“This timely, important initiative is expected to have a strong impact in strengthening and professionalising our diverse sector with a strategic perspective and to help overcome the current crisis.” – Heidi Wiley, Executive Director of the European Theatre Convention and co-initiator of the European Theatre Forum
The European Theatre Forum, taking place from 11 – 13 November 2020, is a landmark undertaking that will bring together theatre makers and European policy makers for the first time for high-level, strategic discussions to address the major challenges facing the theatre sector.
These include the intense economic challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fragmentation of the national and European theatre scenes.
The European Theatre Forum 2020: European Performing Arts in Focus is funded by the German Minister of State for Culture and Media in the frame of the German EU Council Presidency, the European Commission and the European Theatre Convention (ETC).
Key attendees include:
• Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, Youth and Sport
• Barbara Gessler, European Commission, DG EAC, Head of Unit Creative Europe, Brussels/Belgium
• Tiago Rodrigues, Artistic Director, Teatro Nacional D. Maria II Lisbon/Portugal
• Thomas Ostermeier, Artistic Director, Schaubühne, Berlin/Germany
• Sabine Verheyen, MEP, Chair of the Committee for Culture in the European Parliament, Brussels/Belgium
• Dubravka Vrgoč, General Manager & Artistic Director, Croatian National Theatre Zagreb/Croatia
Over the last six months, 12 European and international networks of theatre and performing arts have come together to collaborate towards a shared goal of establishing a creative dialogue process within the sector and with policymakers and jointly curate an ambitious programme for the Forum.
An innovative online platform has been created in cooperation with the artist collective CyberRäuber. Guests of the “European Theatre Forum 2020: European Performing Arts in Focus” will be able to meet, discuss, exchange views in a state-of-the-art virtual space representing the Staatsschauspiel Dresden theatre.
Also in the virtual host city of Dresden, the coinciding online offer of the Fast Forward – European Festival for Young Stage
Directions will be available for all to watch for free.
The programme of the European Theatre Forum’s first edition will aim to:
• strengthen the European theatre sector through international networking and policy dialogue;
• address the issues and implications of the Covid-19 pandemic for European performing arts;
• and connect the European theatre scenes and the German national theatre scene.
View the full programme on www.europeantheatreforum.eu.
The majority of the Forum programme will be broadcast live on the http://www.europeantheatreforum.eu website. Theatre and performing arts professionals are invited to watch the programme live from anywhere in the world.
All sessions will be in English with live captioning. www.europeantheatreforum.eu/page/livestream
Detailed programme
The Forum will take place inside a surrealist, interactive and fully explorable rendering of the Staatsschauspiel Dresden, created by artist collective CyberRäuber.
11 November 2020 – Setting the Scene Focus on the social dimension of theatre and the performing arts. Policy makers and theatre makers will consider working conditions, accessibility and diversity, and the value of international collaboration.
12 November 2020 – Making Progress Focus on embedding environmental sustainability in theatre and the performing arts. This will also feature the Fast Forward European Festival for Young Stage Directors.
13 November 2020 – Envision a Future – Focus on theatre of the future. Attendees will discuss if and how the performing arts can shape our culture, societies, and a future Europe.
Detailed agenda here https://www.europeantheatreforum.eu/page/programme
Initiative Group
European Theatre Convention, Bundesverband Freie Darstellende Künste and International Theatre Institute – German Centre are the initiative group for a European Theatre Forum, in the frame of the German EU Council Presidency, in cooperation with the German Minister of State for Culture and Media and the European Commission.
Consortium Group
• Assitej International
• Bundesverband Freie Darstellende Künste (BFDK)
• Europe: Union of Theatre Schools and Academies (E:UTSA)
• European Association of Independent Performing Arts (EAIPA)
• European Festival Association (EFA)
• European Theatre Convention (ETC)
• IETM
• International Theatre Institute (ITI) – German Centre
• mitos21
• Pearle*, Live Performance Europe
• PROSPERO
• Union des Théâtres de l’Europe (UTE)
Funding Partners
The European Theatre Forum 2020: European Performing Arts in Focus is funded by the
European Commission, the German Minister of State for Culture and Media in the frame of
the German EU Council Presidency and European Theatre Convention.
Source of Information: europeantheatreforum
