At the heart of 'Young Europe V: Life Stories' are nine playwrights from across Europe, each bringing their unique voice, perspective, and cultural background to the project.
Over the coming year, they will explore new, care-driven dramaturgies, working closely with dramaturgs, theatre educators, and experts to create innovative classroom plays that speak to the challenges and hopes of today’s youth. Their stories will question traditional structures, imagine alternative ways of telling, and open up possibilities for theatre that inspires connection, resilience, and change.
Artun Alaska Arasli
Young Europe V Playwright - Het Zuidelijk Toneel (Netherlands)
Artun Alaska Arasli is a visual artist and playwright based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He studied at the Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Kunste in Frankfurt am Main and completed a residency at the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht in 2019. In 2016, he wrote and directed The Beauty Commission at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. In 2024, together with playwright and dramaturg Joachim Robbrecht, he co-founded Amsterdam Poet's Theater, for which he has written and co-directed four plays between March 2024 and April 2025.
Michal Baláž
Young Europe V Playwright - Divadlo Jána Palárika in Trnava (Slovakia)
Michal Baláž is a Slovak film and television screenwriter, director, playwright, lyricist and author. A graduate of film directing, screenwriting & dramaturgy at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, he works across poetry, prose, drama, comics. He is a multiple literary award winner (Básne SK/CZ, Poviedka, Dráma) and author of acclaimed books such as Ø, Minus body and the award-winning graphic novel Štefánik. As a screenwriter, he has contributed to numerous tv series and feature films.
Photo credit: Daniela Denkova
Nanna Berner
Young Europe V Playwright - Malmö Stadsteater (Sweden)
Nanna Berner is a Danish playwright based in Copenhagen and a graduate of Teaterhögskolan in Malmö, Sweden. With a background in the Copenhagen independent theatre scene, she has six productions to her name. In 2020, she won the award Dramatisk Debut in Copenhagen for best debut play Surprise. She teaches playwriting and scene construction at the Danish National School of Performing Arts and the Theatre Academy in Malmö. Her work consistently focuses on actions rather than language and reflects a desire to explore subjects we fear to speak about.
Raluca Cîrciumaru
Young Europe V Playwright - Constanta State Theatre (Romania)
Raluca Cîrciumaru is an emerging theatre critic and playwright from Bucharest, Romania. She debuted with “Iulia”, a contemporary rewriting of "Miss Julie" by A. Strindberg, directed by Mara Oprea at Metropolis Theatre, Bucharest in 2024. Her second professional project had its premiere in 2025: "How to write Shakespeare", directed by Leta Popescu at North Theatre, Satu Mare. Other collaborations include Replika Centre for Educational Theatre, Odeon Theatre and Constanța State Theatre.
Photo credit: Cristinel Dâdăl
Fayer Koch
Young Europe V Playwright - Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe (Germany)
Fayer Koch is a genderqueer author from Leipzig (Germany). Their plays have been awarded several prizes, including the Jury Prize at the Tage der jungen Dramatik 2020 (Anorexia Feelgood Songs), the 2nd Baden-Württemberg Jugendtheaterpreis (Wir Zwei), the German-Dutch author prize “Kaas & Kappes” 2024 (Riesen Probleme) and the Mülheimer KinderStückePreis 2025 (T-Rex, bist du traurig (steht dein T für Tränen?)).
Photo credit: Michele Yves Pauty
Costas Mannouris
Young Europe V Playwright - THOC - Cyprus Theatre Organisation (Cyprus)
Costas Mannouris studied biology, evolutionary ecology, and history and philosophy of biology. He has published scientific, historical, and philosophical work and has taught at universities in both the United States and Cyprus. Fifteen of his theatrical works have been staged to date. His interests lie with the forgotten—those who weave their own myth in the shadow and on the margins of society. He is currently the Artistic Program Coordinator at Larnaka 2030, the organisation leading the city’s bid for the title of European Capital of Culture for the year 2030.
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Elisabeth Pape
Young Europe V Playwright - Deutsches Theater Berlin (Germany)
Elisabeth Pape, born in 1995, the daughter of a Ukrainian immigrant, studied theatre and literature at the Free University Berlin and then stage writing (Szenisches Schreiben) at the University of the Arts Berlin. She was awarded the 2023 Kleist-Förderpreis for her play Extra Zero, and received the 2023 Leonhard Frank Scholarship from the Mainfranken Theatre Würzburg. Her plays have premiered on various stages throughout Germany. Her theater texts are represented by Rowohlt Theaterverlag. Her debut novel, Halbe Portion, will be published by Suhrkamp in October 2025.
Photo credit: Max Zerrahn
Ráchel Rimarčíková
Young Europe V Playwright - Slovak National Drama Theatre (Slovakia)
Ráchel Rimarčíková (she/her) is a Slovak playwright, performative artist, and activist. Her plays, including The Blue Whale (Rising Star 2023, Prix Europa finalist), Astrofándly, and The Ergot, explore the intersection of personal and political narratives. She co-founded Students for Open Culture! – a platform uniting emerging artists in cultural advocacy and strikes – and received the 2024 Fair Act of the Year award. She creates for independent theatre and works on Gen Z-focused dramaturgy.
Photo credit: Bara Podola
Nina van Tongeren
Young Europe V Playwright - De Toneelmakerij (Netherlands)
Nina van Tongeren is a Dutch playwright and dramaturg. Since 2022, she has been in-house dramaturg at De Toneelmakerij, where she also writes one production per year. Her most recent piece for the company was Giselle (8+), a radical adaptation of the classical ballet, exploring themes of social class. Her play Cuckoo’s nest (10+), about two sisters whose mother struggles with her mental health, was awarded the Kaas & Kappes Award 2024. In 2025, the German version of the play will premiere at Grips Theater in Berlin.
Photo credit: Sanne Peper
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