You will find below the programme of the final STAGES Forum (5-6 Novmeber 2025) and the ETC International Theatre Conference (6-9 November 2025).
5 November 2025
11:00-12:50
Performance: Siberian Haiku, dir. Valters Sīlis
Venue: Latvia Puppet Theatre, Main Hall
14:00-14:30
STAGES Forum: Registration
Guests are invited to arrive at their own pace, complete registration, and settle into the atmosphere of the STAGES Final Forum. Upon arrival, participants will receive event materials and practical information, with time to explore the venue, browse the programme, and connect with others over tea, coffee, or refreshing water before the sessions begin.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Lobby
14:00-ongoing:
STAGES Forum: STAGES Productions Showcase - Exhibition
- Collective of STAGES Partner Theatres
Step into the creative world behind STAGES productions in this exhibition of curated excerpts, visual materials, and design elements from performances across the STAGES network. Presented in an open, flexible format, it invites you to explore each production at your own pace. On the second day, directors and creative teams will join the space for informal conversations and reflections. Details will be waiting for you on site.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Lobby: Gym Section
14:15-14:30
STAGES Forum: All Birds Sing Beautifully: A Costume Exhibition Prelude to the Forum - Site-specific performative intervention
- Krista Burāne, Pamela Butāne, Dirty Deal Teatro
The forum opens with a poetic exhibition featuring costumes from the play “Visi putni skaisti dzied” (“All Birds Sing Beautifully”), inviting participants into the space through a symbolic and sensory experience. Blending visual storytelling with ecological reflection, the installation explores themes of care, transformation, and our shared relationship with waste and renewal.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Lobby
14:30-14:45
STAGES Forum: Opening Session - Layered statements
- Monika Diāna Cālīte – Host
- Tālis Juhna – Riga Technical University
- Serge Rangoni – Théâtre de Liège
- José Manuel Fernández-Arroyo - Deputy Head of Unit of Creative Europe - DG EAC - European Commission
The forum officially begins as host Monika Diāna Cālīte welcomes you into the space, followed by opening remarks from distinguished guests spanning science, culture, policy, and European collaboration. Their voices come together to reveal the cross-sector nature of the STAGES project and the shared urgency of embedding sustainability in the performing arts. This first session sets the tone for the forum: reflective, ambitious, and rooted in collective responsibility.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
14:45-15:30
STAGES Forum: Why Does Green Theatre Still Matter? - Panel
- José Manuel Fernández-Arroyo - Deputy Head of Unit of Creative Europe - DG EAC - European Commission
- Serge Rangoni – Théâtre de Liège
- Vincent Baudriller - Théatre Vidy-Lausanne [video intervention]
- Santa Remere – New Theatre Institute of Latvia, Homo Novus – International Festival of Contemporary Theatre
- Madara Merle – Latvian Fund for Nature
- Germans Ermičs – Studio Germans Ermičs
In a time when climate concerns compete with geopolitical instability, economic resilience, and other urgent priorities, this discussion asks a vital question: What place does sustainable theatre hold today, and why does it still matter? The session introduces the STAGES project within its shifting global context, exploring both the promise and challenges of sustainable theatre and its links to broader themes such as mobility, resilience, migration, and security.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
15:30-16:45
STAGES Forum: Quick Takes on Sustainability - Lightning Talks
- Benjamin Virc - Slovene National Theatre Maribor
Nathalie Martinelli – Piccolo Teatro di Milano
Emmanuelle Lejeune – Théâtre de Liège
Janette Lin – National Theatre & Concert Hall Taipei
- Katalin Erdődi - Trafó House of Contemporary Arts
Kitija Balcare, Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art (UL); Lead, STAGES Scientific Committee
- Klaas Livens - NTGent
Aušra Pociūtė – Lithuanian National Drama Theatre
Mario Gigović – Croatian National Theatre
Natasja Börjeson – Dramaten
Mātīss Kaža – Trickster
Jānis Brizga – Green Liberty
A rapid-fire series of four-minute talks brings together voices from across the STAGES network and beyond — artists, curators, theatre leaders, researchers, and sustainability experts. Each speaker shares a sharp insight, a challenge faced, a solution tested, or an idea worth spreading. With contributions spanning Europe and beyond, from national theatres to independent creators and scientific thinkers, the session offers a vivid cross-section of how sustainability is being questioned, tested, and reimagined in real time.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
16:45-17:00
STAGES Forum: Snacks and Drinks Break
A short break between sessions offers time to enjoy light refreshments, recharge, and connect informally with other participants. It’s a moment to pause and reflect before the afternoon program continues.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Café
17:00-17:45
STAGES Forum: What STAGES Leaves Behind, Publications & Results - 15-minute keynotes
- Kitija Balcare - Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art (UL); Lead, STAGES Scientific Committee
- Andrea De Toni - Politecnico di Milano
- Özgül Demiralp - European Theatre Convention (ETC)
This session invites you to explore three core publications that capture the STAGES project’s most valuable tools, lessons, and research, offering a practical guide for advancing sustainability in the performing arts. In three focused 10-minute presentations, you’ll be introduced to:
The Practical Paper ‘Towards Sustainable Theatre: Mapping the Impact of STAGES Theatres,’ shared by Kitija Balcare, with tools, tips, and actionable steps for making theatre more sustainable.
The Scientific Paper presented by Andrea De Toni, offering research-based insights into how sustainability is implemented and experienced across diverse theatre contexts.
STAGES: Sustainable Theatre - A Casebook introduced by Özgül Demiralp, revealing behind-the-scenes practices, experiments, and learnings from STAGES partner theatres.The session closes with a 15-minute Q&A with the full Scientific Committee giving you the chance to reflect, discuss, and consider how to carry this knowledge forward.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
17:45-18:00
STAGES Forum: Closing of Day 1
- Monika Diāna Cālīte – Host
The day concludes with closing reflections highlighting key takeaways and extending thanks to all speakers, guests, and partners. The session also offers a glimpse of what awaits in tomorrow’s program — a moment to pause, reflect, and transition into the evening ahead.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
18:30-20:20
Performance: Siberian Haiku, dir. Valters Sīlis
Venue: Latvian Puppet Theatre, Main Hall
19:00-21:30
Performance: The National Network, dir. Matiss Kaža
Venue: National Theatre of Latvia, Large Hall
19:00-19:45
Performance: that's all we can do, dir. Andrejs Jarovojs
Venue: Theatre Ģertrūdes ielas teātris
19:00- 22:30
Performance: Oracle, dir. Lukašs Tvarkovskis (Łukasz Twarkowski)
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Hall
6 November 2025
09:00-21:00
ETC International Theatre Conference and STAGES Forum: Registration
Arrive at your own pace and register for the ETC International Theatre Conference and the final STAGES Forum Day 2. Upon arrival, participants will receive event materials and practical information, with time to explore the venue, browse the program, and connect with others over tea, coffee, or refreshing water before the sessions begin.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Lobby
09:00-ongoing
STAGES Forum: STAGES Productions Showcase - Exhibition
- Collective of STAGES Partner Theatres
Step into the creative world behind STAGES productions in this exhibition of curated excerpts, visual materials, and design elements from performances across the STAGES network. Presented in an open, flexible format, it invites you to explore each production at your own pace. On the second day, directors and creative teams will join the space for informal conversations and reflections. Details will be waiting for you on site.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Lobby: Gym Section
09:15-09:30
STAGES Forum: Artistic Intervention "Micēliju tīklā (In the Mycelium Network)" - Contemporary Dance Performance
- Laukku - Latvian contemporary dance collective
Opening the programme, this short performance invites the audience into a space of quiet reflection, reminding us that sustainability in theatre is not only operational but deeply artistic. Adapted from the dance work "Micēliju tīklā", it draws inspiration from the invisible networks of fungi and the intelligence of natural systems. Two dancers slowly emerge from a single shared costume, their movements evoking connection, transformation, and the subtle resilience of the living world. It is a quiet, embodied expression of sustainability — something to be felt rather than explained.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
09:30-09:45
STAGES Forum: The Global Bunout: Overheated Cultures in Super Cool Flatscapes - Keynote
Pascal Gielen - Sociologist
In an age marked by climate crisis, psychological exhaustion, and digital disembodiment, The Global Burnout explores how the overheating of our mental, social, and ecological systems reflects a shared cultural condition. Drawing on the book Sensing Earth, Pascal Gielen argues that what the planet urgently needs is not another wave of technological or scientific innovation, but a genuine cultural revolution: a transformation of our habits of perception, imagination, and meaning-making. He contends that every sustainable, eco-democratic society must rest on an aesthetic foundation: the capacity to sense, to be affected, and to reconnect with the earthly layers of existence. To 'get in touch with the underground of Chthôn': the world of our ancestors and the sedimented histories beneath our feet - means to rediscover depth in a flattened, overheated culture. Only by cultivating our aesthetic faculties, by re-learning how to feel and sense the world around and beneath us, can we begin to cool both the planet and ourselves.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
09:45-10:45
STAGES Forum: Inside the Making of Sustainable Productions - Panel
Manon Faure - The Invisible is Not Not Existent, Théâtre de Liège
- Rogério Nuno Costa - Itinerary - geology of a homecoming, Teatro Nacional D. Maria II
Jacob Hirdwall - 77 Messages for the Future, Dramaten
Marco d’Agostin – Piccolo Teatro di Milano
- National Theatre and Concert Hall - 2023-24 artist-in-residence Puppet & Its Double Theater [video intervention]
Moderated by Christy Romer - European Theatre Convention
Directors and artists behind some of the most compelling STAGES productions share how they approached sustainability not only in theme, but also in the making of their work. From set design and touring strategies to materials, methods, and team dynamics, each production offers a distinct perspective on creating theatre with ecological awareness at its core. The conversation reveals real stories, practical insights, and honest reflections on what worked, what challenged, and what continues to evolve.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
10:45-11:15
STAGES Forum: The Doughnut Protocol for Theatre and Companies: A New Framework for Sustainability - Panel
- Noura Sairour - Company Lieux-Dits
Nathalie Martinelli – Piccolo Teatro di Milano
- Benjamin Virc - Maribor
- Moderated by Emmanuelle Lejeune – Théâtre de Liège
Exploring how sustainability can reshape both artistic vision and institutional practice, this conversation brings together three organisations that helped create the STAGES Doughnut Protocols — two for theatres and one for independent companies. Inspired by Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics, these frameworks became tools for reflection and transformation, guiding changes in culture, partnerships, and daily operations. Insights from Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Maribor SNG, and Lieux Dits reveal how principles of balance and responsibility can be turned into artistic and organisational practice.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
11:00-12:35
Performance: Salmon Stasis, dir. Edgars Kaufelds
Venue: Latvia Puppet Theatre
11:15-12:15
STAGES Forum: ETC Theatre Green Book: A General Approach - Workshop
- Laura Sedgwick - Renew Culture
- Lisa Burger - Renew Culture
The Theatre Green Book is an initiative by theatre-makers to move theatre towards sustainability, in response to the climate emergency. It has been developed by theatre-makers of all kinds, working at all scales to provide a shared pathway towards zero carbon.
Launched in the UK in 2021, it was created by uniting theatre-makers with sustainability experts to make the practical tools theatre-makers need to make theatre sustainable. The Theatre Green Book divides the challenge of sustainable theatre into three areas – Productions, Operations, and Buildings – and sets three clear standards – Basic, Intermediate, Advanced – to provide a pathway to net zero.
Theatre Green Book networks have now spread across the world, with groups managing connected Theatre Green Book initiatives in Taiwan, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Australia, the Arab World and a growing number of other regions. A Theatre Green Book for the European Theatre Convention was launched at the 2024 Avignon Festival. The Theatre Green Book has been endorsed by the European Commission as a pathway to net zero theatre.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Breakout Room 1
11:15-12:15
STAGES Forum: ETC Theatre Green Book: Focus on Productions - Workshop
- Paddy Dillon - Renew Culture
- Raquel Castells - Teatro Arriaga
At the intersection of creativity and environmental responsibility, the Theatre Green Book offers a practical framework for rethinking how theatre can be made sustainably. The discussion explores its potential for guiding planning, design, and collaboration processes, particularly in contexts such as co-productions and guest performances. Emphasis is placed on how shared sustainability standards can foster new working cultures and connect with complementary tools — including the Doughnut Protocol, self-assessment frameworks, and impact metrics — together contributing to a more systemic and collaborative approach to sustainable theatre.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Breakout Room 2
11:15-12:15
STAGES Forum: STAGES Doughnut Protocol in Action: For Theatres - Workshop
- Anouk Debizet - MC93
This hands-on session invites you to explore the STAGES Doughnut Protocol, a strategic tool adapted from Doughnut Economics and tailored for the performing arts. More than a checklist, it helps you assess environmental and social impact across programming, operations, partnerships, and internal culture while sparking team engagement, guiding goal-setting, and laying the foundation for deeper transformation, including the use of tools like the Theatre Green Book.
After a short introduction to the protocol’s structure and purpose, partner theatres lead you through a practical workshop, sharing how they brought it to life in their own institutions, what they discovered, and how change began to take root. It’s a grounded, actionable glimpse of what a sustainable transition can look like from the inside out.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Breakout Room 3
12:15-12:30
Coffee Break
Take a short intermission to enjoy tea, coffee, or water, and recharge before the program continues. Use this time to pause, reflect on the day so far, and connect in conversation with fellow participants.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Café
12:30-13:30
STAGES Forum: New Touring Models: The Realities of Restaging and Concept Sharing - Panel
- Noura Sairour - A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction, MC93
- Gin Huang – A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction, National Theatre & Concert Hall Taipei [video intervention]
- Guilherme Gomes, A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction, Teatro Nacional D. Maria II
- Moderatey by Özgül Demiralp - European Theatre Convention
Exploring the emerging practice of restaging and concept touring — where theatre travels through shared ideas rather than freight and flights — the discussion examines how creative teams are rethinking mobility, authorship, and sustainability. Projects such as ""A Play for the Living"" illustrate how artistic value can shift when productions are reimagined across contexts, raising questions about what is gained, what may be lost, and how such models might evolve. Featuring voices from theatres across Europe, Asia, and Africa, the conversation highlights both the creative potential and the practical complexity of touring without moving.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
13:30-13:45
STAGES Forum: Closing Reflections
- Heidi Wiley - European Theatre Convention
- Serge Rangoni - Théâtre de Liège
- Zane Derdonska - RTU Science and Innovation Centre
- Monika Diāna Cālīte - Host
The forum concludes with a moment of reflection — a space to gather the ideas, connections, and shared visions shaped over the past two days. It is both an ending and a beginning: a look back at what has been learned and an opening toward what the STAGES journey and the wider performing arts community may carry forward in the pursuit of sustainability.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
13:45-15:00
STAGES Forum: Light Lunch & Networking
A midday pause featuring a selection of food and drinks — an opportunity to unwind, connect with others, and prepare for the afternoon programme. All catering will be available on site.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Café
15:00-16:00
STAGES Forum: STAGES Productions Showcase - Exhibition
- Croatian National Theatre: Always Be Like a Dragon, by Espi Tomičić
- MC93: A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction, by Lieux-Dits company
- Théâtre de Liège: The Invisible is Not Not Existent by Venedig Meer
- Dramaten: 77 Messages for the Future by Jacob Hirdwall
- Teatro Nacional D. Maria II:vA Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction, Guilherme Gomes
- Piccolo Teatro: Jérôme Bel by Marco d’Agostin
- NTGent: eXtraSpace by Gilles Pollak, Sarah Ringoet and Sjoerd Koolma
- National Theatre & Concert Hall Taipei: Sweet Tears by The Puppet & Its Double Theater
- Lithuanian National Drama Theatre: Ronja the Robber's Daughter by Eglė Švedkauskaitė
Step into the creative world behind STAGES productions in this exhibition of curated excerpts, visual materials, and design elements from performances across the STAGES network. Presented in an open, flexible format, it invites you to explore each production at your own pace. Throughout the space, directors and creative teams are on hand, offering rare opportunities for informal conversations about process, inspiration, and the choices that shaped each work.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Lobby
15:00-16:00
ETC International Theatre Conference: Board Meeting [for the ETC Board of Directors only]
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Meeting Room
16:00-17:30
STAGES Forum: Partner Gathering - Executive Board Meeting (closed session, invivtation-only)
This formal, invitation-only gathering brings STAGES partners and collaborators together in a more personal setting. With snacks and drinks to share, it’s a moment to reconnect, exchange reflections, and acknowledge the collective work behind the project. More than a celebration, it’s a space for candid conversation about what has been challenging, what remains unfinished, and what possibilities lie ahead. A closing gesture of connection, care, and continued collaboration.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Glass Hall
16:30-17:30
ETC International Theatre Conference: Buddy Meeting [For new Member Theatres and designated 'Buddies’ only]
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Hallway, next to the New Hall
18:00-19:00
ETC International Theatre Conference: Opening Reception
- José Manuel Fernández-Arroyo - Deputy Head of Unit of Creative Europe - DG EAC - European Commission
- Agnese Lāce - Minister of Culture of Latvia
- Claudia Belchior - Europpean Theatre Convention President
- Heidi Wiley - Executive Director of ETC
- Viesturs Kairišs - Theatre and Film Director, Artistic Director of Dailes Theatre (Latvia)
Join us for the kick-off of the event and opening speeches, as we set the stage for an engaging and inspiring series of sessions, discussions and performances.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Glass Hall
18:30-20:25
Performance: The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, dir. Henrijs Arājs
Venue: National Theatre of Latvia, New Hall
19:00- 22:30
Performance: Oracle, dir. Lukašs Tvarkovskis (Łukasz Twarkowski)
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Hall
19:00-20:25
Performance: The Seasons. Faux Pas, dir. Andrejs Jarovojs and Kristīne Brīniņa
Venue: Theatre Ģertrūdes ielas teātris
22:00
Informal Meeting with Colleagues and Latvian Artists
Venue: Galerija Istaba
Address: Krišjāņa Barona Street 31B, Riga, 1011, Latvia
No prior registration is required.
7 November 2025
09:00-21:00
ETC International Theatre Conference: Info Desk
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Lobby
9:30-16:30
ETC International Theatre Conference: Green Clinics
Green Clinics are one-to-one sessions with Renew Culture, offering members personalised advice and support on their specific challenges in adopting the ETC Theatre Green Book (TGB). They are open to all — whether you are already an adopter of the TGB or simply interested in exploring it.
Registration open at the Welcome Desk.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Main Foyer
9:30-10:00
ETC International Theatre Conference: Welcome Address and Keynote Speech
- Heidi Wiley - Executive Director, European Theatre Convention
- Richard Sennett - Sociologist [video intervention]
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
10:00-11:00
ETC International Theatre Conference: Stage for Truth. Which Truth? - Panel
- Moderated by Olga Dragileva, Journalist
1. 'Nationalism' and Culture - A Latvian Perspective
Tomass Pildegovičs - Advisor on Security and Societal Resilience to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
Viesturs Kairišs - Theatre and Film Director, Artistic Director of Dailes Theatre (Latvia)
Santa Remere - Artistic Director of New Theatre Institute of Latvia and Co-curator of International Festival of Contemporary Theatre Homo Novus
2. The View From Europe
Milo Rau - Artisitc Director of Wiener Festwochen
- Irene Pavesi - Artistic Freedom Initiative
Lotta Lekvall - CEO of Folkteatern Goteborg (Sweden)
- Olga Brzezińska - Deputy Director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute
This panel investigates how theatre grapples with the notion of truth in an age of contested narratives, shifting political landscapes, and cultural complexity. Bringing together artists, directors, researchers, and policy experts from Latvia and across Europe, the discussion will explore how national and European contexts shape the stories told on stage, how artistic freedom intersects with institutional and political pressures, and how audiences interpret and negotiate competing truths. Through case studies, critical perspectives, and lived experiences, the panel will highlight theatre’s role as both a civic space for dialogue and a stage for resistance, where alternative perspectives and fragile trust can be tested, challenged, and reimagined.
The panel continues after a coffee break for the third and final part.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
11:00-11:30
Coffee Break
11:30-12:30
ETC International Theatre Conference: Stage for Truth. Which Truth? - Panel
- Moderated by Olga Dragileva, Journalist
3. Artists and Academics on Freedom of Expression
- Pascal Gielen - Sociologist
- Data Tavadze - Director and Choreographer (Georgia)
- Komi Mizrajim Togbonou - Actor
- Łukasz Twarkowsk - Artist
4. Dialogue with the European Commission
- José Manuel Fernández-Arroyo - Deputy Head of Unit of Creative Europe - DG EAC - European Commission
This panel investigates how theatre grapples with the notion of truth in an age of contested narratives, shifting political landscapes, and cultural complexity. Bringing together artists, directors, researchers, and policy experts from Latvia and across Europe, the discussion will explore how national and European contexts shape the stories told on stage, how artistic freedom intersects with institutional and political pressures, and how audiences interpret and negotiate competing truths. Through case studies, critical perspectives, and lived experiences, the panel will highlight theatre’s role as both a civic space for dialogue and a stage for resistance, where alternative perspectives and fragile trust can be tested, challenged, and reimagined.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
12:30-13:30
ETC International Theatre Conference: Table Talks
- Hosted by members of the ETC Board of Directors
These sessions continue the conversation from the panel discussion, offering a chance to dive deeper into the themes together with the speakers, who will join each table to share impulses and ideas. Participants can choose between two themes:
Table Talks #1 - From Season to Reason: Programming With Purpose
How can public theatres move beyond seasonal planning to embrace programming driven by vision, values, and long-term impact?
Table Talks #2: Strategic Shifts: Theatre's Response to Uncertainty
In times of crisis and rapid change, how can theatres adapt their strategies, structures, and priorities to remain resilient and relevant?
Each theme will be explored in two smaller groups to keep discussions focused and interactive.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Rehearsal Hall
13:00-14:45
Lunch Break
13:00-16:30
Performance: The Prodigal Son, dir. Reinis Suhanovs
Venue: Valmiera Drama Theatre, Valmeria, Latvia
10:30 Bus to Valmiera (107km from Riga) with presentation of Baltic projects
14:45-15:15
ETC International Theatre Conference: The Road Ahead: Break the Mould in 2025/26
- Hosted by the ETC Team
What is coming up at ETC over the next six months? Discover exclusive possibilities for funding, artistic innovation and new European collaborations as part of ETC's EU-funded programme, BREAK THE MOULD. Featuring the launch of new grants and training across our programmes on digital, diverse, sustainable and next generation theatre.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Rehearsal Hall
15:15-15:45
ETC International Theatre Conference: Behind the Scenes: A Members' Quiz - Networking Exercise
Join this interactive quiz to discover more about your fellow ETC members and their theatres. In a relaxed and engaging format, you’ll exchange insights, test your knowledge, and connect with colleagues from across the network.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Rehearsal Hall
15:45-16:00
Coffee Break
16:00-16:30
ETC International Theatre Conference: ETC Theatre Green Book - Attribution Ceremony & Updates
Join us for a special session dedicated to the ETC Theatre Green Book, the leading framework guiding theatres across Europe towards sustainable practice. This event will include the official Attribution Ceremony, celebrating theatres that have successfully embarked in the implementation of the ETC Theatre Green Book standards in sustainability, as well as an update on the ongoing progress, new developments, and next steps in this transformative initiative.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Rehearsal Hall
16:30-17:30
ETC International Theatre Conference: ETC General Assembly (ETC Members only, closed session)
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Rehearsal Hall
18:30-20:25
Performance: The Blue One, dir. Māra Ķimele
Venue: Valmiera Drama Theatre, New Hall10:30 Bus to Valmiera (107km from Riga) with presentation of Baltic projects
19:00- 22:30
Performance: Oracle, dir. Lukašs Tvarkovskis (Łukasz Twarkowski)
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Hall
19:00
Performance: Accidental Death of an Anarchist, dir. Matīss Kaža
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
22:00
Informal Meeting with Colleagues and Latvian Artists
Venue: Galerija Istaba
Address: Krišjāņa Barona Street 31B, Riga, 1011, Latvia
No prior registration is required.
8 November 2025
10:00-10:15
ETC International Theatre Conference: Address by Dārta Ceriņa, Head of Artistic Department, Dailes Theatre
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
10:15-10:45
ETC International Theatre Conference: Project Pitching
ETC Member Theatres present concrete project ideas, look for partners and call for artistic collaborations.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
10:45-11:30
ETC International Theatre Conference: Agora
Takeaways from Members.
Venue: Dailes Theatre, New Hall
11:00-12:20
Performance: Playthings, dir. Kristīne Brīniņa
Venue: Latvia Puppet Theatre
11:30-12:00
Coffee Break
12:00-13:00
ETC International Theatre Conference: Split Sessions
1. Partner-up for ETC collaboration projects and grants (Rehearsal Room)
2. The Athena Awards (Glass Hall)
3. Truth on Stage (TRUST) – Closed meeting for consortium partners (Room 75)
4. A Space of Freedom (ASOF) – Closed meeting for consortium partners
Venue: Dailes Theatre
13:00-14:30
Lunch Break
14:30-15:15
ETC International Theatre Conference: Peer-to-Peer Session
ETC Members and Conference participants discuss issues faced in the everyday working life – ranging from dramaturgy to artistic freedom and safe spaces– with theatre peers from across Europe. Up to four sessions will take place in two rounds, each focused on specific topics. The conversation will be led by ETC Members.
1. Dramaturgs in Dialogue - DoSEL (Glass Hall)
2. Narratives of Tomorrow: Empowering Truths – Fabulamundi Focus (Rehearsal Hall)How can playwriting become a space of empowerment — a living laboratory for untold narratives and new pedagogies? Together with Fabulamundi playwrights Mihaela Michailov and Katerina Součková, we will explore the power of writing to question fixed truths and to draw a map of subjective ones — fluid, plural, and shared. In this encounter, theatre and searching for words become a field of possibilities where writing does not represent the world, but reimagines it. A space to search rather than to stage, to learn through dialogue, and to empower both the writer and the community in creating new ways of knowing, feeling, and telling our time.
3. Artisic Freedom Act (2nd floor lobby)
- Jennifer Laourou - Artistic Freedom Initiative
- Irene Pavesi - Artistic Freedom Initiative
This workshop invites participants from the theatre community to share their perspectives on the sector-specific elements that future European legislation on artistic freedom should address. Following a short introduction on the EU Artistic Freedom Act, participants will engage in a participatory discussion around key questions to help inform the design of the law — exploring experiences, identifying cross-border challenges, and considering practical pathways forward.
The exercise aims to gather insights on legislative gaps and sectoral needs within the theatre field, contributing to ongoing civil society efforts to advance a proposal for an EU Artistic Freedom Act.
4. Safe spaces in Theatre (1st floor lobby)
- Marjolein van Bommel - De Toneelmakerij
Venue: Dailes Theatre
15:00-16:15
Performance: Alfas, dir. Valters Sīlis
Venue: Dirty Deal Teatro
16:00-16:30
Coffee Break
16:30-16:45
ETC International Theatre Conference: Key Takeaways from the Peer-to-Peer Learning Sessions
Venue: Dailes Theatre
16:30-17:30
Performance: Contemporary Mask Comedy: The Dreamers, dir. Kārlis Krūmiņš
Venue: Latvian Academy of Culture, Miera iela 58a, Rīga
16:45-17:00
ETC International Theatre Conference: Closing
18:00-22:00
Performance: The Story About Parsifal, dir. Matthias Hartmann
Venue: New Riga Theatre, Big Stage
18:00-20:35
Performance: A Midsummer Night's Dream, dir. Viesturs Kairišs
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Large Hall
20:00-22:30
Joint Dinner at DIA 36.line
Roberta Hirša Street 1, Riga
Click here for the payment link
22:00
Informal Meeting with Colleagues and Latvian Artists
Venue: Galerija Istaba
Address: Krišjāņa Barona Street 31B, Riga, 1011, Latvia
No prior registration is required.
9 November 2025
Morning
Guided tour at the Latvian National Museum of Art
- Maximum number of participants: 25 persons
- Tour time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Meeting at 10:30 AM at the main entrance of the Latvian National Museum of Art.
- Address: Jaņa Rozentāla laukums 1, Rīga, LV-1010, Latvija
- Tour duration: 60 minutes. Afterwards, it is possible to explore the entire museum.
- Participation fee: €12. Each participant purchases their ticket individually at the museum ticket office, so we encourage arriving on time.
During the guided tour at the Latvian National Museum of Art, visitors will have the chance to explore some of the museum’s most remarkable artworks, including iconic Latvian paintings, sculptures, and decorative art pieces. The guide will offer in-depth insights into the historical context, artistic movements, and personal stories behind each masterpiece, providing a deeper understanding of Latvia’s rich cultural heritage and artistic legacy.
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Trip to Jūrmala, Majori
- Maximum number of participants: 27 persons
- Tour time: 11:45 AM–1:45 PM
- Meeting at Dailes Theatre at 10:30 AM.
- Address: Brīvības iela 75, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1001
- Participation fee: free of charge. Individual expenses – lunch, coffee.
- Departure to Jūrmala at 10:45 AM
- Free time in Jūrmala: 11:45 AM – 1:45 PM
- 1:45 PM – meeting at the bus
- 2:00 PM – departure back to Riga
- 2:45–3:00 PM – return to Dailes Theatre
If necessary, on the way back the bus can pass through the airport. Please inform us about this at info desk.
Majori is one of the most popular districts of Jūrmala, famous for its picturesque beach, wooden architecture, and vibrant pedestrian street – Jomas Street. Here you can enjoy leisurely walks, visit cozy cafés and restaurants, and explore various cultural and art attractions. Majori offers both relaxation by the sea and the opportunity to experience the historical charm of Jūrmala.
12:00-13:15
Performance: The Fault in Our Shame, dir. Elīza Dombrovska
Venue: Dirty Deal Teatro
13:30-14:30
Performance: Infinite Flow, dir. Liena Šmukste
Venue: Eduards Smiļģis Theatre Museum
15:00-16:50
Performance: King Ubu and Other Monsters, dir. Vladyslav Troyitsky
Venue: National Theatre of Latvia, Large Hall
17:00-18:00
Performance: Infinite Flow, dir. Liena Šmukste
Venue: Eduards Smiļģis Theatre Museum
18:00-20:10
Performance: Father Silence, dir. Valters Sīlis
Venue: Ādažu tautas nams
18:00
Performance: Nachtland, dir. Toms Treinis
Venue: Dailes Theatre, Large Hall
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