions for independent and institutional theatres. Her productions have received numerous awards in Croatia and internationally.
Četveroruka / Fourhanded
Četveroruka/Fourhanded is an independent artistic organization from Zagreb, Croatia dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration and contemporary performance practices. The collective brings together artists from diverse fields, including theatre, dance, music, and visual arts, to create innovative, process-driven works that explore the relationship between body, space, and sound. Through its projects, Četveroruka emphasizes risk, experimentation and the development of new performative languages. The organization has presented work in various cultural contexts, engaging audiences through immersive formats and site-specific interventions. In addition to production, Četveroruka is committed to research, education and international collaboration.
Maximilian Zahn
Dramaturg and Programmer | Wiener Festwochen (Vienna Festival) | Vienna, Austria
Biography
Maximilian Zahn is a dramaturg and author working across theatre, dance, and performance. He studied Applied Theatre Studies and Dramaturgy in Giessen and Zagreb and participated in the Forum Text program at uniT Graz. He worked as a dramaturg at the international production house Künstler\*innenhaus Mousonturm, where he was involved in both local and international collaborations. In 2025, he joined the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) as a dramaturg.
Wiener Festwochen (Vienna Festival)
The Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) is one of the most important European art and culture festivals; it stokes contemporary global cultural debate, commissions or co-produces works. Theatre, music, opera and performance productions are on show and sociopolitical issues are creatively addressed for five weeks in May and June of each year. The start of Milo Rau’s artistic directorship in 2024 initiated a radical re-design of the festival with the involvement of citizens. The Free Republic of Vienna was proclaimed to 40,000 visitors during the opening of that year’s Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen).
Michael Hans Zehentner
Actor | Independent | Berlin, Germany
Biography
Michael Zehenter is an Austrian actor and comedian. He studied Acting at the University of the Art in Graz. Past engagements include Neue Bühne Senftenberg, Theater Regensburg, Schauspielhaus Salzburg, and Landesbühnen Sachsen Radebeul. Michael currently works as a freeland actor and comedian. He is based in Berlin.
Independent
I am a freelance actor, attending the festvial with my partner the playwright and Atelier mentor Maria Milisavljevic.
Miłosz Markiewicz-Pietrzak
Deputy Director For Programming | National Theatre | Warsaw, Poland
Biography
Cultural scholar and art historian, dramaturge, translator, and art critic, with a PhD in humanities. He has co-created theatre productions and radio plays based on both canonical and more recent works, working alongside Justyna Łagowska, Jan Klata, and Robert Talarczyk, among others. As a scriptwriter, he has also worked on outdoor performances and an online series. Since September 1, 2025, he has been Deputy Director for Programming at the National Theatre. During Ingmar Villqist's artistic directorship, he served as curator of the programme for the INTERPRETATIONS National Festival of Directing in Katowice (2018–2022). He has worked as an expert and collaborator for numerous cultural institutions across the country.
National Theatre
The National Theatre was founded on 19th November, 1765. Over the years, it has hosted world premieres of Polish plays, seen a star-studded era (including Helena Modrzejewska, amongst others), put on various triumphs by composer Stanisław Moniuszko, seen patriotic demonstrations and the introduction of contemporary drama to the stage. The National Theatre has been directed by, or worked with, some of Poland’s most distinguished directors: Juliusz Osterwa, Wilam Horzyca, Erwin Axer, Kazimierz Dejmek, Adam Hanuszkiewicz, Jerzy Grzegorzewski, Jerzy Jarocki. In 2025, Jan Klata took over as director of the Theatre. In his first season, the Theatre put on over 400 performances, attracting nearly 88,000 visitors. We presented five premieres – by five different theatrical voices.
Märt Meos
Producer | Freedom Festival | Tallinn, Estonia
Biography
Estonian theater producer, director, and curator. A graduate of the Department of Cultural Studies at Tallinn Pedagogical Institute, he has been involved in theater for over three decades. In the 1990s, he worked as an actor in various Estonian theaters. Since 2000, he has been the head of the R.A.A.A.M. theater, where he has produced over 60 productions. He is the founder and artistic director of two important institutions in the Estonian performing arts world: R.A.A.A.M. (2000) and the international performing arts center Vaba Lava (2010). He initiated and curates the Freedom Festival (since 2021) and was one of the curators of the Oslo International Festival 2025. His productions and projects have been presented at dozens of festivals around the world .
Freedom Festival
https://vabalava.ee/en/
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NG Cheuk Yan Frieda
Producer & Senior Programme Manager | No Limits, Hong Kong Arts Festival | Hong Kong SAR
Biography
I am a producer and programmer on contemporary theatre, dance and disability arts. I have been workind in the arts scene for more than 15 years and I am currently the senior programme manager in No Limits, an inclusive arts festival presented by Hong Kong Arts Festival. I am particularly interested to meet artists and companies who are and have been working on inclusion and artists of different abilities.
No Limits, Hong Kong Arts Festival
No Limits is an inclusive arts festival celebrating artists of different abilities. The festival is co-presented by Hong Kong Arts Festival and Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and it takes places every year between mid- February to April, around 6 weeks. We bring international productions and produce and comimission local productions. 2027 will be the 9th edition of the Festival.
Narcisa Cvitanović
Managing Director | Kontakt | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Narcisa Cvitanović is the founder and Managing Director of Kontakt. Under her leadership, Kontakt develops socially engaged arts and cultural programmes that address human rights, identity, discrimination, gender equality. She is also the founder and Director of the Female Art Rising Festival (FAR), an international multidisciplinary festival launched by KONTAKT to strengthen the visibility and position of women in arts and culture. Cvitanović has collaborated on international film projects including Quo Vadis, Aida? As Director, she oversees projects from conception to completion, advancing Kontakt’s mission of cultural production that fosters dialogue and social change.
Kontakt
Kontakt, founded in Sarajevo in 2011, is an independent cultural organisation combining theatre, film, literature, and education with civic activism and memory work. It addresses sensitive themes including genocide denial, the glorification of war criminals, gender, migration, disability, and queer identity. Its flagship Female Art Rising Festival (FAR) promotes women artists and emerging talent, while the regional platform ukontaktu.org supports inclusive memory practices across the Western Balkans. Through its programmes and networks, Kontakt brings the expertise to transform research into creative workshops, memory tours, and cross-border collaborations.
Natasha Tripney
International editor | The Stage/SEEstage | United Kingdom
Biography
Natasha Tripney is a writer, editor and critic based in London and Belgrade. She is the international editor for The Stage. In 2011, she co-founded Exeunt, an online theatre magazine, which she edited until 2016. She is the editor of SEEstage.org, a platform for theatre criticism in South East Europe. She is a regular contributor to the Guardian and has also written for BBC Culture, The Independent, Vittles, Kosovo 2.0 and the New York Times.
The Stage/SEEstage
The Stage is the monthly magazine of the UK theatre industry.
Niall Henry
Artistic Director | Blue raincoat Theatre Company | Sligo, Ireland
Biography
Niall trained in Paris in Corporeal Mime in the late 80s. In 1990 he returned to Ireland to cofound Blue Raincoat Theatre Company and has been its artistic director for 36 years. The company has produced over 120 shows and toured many of these both nationally and internationally. Niall has also cofounded Cairde Sligo Arts Festival, The Factory Performance Space and the Sligo Youth Theatre. Niall is also AD of Tread Softly - a biannual arts festival that concerns itself with environmental themes.
Blue raincoat Theatre Company
Based in Sligo in the west of Ireland , Blue Raincoat is Ireland's longest running theatre ensemble. The company works is many theatre styles both in traditional theatre setting and site responsively.
Nina Nikolikj
Theatre Director | Peripetija Production | Skopje, North Macedonia
Biography
Nina Nikolikj is a theatre director from Skopje, holding a PhD in Theatre Arts and a degree in French Language and Literature. Since 2014, she has worked at the Macedonian National Theatre and is the founder and Artistic Director of Peripetija Production. She has directed more than 20 productions in North Macedonia and across the region, including The Seagull, Othello, It Won’t Be the End of the World, Marta Verina, The Last Piano Lesson, and Anna. Her productions have been presented at numerous international festivals across Europe and Asia and have received numerous awards and distinctions internationally, including awards for best production, directing, and acting.
Peripetija Production
Peripetija Production is an Independent Cultural Organization based in Skopje, North Macedonia. Its mission is to advance culture and performing arts through innovative approaches. Peripetija emphasizes interdisciplinary and multimedia practices, blending theater and film, raising cultural awareness and fostering collaboration with local and international organizations. The company achieves these goals through productions, educational workshops, and professional partnerships. Since 2015, it has produced numerous projects, prioritizing collaboration between institutions and independent productions while promoting Macedonian theater abroad to inspire creativity and cultural exchange.
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Olga Krystyna Drygas
Curator / Dramaturg / Head of Accessibility | AUAWIRLEBEN Theater Festival | Bern, Switzerland
Biography
Curator, Dramaturg & Head of Accesibility at AUAWIRLEBEN (Bern, Switzerland) & an associate curator at RISING Festival (Melbourne, Australia). Former curator of the New Europe International Festival and Generation After Showcase (2019-2025 / Warsaw, Poland) & ISPA Global Fellow. Over the years, she cooperated with many institutions, such as Nowy Teatr in Warsaw, Poland (Curator, Head of the Program Cooperation Department), IETM (member of the jury of Perform Europe’s pilot edition project), The Festival Academy (Member-Alumni), Teatro Municipal do Porto (outside eye). As a dramaturge, she collaborated with Gosia Wdowik, Ania Nowak, Magda Szpecht, Elisabete Finger and Agnieszka Polska. She's preparing a PhD at SINTA program (Bern University & HKB) in Switzerland.
AUAWIRLEBEN Theater Festival
Ahe annual auawirleben Theaterfestival Bern is one of Switzerland’s longest-running platforms for contemporary performing arts. Each spring, the festival brings together productions from across the world, presenting work from both independent artists and institutional theatres while fostering dialogue around urgent social, political, and cultural questions. Known for its international outlook, thematic curation, and commitment to accessibility and inclusion, auawirleben has become a key meeting point for artists, presenters, and cultural professionals interested in innovative forms of theatre, performance, and interdisciplinary practice.
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Patrik Lazić
Programmer | Heartefact Fund | Belgrade, Serbia
Biography
Croatian and Serbian theater director who graduated with honors from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, where he is currently working as an assistant professor, Theatre directing department. Some of the plays he directed include: Our Son (Heartefact, Serbia), Matija (Arterarij, Croatia), Fine Dead Girls (Belgrade Drama Theatre), Stone (Belgrade Drama Theatre/Zagreb Youth Theatre), Our parents (Belgrade Drama Theatre), Climax (Heartefact)... He won the annual award of the Belgrade Drama Theatre for directing, a special prize for establishing innovative approaches at the 58th Joakim Vujić Festival, the award for best young director at the TNT festival in Craiova, Marulić award for dramatisation... He is also working in Heartefact Fund as the program associate since 2022.
Heartefact Fund
Heartefact Fund
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Rusne Kregzdaite
Producer | MMLAB Theatre | Vilnius, Lithuania
Biography
Rusnė Kregzdaitė is a Lithuanian theatre producer, cultural economist and researcher. She is the founder and executive producer of MMLAB, where she has produced more than 60 interdisciplinary and international performing arts projects. Her work focuses on developing new artistic collaborations, international partnerships and sustainable models for independent theatre. She is particularly interested in discovering new artists, expanding professional networks and developing joint international projects. She also teaches cultural economics at Vilnius University and serves as Chair of the Council of Professional Performing Arts Institutions in Lithuania.
MMLAB Theatre
MMLAB is an independent professional theatre based in Vilnius, Lithuania. Working at the intersection of performing arts, science and contemporary culture, it produces theatre, dance and interdisciplinary projects by emerging and established artists. MMLAB develops international co-productions, touring projects, artistic residencies and long-term partnerships across Europe and Asia, with a strong focus on experimentation, new audiences and cross-cultural exchange.
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Sarah Lorenz
Dramaturgue | Burgtheater Wien | Vienna, Austria
Biography
From 2014 - 2018, Sarah Lorenz worked as an assistant dramaturg and dramaturg at Schauspiel Hannover and, together with director Alexander Eisenach, was responsible for the artistic direction of the theater's venue "Cumberland". From 2018 to 2024, she was a dramaturg at Schauspiel Köln and came as guest dramaturg to Theater Basel. In Cologne, she managed the Schauspielstudio—a collaboration between Schauspiel Köln and the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University of Music and Performing Arts— together with actor Nikolaus Benda for one year. She curated several editions of the queer performance festival BritneyX. Since 2024 she has been a dramaturg at the Burgtheater in Vienna, where she is also entrusted with curating the venue "Kasino".
Burgtheater Wien
As the Austrian national theatre, the Burgtheater is the leading playhouse in the Republic and Europe’s largest theatre for drama, combining tradition, variety and innovation. After the Comédie Française, the Vienna Burgtheater is Europe’s second oldest theatre. Today, the Burgtheater, originally known as K. K. Hoftheater nächst der Burg, with its three affiliated venues – Akademietheater, Kasino and Vestibül – and a permanent ensemble of actors and actresses, is one of Europe’s largest theatres and plays a seminal role in the German-speaking theatrical world. Each season, the Burgtheater and its affiliated venues welcome approximately 400,000 theatre-goers to some 800 performances. This makes the Burgtheater the theatre with the largest audience in continental Europe.
Sasho Ognenovski
Theatre Critic | PERUN ARTIS | Bitola, North Macedonia
Biography
Sasho Ognenovski, Ph.D., is a Macedonian writer, theatre critic and communicologist. He has published poetry, plays, novels and academic work on communication, semiotics, multiculturalism and theatre. He writes reviews and essays for Macedonian, Serbian and European publications and is editor-in-chief of Literary Elements and Elements.
PERUN ARTIS
PERUN ARTIS is an association for art and multicultural development. Its work focuses on publishing, discovering new authors and promoting multicultural values, while also supporting theatre criticism, theatre events, communications and media.
Selena Pleskonjić
Producer | Heartefact | Belgrade, Serbia
Biography
I have been working in executive production for many years, across artistic festivals, television shows, and theatre performances. I am currently employed at Hartefact, where I am part of the production team responsible for staging theatre performances and curating the monthly repertoire.
Heartefact
Heartefact is a multi-disciplinary organization that convenes and maintains fora where cultural and social reality is critically questioned, the past is remembered and learnt from, individuality is encouraged and talent is celebrated, creative and forward-thinking individuals are empowered to try and allowed to fail—so that the cultural and public space for all people is diversified, enriched, made vibrant and more accepting towards differences.
Senad Alihodžić
Producer | Teatar071 | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Senad Alihodžić graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo with a degree in acting in 2004. Since 2004, he has been employed at the Kamerni Teatar 55, and as a member of the ensemble, he has performed in about 20 plays. From 2004 to 2007, he worked as a CineLink coordinator at the Sarajevo Film Festival. In 2011, the Association received the Marko Kovačević Award for Contribution to Theater Art at the international MESS festival for the bhTeatar project. From 2023 to 2024, he was employed as the director of Kamerni Teatar 55. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Production at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. Currently founder of Theater071, independent theatre scene in Sarajevo.
Teatar071
Since 1992, no new theatre has been established in Sarajevo. "Theatre071" introduces an innovative and unique approach to theatre, offering an intimate theatre experience within a home environment. The concept allows performances to be held in a space accommodating 50 to 70 spectators, creating a closeness between performers and the audience. This direct interaction enhances the emotional intensity and immersive nature of performances—something difficult to achieve in traditional theatre settings. The focus is on nurturing acting excellence through performances by renowned actors from Sarajevo and the region.
Silvia Lazzeri
Producer & Theatre Manager | Binario Vivo | Pisa, Italy
Biography
Graduated in Languages with a specialization in Art History and Theater History trained in various acting and dramaturgy courses, the European School for the Art of San Miniato, a master in dramaturgical translation at the University of Pisa, since 2018 she has joined Binario Vivo association which manages the Teatro Nuovo in Pisa. She is the organizational director of both contemporary and young generations theater seasons. She is part of the theater company Binario Vivo as an actress, director and producer.
Binario Vivo
Binario Vivo is a cultural association based in Pisa, founded in 2018 by artists and educators to develop artistic and educational initiatives. Since 2019, it has managed the Teatro Nuovo, transforming it into a dynamic hub for theatre production, training and community engagement, with a strong focus on social inclusion. The association organizes theatre season featuring contemporary theatre, world music and performances for children. It also hosts workshop and seasonal festivals, a three-day summer event on radio and communication. It collaborates on international projects, such as an initiative on migrating along the Balkan route with SARTR (War Thatre) in Sarajevo.
Silvija Stipanov
Curator | Ribnjak Cultural Centre | Zagreb, Croatia
Biography
Silvija Stipanov is a Zagreb-based performing arts curator and producer. She was a member of the core artistic and production team of Kultura promjene (Culture of Change) at the Student Centre Zagreb (2004–2018), where she curated and produced more than 1,000 programmes across all artistic disciplines. In 2011, she founded Ganz New Festival and later co-curated the repertoire of Teatar \&TD. She also programmed Ganz nove Perforacije Festival and served as selector of Zoom Festival. Since 2021, she has focused on the international co-production and distribution of contemporary performing arts, collaborating with artists including Matija Ferlin, Barbara Matijević, Giuseppe Chico and Vedrana Klepica. She currently works at Cultural Centre Ribnjak as International Programmes Associate.
Ribnjak Cultural Centre
Centar kulture Ribnjak is a public cultural institution located in the green centre of Zagreb. It operates as “a house without a key” - an open and dynamic socio-cultural hub, bringing together children, young people, adults, and diverse local communities through a wide range of artistic, educational, and community-based programmes. Our activities promote equality in culture, widen access to cultural participation, foster intercultural dialogue and inclusion, and engage communities often excluded from cultural life as active participants and co-creators of the programmes. By combining artistic work, participatory formats, intergenerational and intercultural approaches, the Centre positions culture as a space of encounter, care, learning and social connection.
Simone Voigt
Cultural Institution Manager | Goethe-Institut BiH | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Simone Voigt studied business administration at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Berlin as well as Russian Studies, Sociology and Political Science at the Humboldt University of Berlin and the Moscow State Lomonosov University. From 2002 to 2016, Simone Voigt worked at the Goethe-Institut Moscow, first as coordinator for regional cultural programs in Russia and from October 2010 as head of the Press and Public Relations. In February 2016, she was posted to the Goethe-Institut Hong Kong as deputy director and head of language department. Since April 2021, Simone Voigt has been working as director of the Goethe-Institut Bosnia and Herzegovina, based in Sarajevo.
Goethe-Institut BiH
The Goethe-Institut is the cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany with a global presence. It facilitates international cultural exchange, promotes access to the German language and supports the unimpeded development of culture and science.
Stela Mišković
Artistic director | Royal theatre Zetski dom | Cetinje, Montenegro
Biography
Stela Mišković is a Montenegrin dramaturg, playwright, and Artistic Director of the Royal Theatre Zetski dom in Cetinje. Her artistic practice encompasses dramaturgy, playwriting, theatre criticism, and curatorial work, with a particular interest in contemporary theatre, documentary practices, and socially engaged performance. She is the author of The Virgin Case (Slučaj Virdžina), premiered at Zetski dom in 2024, and Go Out and Fight? (Izađi i bori se?), a documentary-based play developed from interviews with women survivors of violence. She has collaborated on numerous theatre productions and has been actively involved in regional and international theatre festivals and networks, including the MESS International Theatre Festival in Sarajevo.
Royal theatre Zetski dom
The Royal Theatre Zetski dom, based in Cetinje, is Montenegro’s oldest state theatre and one of the country’s key cultural institutions. Its programme is focused on contemporary theatre practices, new interpretations of classical and modern texts, and collaboration with prominent regional and international artists. Alongside its own productions, Zetski dom develops co-productions and partnerships with theatres and cultural organisations from Montenegro and abroad, fostering artistic exchange and regional cooperation. The theatre is committed to socially relevant, artistically ambitious work and to creating a space for dialogue between local and international theatre practices.
Stephan Wetzel
Theatre Agent, Dramaturg and Editor | Henschel SCHAUSPIEL Theaterverlag | Berlin, Germany
Biography
Stephan Wetzel, born in Stuttgart in 1960, studied German and English Language and Literature in Tübingen and Glasgow. From 1992 to 1998, he has been an associate of Peter Palitzsch, and a dramaturge and press spokesman at Berliner Ensemble. Between 1998 and 2005 he worked as a dramaturge at Schauspielhaus Zürich, at Staatsschauspiel Dresden from 2006 to 2009, and subsequently also at Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus. From 2011 to 2015, he was a freelance translator, editor and dramaturge, e.g. at Berliner Festspiele, Schauspiel Stuttgart, and Schauspiel Frankfurt. He has been working as an editor at henschel SCHAUSPIEL since October 2015.
Henschel SCHAUSPIEL Theaterverlag
Henschel SCHAUSPIEL represents playwrights, screen writers, and directors for screen and theatre. My field is new drama.
Suvad Džafić
Assistant to Minister | Ministry of Civil Affairs | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
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Ministry of Civil Affairs
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Tamás Jászay
Theatre Critic | Revizor – The Critical Portal | Szeged / Budapest, Hungary
Biography
She has worked as an assistant professor of dramaturgy, dramaturg, playwright, screenwriter, and conceptual artist. From 2024 to 2025, she served as Director General of the Directorate for the Development of Creative Industries within the Ministry of Culture and Media of Montenegro
Revizor – The Critical Portal
Founded in 2008, Revizor– the critical portal is Hungary's only all-arts portal featuring professional criticism as its focus. We publish an average of 700-800 reviews annually in all fields of art, produced both in Hungary and abroad, with a focus on topics of interest to Hungarian readers.
Tara Manić
Theatre director and associate professor on Faculty of Drama Arts in Belgrade | Moje pozorište (Sarajevo) | Belgrade, Serbia
Biography
Tara Manić (1994) is a theatre director and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Drama Arts in Belgrade. She received her PhD in 2024, researching documentary theatre and theatre perception among blind and visually impaired people. As a director and educator, she explores ethics, the body, violence and tenderness in contemporary theatre. She trained at La Colline in Paris and the Avignon Festival. In 2026, she participated in the Theatertreffen International Forum in Berlin and a residency at Staatsschauspiel Dresden. Her productions have been presented across Europe. How I Learned to Drive (Heartefact, Belgrade) was presented at FOG Triennale Milano, Noorderzon Festival, Off Europa, Festival of Small Scenes Rijeka and Dani Jurislava Korenića, receiving several international awards.
Moje pozorište
I am attending STS 2026 as a theatre director with “Fatal Outcome of Athletic Injuries,” based on the novel by Milica Vučković. The production was created in production of Moje pozorište from Sarajevo and premiered in March 2026 in Kamerni teatar 55. The production is currently entering a new phase of its life, with several significant national and international guest performances planned in the coming period. My practice focuses on contemporary theatre and explores questions of ethics, the body, vulnerability and intimacy.
Thomas Steyaert
Artistic Director | Station 3 | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Thomas Steyaert worked for several years with the world-renowned company Ultima Vez / Wim Vandekeybus (Brussels, Belgium) and with KVS – Royal Flemish Theater. He is a close collaborator of the Prague based contemporary circus company Cirk La Putyka, where he has worked on numerous projects. He has also collaborated closely with East West Theatre Company, MESS International Theatre Festival, Sarajevo War Theatre, Bosnian National Theatre Zenica, Bosnian directors Nermin Hamzagić and Selma Spahić and the Swedish contemporary circus company Below Zero. Furthermore, Thomas has an ongoing artistic practice with the Portuguese movement artist, Raul Maia. Thomas's work has been shown internationally. He also has a drawing and painting practice.
Station 3
Thomas Steyaert and Benjamin Bajramović, founded Station 3, a platform for the research and development of artistic practices, workshops, and cultural events in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. They were later joined by Armin Behrem and Adna Rizvan. We create an open and hybrid working space for local and foreign artists to develop their artistic practices and to create an inspiring and playful environment with a range of programs for art and cultural education. Collaborating closely with various artistic disciplines, including theater, contemporary dance, performance, visual arts, we provide a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration and creative exploration. We offer, both professional and non-professional artists, opportunities to engage with the wider artistic community.
Tomasz Kirenczuk
Artistic Director | brut Wien | Vienna, Austria
Biography
Tomasz Kireńczuk is a Polish curator, dramaturge, critic and researcher whose practice is grounded in contemporary performing arts and their capacity to engage with social and political realities. His work connects artistic experimentation with long-term collaboration, international exchange and the development of new institutional and production models. He co-founded Teatr Nowy in Kraków and co-created Dialog – Wrocław International Theatre Festival. From 2021 to 2026, he was Artistic Director of Santarcangelo Festival, where he strengthened its international profile while developing new forms of dialogue between artists, communities and institutions. Since 2026, he has been Artistic Director of brut Wien.
brut Wien
brut Wien is a production and performance venue for the performing arts in Vienna. Since its inception in 2007, it has been one of the most influential institutions in the independent performance, dance, and theatre scene. Its programme stands for experimentation and interdisciplinarity, supporting diverse artistic practices and emerging and established artists. Alongside theatre productions, brut develops site-specific and process-oriented projects, fosters dialogue with the city, and collaborates with institutions and artists internationally. brut Wien also runs imagetanz, an annual festival for contemporary dance and performance, presenting innovative works by Austrian and international artists.
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Ulricha Johnson
Executive Director | Swedish Performing Arts Coalition | Stockholm, Sweden
Biography
Artistic freedom, queer perspectives, advocating and promoting theatre, creating international networks.
Swedish Performing Arts Coalition
Largest members org for professional performing arts, Swedish Centre of UNESCOs International Theatre Institute. Host of the Swedish Performing Arts Biennale and Proud Performing Arts LGBTQIA Workgroup and network.
Uršulė Barto
Theatre Director | Independent | Vilnius, Lithuania
Biography
Uršulė Barto is an independent Lithuanian theatre director working nationally and internationally. At the core of her artistic practice is an exploration of time: how it shapes us beyond physical and ideological ageing, and how it transforms memory, relationships, and identity. She maintains an ongoing artistic collaboration with the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre and MMLAB (Arts and Science Lab, Lithuania), collaborating on productions as well as broader artistic and research projects. At STS, she is looking to connect with fellow artists, particularly playwrights, dramaturgs, and set designers, to develop future international collaborations. www.ursuleb.com www.mmlaboratorija.lt
Independent
Uršulė's practice is grounded in a feminist ethos and explores family structures, transgenerational inheritance, and identity through interpretations of classical and contemporary texts (by women and non-binary authors). She sometimes directs in languages she doesn't understand or topics she's yet to grasp. A graduate of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, she was a resident director at the Berliner Ensemble during the 2022–2023 season and has worked at the Reykjavík City Theatre. In 2024 she was nominated for Best Direction, but didn't get the award. In 2021, she received the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture’s Young Artist Prize.
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Vedran Fajkovic
Theatre manager | Kamerni teatar 55 | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Graduated in Dramaturgy from the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo in 2001. Began a professional career as a dramaturg at the National Theatre in Tuzla, later working as editor of the foreign film programme at Federal Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Worked as a freelance screenwriter and, from 2005–2011, as Artistic Director and Producer at Virtual Images Productions. From 2010–2013, taught Screenwriting and History of Drama at the Sarajevo Film Academy and served as Production Supervisor on the animated feature Birds Like Us. Since 2011, dramaturg at Kamerni Teatar 55; since 2017, teaching Screenwriting and, since 2020, Game Development and Design. Since 2025, Manager of Kamerni Teatar 55.
Kamerni teatar 55
Chamber Theatre 55 in Sarajevo was founded on March 7, 1955, by visionary theatre director Jurislav Korenić. From its beginnings, it has been defined by artistic experimentation, intimate stage expression, and a constant questioning of theatrical conventions. Its distinctive ring-shaped stage, surrounded by the audience, created a direct and immediate relationship between actor and spectator. The theatre played a pioneering role in introducing modern European dramaturgy and experimental theatre to the region, presenting works by authors such as Beckett, Jarry, Genet, Ionesco, and Chekhov. Today, Chamber Theatre 55 remains one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most distinctive and influential theatre institutions.
Viktoria Kresanko
Coordinator and Lead Organizer | Kosztolányi Dezső Theatre | Subotica, Serbia
Biography
Serbian graphic designer, costume and set designer, and theatre coordinator based in Subotica. A graduate of the Bogdan Šuput School of Design (Graphic Design) and the Vocational School for Preschool Education, she worked as Graphic Designer at the National Theatre of Subotica (1998–2018) and has served as Coordinator and Artistic Secretary of the Kosztolányi Dezső Theatre since 2019. She is the founder of the NGO Bojalište and a member of UPIDIV. Her work includes theatre visual identities, posters, books, stage and costume design. She has collaborated with theatres in Serbia and Romania, exhibited internationally, and received the Grand Prix at the 5th Exhibition of Theatre Posters of Professional Theatres of Serbia (2009) and the Best Book Cover Design Award in Budapest (2011).
Kosztolányi Dezső Theatre
Kosztolányi Dezső Theatre is an independent contemporary theatre in Subotica, Serbia, founded in 1994. As the only professional Hungarian-language experimental theatre in the country, it is recognized for its bold artistic vision, interdisciplinary productions, and international collaborations. The theatre presents a repertoire of contemporary drama, devised theatre, and innovative stage projects, while regularly participating in major theatre festivals across Europe and organizing the annual Desiré Central Station International Theatre Festival.
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Wolfram Johannes Kirsten
Dramaturg / Curator | Independent | Berlin, Germany
Biography
Johannes Kirsten studied German and philosophy in Berlin and New York. After positions at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, Centraltheater Leipzig, Schauspiel Hannover and freelance work at the Ruhrtriennale and the National Theatre Korea in Seoul, as a visiting professor of drama at the German Literature Institute in Leipzig and as curator for the festival Karussel - zeitgenössische Positionen russischer Kunst at HELLERAU - European Center for the Arts Dresden 2019/20, he has been Head Dramaturg at the Maxim Gorki Theater from 2020 to 2026.
Independent
Aestetics of transformation, post-socialist realities, theatre and art in eastern and south-eastern Europe
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Zarina Hozdić
Theatre director | Independent | Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Biography
Zarina Hozdić is a theatre director, puppeteer and dramaturge from Bihać, based in Una-Sana canton of BiH. She completed her studies in theatre directing and puppetry in Slovakia, earning the title Mgr. Art. Her professional work is primarily dedicated to theatre for children and young audiences, combining directing, dramaturgy, puppetry and acting. Through years of working with children through drama arts, she has participated in the creation and performance of numerous amateur and professional theatre productions. Her work include independent projects, international collaborations, artistic workshops and festival work.
Independent
As an independent theatre artist, i develop my own projects and collaborate with theatres, cultural institutions, and fellow artists. My work includes directing, dramaturgy, puppetry and theatre for children and young audience, from the development of the initial idea and text to the final production. I am professionally based in Bihać and develop projects and collaborations across BiH and internationally.
Zoltan Fridman
Producer & Artistic Director | City Theatre Ruma | Ruma, Serbia
Biography
Zoltan Fridman was born in Ruma in 1965. Graduated from the faculty of Contemporary Arts in Belgrade, study program Management of artistic production and media; NLS "Anima" in Novi Sad major Theatrical and puppet direction, Working as a technical secretary, producer and project coordinator of the City Theater of Ruma. Awarded for: theater work at zonal, provincial and national shows and festivals. Directed over 90 theater plays.. 40 years of active work in the theater. Coordinator of the InterAction project: 29th Art Trema Fest, and accompanying program(InterAction) focused on the development of critical thinking, dialogue and professional competencies of young partitioners and critics. Project collaboration with SPAM Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria, Participant Sarajevo Theatre Showcase 2025.
City Theatre Ruma
The Ruma City Theater promotes the creative work of young graduates and final year students of the Academy of Arts (among them are students originally from Ruma). The Little Trema project consists of programs for teenagers through which, in partnership with Cedeum, the Center for Drama in Education, promotes and implements stage techniques of non-violent communication and the application of the experiences of Forum Theater, Impro Theater and Theater of the Oppressed. The TREMA project promotes the work of students of art academies in the region by showing graduation and professional chamber productions, which are created with theaters and cultural institutions in the country and abroad. It organizes professional talks, exhibitions, presentations, seminars.