Teatrul Masca is laying the foundation for the first alternative theatre school in Romania and is launching an open call for artists interested in innovative and unconventional forms of performance, through Masca Lab: The School of Alternative Theatre. The program includes four workshop modules led by both Romanian and international artists, as well as an artistic residency.

The School of Alternative Theatre is an intensive research, training, and creation project focused on four main areas: site-specific theatre, theatre & technology, physical theatre & storytelling, and autofiction. Artists can apply for one or more modules, each of which includes two workshop sessions. Each workshop accommodates 8–10 participants.

Eligibility requirements:

• Proficiency in English (some workshops will be held by international artists);
• Graduates of arts-related universities or those with relevant experience in the field;
• Availability for the entire duration of the workshops.

Masca will offer accommodation within the theatre building for selected artists who do not reside in Bucharest, depending on availability.

Application deadline: August 15, via the form: https://forms.gle/Du3Mp1Fpw2dRfzzRA

Workshop modules:

Site-specific theatre workshops will be led by:

• Simone Mousset (choreographer and co-director of the Ballet National Folklorique du Luxembourg) – September 9–11
• Pino di Buduo (founder and artistic director of Potlach Teatro, Italy) – November 5–7

Theatre & technology workshops will be led by:

• Carla Meller (project and international relations coordinator at Akademie für Theater und Digitalität) – October 7–9
• Ciprian Făcăeru (virtual/augmented space architect and immersive experience designer, co-founder and creative director of Augmented Space Agency) – October 13–16

Physical theatre workshops will be led by:

• Donald Kitt (performer, trainer and instructor based in Denmark, co-creator of Primus Theatre, Canada) – October 21–23
• Andrea Gavriliu (choreographer, performer, and lecturer at UNATC Bucharest) – October 27–31

This module is designed for performing artists (actors, dancers, choreographers).

Storytelling & autofiction workshops will be led by:

• Bogdan Georgescu (theatre director, playwright, and social activist, based in Germany) – September 3–5
• Ahmed Ezzat Elalfy (performer, university professor, and artistic director from Egypt) – September 24–26

Artistic Residency

After the workshops, an artistic residency will take place at Teatrul Masca. Participants who complete at least two modules of the School of Alternative Theatre are eligible to apply.

Selected artists will be grouped into four teams, coordinated by:
 Andrea Gavriliu, Bogdan Georgescu, Andrei Măjeri, and Bobi Pricop.

Each team will develop a performative demo inspired by their workshop explorations. These works will be presented in December 2025, during a final showcase aimed at potential producers from both the public and independent performing arts scenes.

Project partners include:

Teatrul Basca, The National Dance Centre Bucharest, Creart, Teatrelli, Reactor for Creation and Experiment, Metropolis Theatre, Youth Theatre Piatra Neamț, Andrei Mureșanu Theatre Sfântu Gheorghe, AICT.Ro, Akademie für Theater und Digitalität Dortmund, Augmented Space Agency, Goethe-Institut, Mergem la Teatru, TVC Agency, and the National University of Theatre and Film “I.L. Caragiale” Bucharest.

Written by Aura Marinescu | 10 iulie 2025, 10:50