22 European Theatres Imagine the ‘Renaissance’ of Theatre in a Major New Series of Short Films. Twenty-two ETC theatres, from 18 European countries, have drawn on philosophy, fantasy, and the strain of living under a pandemic to produce an original series of short drama films that will be available to watch at home for free from 9 May 2021. on europeantheatre.eu

  • 250 European artists and creatives involved in the Renaissance project
  • The series comprises 22 film-quality videos from 22 major theatres across 18 European countries – all of which are part of the European Theatre Convention (ETC) network of theatres
  • One video released free to watch every weekday from 9 May 2021 – 4 June 2021

Leading European theatres have joined together to reflect on the realities of pandemic living and the potential for the ‘rebirth’ of theatre in a brand-new series of free-to-watch short films.
Renaissance, a project coordinated by the European Theatre Convention, sees 22 theatres from 18 European countries each write and produce a five-minute short film that responds to the dramatic prompt of ‘Renaissance’. The Renaissance was an explosion of creativity after the ‘dark and diseased’ Middle Ages—a complex and uneven celebration of beauty, wisdom, science, and architecture. It was time of dramatic changes, of upheavals, of brutal ruptures with societal patterns. It was also a time that led to a shift in European thought and introduced a new Zeitgeist.

Here, ‘Renaissance’ also stands for the rebirth of theatre(s) in the virtual space after a year of living with the pandemic. The participating European theatres have tested and unveiled new texts and formats, devising work for the digital stage, and developing digital dramaturgies.

  • Albania National Theatre of Albania
  • Austria Schauspielhaus Graz
  • Austria Volkstheater Wien
  • Belgium Théâtre de Liège
  • Croatia Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb
  • Cyprus Cyprus Theatre Organisation THOC
  • Czech Republic Národní divadlo – National Theatre Prague
  • France La Mousson d’Eté
  • Germany Staatsschauspiel Dresden
  • Hungary Pesti Magyar Színház
  • Italy Fondazione Teatro Due
  • Italy Teatro Stabile di Torino – National Theatre
  • Luxembourg Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg
  • Malta Teatru Malta
  • Poland JK Opole Theatre
  • Serbia National Theatre Belgrade
  • Slovakia Divadlo Jána Palárika v Trnave
  • Slovakia Slovak National Drama
  • Slovenia Slovensko Narodno Gledališče Nova Gorica
  • Sweden Göteborgs Stadsteater – Backa Teater
  • Ukraine Dakh Theatre – Centre of Contemporary Arts
  • Ukraine Kyiv National Academic Molodyy Theatre