At its 10th edition, the international competition within the framework of Teatri Riflessi is a contest focused on live works no longer than 15 minutes and without distinction of genre. Since its first edition in 2009, the competition has been promoting and encouraging a discussion on dramaturgy and contemporary art languages connecting the stage to the representation of the territory and the territory to the contemporary scene.
Teatri Riflessi 2025 Teatri Riflessi 2025 is organised by the cultural association IterCulture APS, in collaboration with the Municipality of Zafferana Etnea, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture, the Sicilian Region, and Fondazione Sicilia, and under the honorary patronage of the National Centre for Italian Contemporary Dramaturgy and the University of Messina. Special thanks also go to the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Rome, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, and Flanders State of the Arts.
The image suggested by the theme, conTact, is that of a surface: a membrane that connects contiguous spaces, a skin that covers different bodies, but also the volcanic crust that characterises an arid yet fertile environment. The aim is to foster moments of reflection that focus on interaction (between practices, voices and distinct subjects, rewritten codes and languages) and that do so with the care—and the tact—that deep listening provides.
13 short performances have been selected from the applications to Teatri Riflessi 10’s international call. Selected semifinalists will perform on Thursday, July 17th, and Friday, July 18th, in Zafferana Etnea (Sicily, Italy).
All semifinalists receive a cachet of €500 and a small reimbursement for travel expenses.
The Programmers’ and Scholars’ & Critics’ Panels will evaluate the semifinalists, proclaiming the finalists who will perform again on Saturday, 19 July. The Panels comprise theatre and festival directors, operators, critics, and journalists.
In addition to the competition’s awards, Special prizes can be awarded to the semifinalists, such as touring and artist residency opportunities.
Published on the 28th of September, the call closed on the 7th of December 2024.
Teatri Riflessi wants to enhance the short performance format per se: not as a reduction of a longer work nor as a starting point for a full-evening adaptation. The strength of the format lies in the artistic immediacy and urgency it conveys.
The framework of the competition connects, in a way, the ancient Greek theatre—devised as an outdoor competition for a vast audience—to the most provocative tendencies in happenings and performance art, which leverage the innate desire of the beholder to participate.
Ali ptice sanjajo o letenju? / Do Birds Dream of Flying? by Fabla Collective (Slovenia)
A volo d’angelo by Canzi / Cottini (Italy)
BLOCK by Zhang Yutong and Li Tuokun (China)
Bunker by Rebecca Margolick (Canada)
DISCO 142 by Ferenc Fehér (Hungary)
GOOD VIBES ONLY (beta test) by Francesca Santamaria (Italy)
LeatherBetter by Andrea Givanovitch (France)
Part One by Anna Ozerskaia (Sweden)
Oru & Kreya by EYAS Dance Project (Spain)
Speechless by Heung Won Lee (South Korea | Lithuania)
Tales to Disturb by Laura Daelemans (Belgium)
When the mouth died the other body parts were deciding which of them would bury it by Vasilii Berezin (Estonia | France)
Zhèngzhì bù Zhèngquè! (Politicamente Scorretto!) by Gianluca Iumiento (Italy)
Ali ptice sanjajo o letenju? / Do Birds Dream of Flying? by Fabla Collective (Slovenia)
A volo d’angelo by Canzi / Cottini (Italy)
Bunker by Rebecca Margolick (Canada)
GOOD VIBES ONLY (beta test) by Francesca Santamaria (Italy)
LeatherBetter by Andrea Givanovitch (France)
Paolo Brancalion L’Arboreto – Teatro Dimora di Mondaino
Cristiana Camba FIND Festival (Cagliari)
Massimo Carosi Danza Urbana (Bologna)
Fiorenza D’Alessandro Canova22 Cultural association (Rome)
Rita Di Leo Found. Federico Cornoni, Canile Drammatico Festival (Parma)
Angela Fumarola Found. Armunia, Inequilibrio Festival (Castiglioncello)
Miki Gorizia BIG Festival (Bari)
Christel Grillo Anticorpi XL Network, Cantieri Danza (Ravenna)
Iztok Kovač EN-KNAP, Španski Borci (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Atanas Maev Derida Dance Centre (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Roberto Manca Music & Movie Association (Sassari)
Stephan A. Shtereff Antistatic Festival (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Vladimir Angelov Dance ICONS (Washington DC, USA)
Corinne Bove Campadidanza (Naples)
Giovanna Caggegi La Sicilia (Catania)
Piersandra Di Matteo Scholar, dramaturg and curator
Greta Pieropan Dance dramaturg
Alessandro Pontremoli University of Turin
Daniele Rizzo Balletti Persinsala (Agrigento)
Albena Tagareva Critica teatrale (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Best Short Performance – Teatri Riflessi 10 | € 1,200 determined by the final ranking that adds together the weighted score given by the Programmers’ and Scholars’ & Critics’ Panels, the Jury of the Final, and the Youth Jury
awarded to a Ali ptice sanjajo o letenju? / Do Birds Dream of Flying?
Best Dramaturgy – Teatri Riflessi 10 | € 400
collectively determined by the Scholars’ & Critics’ Panel
and awarded to A volo d’angelo (Federica Cottini)
Best Direction – Teatri Riflessi 10 | € 400
collectively determined by the Programmers’ Panel
and awarded to Speechless
Best Performer – Teatri Riflessi 10 | € 400
collectively determined by the Programmers’ Panel
awarded to A volo d’angelo (Michelangelo Canzi)
Scholars’ and Critic’s Award – Teatri Riflessi 10 | € 400
collectively determined by the Scholars’ & Critics’ Panel
awarded to LeatherBetter
‘Valentina Nicosia’ Fund | additional budget of € 600
awarded to one or more short performances based on the collective decision of the Programmers’ and Scholars’ & Critics’ Panels
awarded to Ali ptice sanjajo o letenju? / Do Birds Dream of Flying?
with a special mention to When the mouth died the other body parts were deciding which of them would bury it
Youth Jury Award – Teatri Riflessi 10
awarded by the Youth Jury to one of the semifinalists
awarded to Speechless
Special Mention of the Audience – Teatri Riflessi 10
determined by the audience during the final
awarded to Ali ptice sanjajo o letenju? / Do Birds Dream of Flying?
Special Mention of the Companies – Teatri Riflessi 10
determined by all competing companies
awarded to Ali ptice sanjajo o letenju? / Do Birds Dream of Flying?
Španski borci / En-Knap | Iztok Kovač
artist residency and coproduction for a new work for Inan Sven Du Swami and Mojca Špik
invitation in 2026 for:
“GOOD VIBES ONLY (beta test)”
“Speechless”
“Bunker”
Fondazione Armunia | Angela Fumarola
invitation in 2026 in Inequilibrio Festival for:
“Speechless”
“A volo d’angelo”
Cortile Teatro Festival | Roberto Bonaventura
invitation to the 2025 edition of the festival for:
“Ali ptice sanjajo o letenju? / Do Birds Dream of Flying?”
Dance ICONS – International Choreography and Networking Services | Mr Vladimir Angelov
awarded to the promising choreography: Bunker
TR Mood | Rosanna La Malfa
scholarship in support of Speechless
Will there be a cachet?
Each selected short performance will receive a cachet of €500 + 10% VAT and an additional reimbursement of up to €250 (depending on the funds available, the origin, travel subsidies, and the number of participants involved). The majority of prizes are monetary. The cachet, reimbursement, and potential prizes will be transferred after the festival if participants comply with all the articles and deadlines in the call.
Do I have to pay to submit my proposal?
No. Only if selected, you will need to send a deposit (after the selection) that will be refunded after the festival.
What if my piece is longer than 15 minutes?
Your piece should not exceed 15 minutes. However, as the work is performed live, a certain flexibility is allowed, but it will not be possible to stay on stage longer than 20 minutes (within that time lapse the performance must be presented, prepared, set up, performed, removed, and people eventually thanked).
Where do I find the digital form?
The link is in the call, see Art. 5. Please, read the call in all its parts before submitting the form.
What shall I upload where a dramaturgy/script is asked?
If the piece has a script, attach that, otherwise, upload a text detailing the dramaturgical research behind the dance or performance work.
I don’t have a video recording of the performance. Do I need one?
We need a recording of the entire performance to assess your application. Excerpts or trailers are not sufficient, and in case you send a read-through try to be as specific and detailed as possible in writing your director’s notes.
My work contains spoken parts in a foreign language. Can I still apply?
Yes. If needed, you can perform at Teatri Riflessi using overtitles.
Can I submit more than one performance?
Yes, fill out a form for each performance.
What if I change something in the work I perform at the festival, compared to the materials I submitted?
No major changes are allowed. Only if previously communicated and authorised, minor changes will be tolerated.
Who will evaluate the competing performances?
Artistic directors of Italian theatres and festivals, critics and journalists from all over Italy and abroad. Many are members of the Network of Teatri Riflessi or the Anticorpi XL Network. The complete list will be published in May 2025.
In 2024, some of the organisations present were:
Antistatic Festival (Sofia, Bulgaria), COORPI – Coordinamento Danza Piemonte (Turin), Dance ICONS (Washington DC, USA), Danza Urbana (Bologna), Festival Ammutinamenti (Ravenna), Fondazione Claudia Lombardi per il teatro (Lugano, Switzerland), Fondazione Sipario Toscana (Cascina), Fondazione Toscana Spettacolo (Firenze), Interplay Festival Internazionale di Danza e Performing Art (Turin), Teatro Pubblico Pugliese (Bari), Toplocentrala Centre for Contemporary Arts (Sofia, Bulgaria).
Can I skip the rehearsals?
No, rehearsals are essential. The days of rehearsals will be communicated during the selection.
When do I need to be in Zafferana?
As you will be rehearsing either on the 15th or on the 16th of July, you need to be in Zafferana from the day we schedule your rehearsals until Sunday, 20 July, at 1:00 p.m. (the final networking event with the national operators takes place on Sunday morning).
Will I have spare time?
Yes, rehearsals take place in the afternoon, so do all other activities. The only event in the morning is the final networking roundtable on Sunday 20 July.
For inquiries WRITE to
teatri.riflessi.festival@gmail.com
Teatri Riflessi has received the EFFE Label, Europe’s quality stamp for remarkable arts festivals showing their engagement in the field of the arts, community involvement and international openness.
EFFE is an initiative of the European Association of Festivals supported by the European Commission and Parliament.
