Now in its 12th edition, The International Competition in the framework of Teatri Riflessi is a contest for short performances, live works no longer than 15 minutes. Since its first edition in 2009, the competition has been promoting and encouraging a discussion on dramaturgy and contemporary performing languages connecting the stage to the representation of the territory and the territory to the contemporary scene.
Teatri Riflessi Festival 2026 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 and the Sicilian Region, and under the honorary patronage of the National Centre for Italian Contemporary Dramaturgy and the University of Messina. Teatri Riflessi Festival is part of the project Teatri Riflessi, supported by Fondo di Beneficenza ed opere di carattere sociale e culturale di Intesa Sanpaolo.
The imagery evoked by the theme, constellations, is that of a living web of invisible bonds: not isolated points in the sky, but a network of relationships that precedes us, flows through us, and connects us to others and to the landscapes we inhabit. The aim is to reaffirm the value of connection as a daily practice and a political choice, reflecting on our place within a complex ecosystem and exploring how the performing arts can render these interdependencies visible, transforming gestures and encounters into acts of care, responsibility, and shared hope.
Through an open call, the aim is selecting at least 10 short performances of a maximum duration of 15 minutes.
The semi-finalists will perform on the evenings of Thursday 15 and Friday 16 July 2027 in Zafferana Etnea.
Each selected short performance will receive a fee ranging from €500 to €1,100 (VAT included), depending on the number of performers on stage, as well as a possible contribution towards travel expenses.
Panels of experts (the Programmers’ and Scholars’ & Critics’ Panels) will determine the finalists, who will perform again during the final on Sunday 18 July. The panels bring together a diverse range of Italian and international artistic directors, curators and programmers of festivals and theatres, journalists, critics, and scholars of the performing arts.
In addition to the competition prizes, the panel members and partners of the Teatri Riflessi Network will also have the opportunity to award special prizes in the form of artist residencies and touring opportunities within their festivals and programmes.
The call is open until 15 October 2026, at 5 pm (CET)
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.
2 Things Existing at Once – di Ria Girard | Germania
Entanglement – di Oktawia Ścibior & Samory Ba | Francia
Ki – di Ki Collective (Iga Włodarczyk & Katarzyna Zakrzewska) | Polonia
L’albâtre – di Clara Delorme | Svizzera / Francia
Living the Schatz Life – di Schatz&Schatz GbR (Fine Kroke & Alexandra Entenmann) | Germania
Lori – di Nicoletta Nobile | Italia
Nari Chtaht – di Compagnie Masse Art (Moad Haddadi) | Marocco / Francia
settembre non arriverà mai – di Noemi Piva | Italia
The day after – di Harry Koushos | Grecia
Tuning – di Lucas Crew (Minsu Kim) | Corea del Sud
Walking on two – di Mica Kupfer | Germania
Alessandro Bevilacqua | Teatro Comunale di Vicenza
Paolo Brancalion | L’Arboreto: Teatro Dimora di Mondaino
Pier Giacomo Cirella | Teatro Comunale di Vicenza
Igor Colussi | ATER Fondazione (Modena)
Luisa Cuttini | Circuito CLAPS – Circuito Multidisciplinare per la Lombardia
Lucia Carolina De Rienzo | COORPI (Torino)
Rita Di Leo | Fondazione Federico Cornoni / Canile Drammatico Festival (Parma)
Kristyn Fontanella | Galway Dance (Irlanda)
Angela Fumarola | Fondazione Armunia / Festival Inequilibrio (Castiglioncello)
Christel Grillo | Cantieri Danza (Ravenna) / Coordinamento Network Anticorpi XL
Iztok Kovač | EN-KNAP Productions / Španski borci Cultural Centre (Lubiana, Slovenia)
Atanas Maev | Derida Dance Center (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Roberto Manca | Rassegna InterAgendo – Associazione Music & Movie (Sassari)
Marco Burchini | Fabbrica Europa (Firenze)
Sergio Meggiolan | La Piccionaia – Centro di produzione teatrale (Vicenza)
Amr Naiem | Association Le Grand Jeté! / Festival Cluny Danse (Francia)
Valentina Romito | Umbria Danza Festival / Dance Gallery (Perugia)
Gabriella Stazio | Movimento Danza (Napoli) / Presidente REACT – Promozione
Roberto Torres Rodriguez | El Teatro Victoria / Festival de Danza Canarias dentro y fuera (Tenerife, Spagna)
Ho Sik Yu | New Dance For Asia International Festival (Daegu City, Corea del Sud)
Mario Bianchi | critico e autore
Corinne Bove | Campadidanza
Giovanna Caggegi | La Sicilia
Ariadne Mikou | ricercatrice indipendente e critica di arti performative
Greta Pieropan | freelance dance dramaturg
Alessandro Pontremoli | Università di Torino
Isabella Terruso | Inscenaonline
Best Performance – Teatri Riflessi 2027 | € 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, the Youth Jury and the Citizens’ Jury
Best Dramaturgy – Teatri Riflessi 2027 | € 500
collectively determined by the Scholars’ & Critics’ Panel
Best Direction – Teatri Riflessi 2027 | € 500
collectively determined by the Programmers’ Panel
Best Performer – Teatri Riflessi 2027 | € 500
collectively determined by the Programmers’ Panel
Scholars’ and Critics’ Award – Teatri Riflessi 2027 | € 500
collectively determined by the Scholars’ & Critics’ Panel
‘Valentina Nicosia’ Fund | budget of € 500
awarded on the collective decision of the Programmers’ and Scholars’ & Critics’ Panel
Fund for the Research ‘Sandra Bressan’| budget of € 1,800
awarded by the Citizens’ Juty to reinvite a company in Sicily and work for the community
Youth Jury Award – Teatri Riflessi 2027 | €300
awarded by the Youth Jury to one of the semifinalists
Special Mention of the Audience – Teatri Riflessi 2027
determined by the audience during the final
Companies’ Choice Award – Teatri Riflessi 2027
determined by all competing companies
Technical Crew Award – Teatri Riflessi 2027
awarded by the festival technical team
Španski borci / En-Knap | Iztok Kovač
residenza e coproduzione per un nuovo lavoro a Inan Sven Du Swami e Mojca Špik
programmazione nel 2026 per:
“GOOD VIBES ONLY (beta test)”
“Speechless”
“Bunker”
Fondazione Armunia | Angela Fumarola
programmazione nella stagione 2026 del Festival Inequilibrio per:
“Speechless”
“A volo d’angelo”
Cortile Teatro Festival | Roberto Bonaventura
programmazione nella stagione 2025 di:
“Ali ptice sanjajo o letenju? / Do Birds Dream of Flying?”
Dance ICONS | Mr Vladimir Angelov
menzione assegnata a Bunker per la coreografia promettente
TR Mood | Rosanna La Malfa
borsa di sostegno “Premio gentilezza”
a Speechless
Is a performance fee provided?
Each selected performance receives a gross performance fee between €500 and €1,100, plus a potential travel contribution of up to €250 (subject to available funding, place of origin, cast size, and absence of external touring grants). Main competition awards also carry cash prizes. Fees, reimbursements, and monetary awards will be disbursed after the festival, provided all regulations and submission deadlines are met.
Do I need to pay an application fee to apply?
No. Application is completely free. Only selected companies are required to pay a €50 deposit upon selection, which is fully refunded following the festival.
Is it a problem if my short performance exceeds 15 minutes?
Performances should aim for a 15-minute duration. Given the live nature of performance, slight flexibility is allowed, but total stage occupancy cannot exceed 20 minutes (including set positioning, staging and dismantling).
Where can I find the digital application form?
The link is provided in Article 5 of the open call regulations. Please read the regulations carefully before completing the form.
What should I upload for Annex A – Dramaturgy?
If a complete script exists, please upload it. For dance, physical theatre, or non-text works, submit a short document detailing the dramaturgical research and choreographic structure of the piece.
I do not have a video recording of the performance. What can I do?
A full recording of the complete work is essential for evaluation purposes. Excerpts or teasers are insufficient. In the case of rehearsed readings, clear directorial notes describing costumes, lighting, and set design are mandatory.
My performance contains foreign language texts. Can I still apply?
Yes. Works will be presented with Italian and English surtitles prepared by IterCulture APS.
Can I submit more than one short performance?
Yes, but you must complete a separate application form for each work.
Can I make changes to the performance after submitting my application?
No. No major changes are permitted after selection. Minor adjustments must be communicated well in advance and authorised by IterCulture APS, especially in case of cast substitutions.
Who sits on the Panels?
Panels comprise around 30 professionals, including journalists, critics, academic researchers, artistic directors, and curators from Italian and international festivals, production houses, and theatres. Many belong to the Teatri Riflessi Network and Anticorpi XL Network. The full list of panel members will be published on the IterCulture APS website in June 2027.
Over the past three years, participating partner organisations have included:
Antistatic Festival (Sofia, Bulgaria), ATER Fondazione (Modena), BIG Festival (Bari), Cantieri Danza (Ravenna), Circuito CLAPS – Circuito Multidisciplinare per la Lombardia, COORPI – Coordinamento Danza Piemonte (Torino), Dance ICONS (Washington DC, USA), Dancescreen in the land (Roma), Danza Urbana (Bologna), Derida Dance Centre (Sofia, Bulgaria), EN-KNAP and Španski Borci Cultural Centre (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Fabbrica Europa (Firenze), Festival Ammutinamenti (Ravenna), Festival Cluny Danse (France), Festival de Danza Canarias dentro y fuera (Tenerife, Spain), FIND Festival (Cagliari), Fondazione Armunia and Festival Inequilibrio (Castiglioncello), Fondazione Claudia Lombardi per il teatro (Lugano, Switzerland), Fondazione Federico Cornoni and Canile Drammatico Festival (Parma), Fondazione Sipario Toscana (Cascina), Fondazione Toscana Spettacolo (Firenze), Galway Dance (Ireland), Interplay Festival Internazionale di Danza e Performing Art (Torino), L’Arboreto – Teatro Dimora di Mondaino, La Piccionaia – Centro di Produzione Teatrale (Vicenza), Movimento Danza (Napoli), Rete Anticorpi XL, New Dance For Asia International Festival (Daegu City, South Korea), Puglia Culture (Bari), Rassegna InterAgendo (Sassari), REACT – Promozione, Teatro Comunale di Vicenza, Toplocentrala Centre for Contemporary Arts (Sofia, Bulgaria), and Umbria Danza Festival (Perugia).
Are rehearsals compulsory?
Yes. Rehearsal attendance is mandatory. Your specific rehearsal day will be assigned by the Competition Manager following selection.
When do I need to arrive in Zafferana Etnea?
Rehearsals are scheduled across 13 and 14 July 2027. You must arrive in Zafferana Etnea by your scheduled rehearsal day and remain present until the conclusion of the festival at 23:30 on Sunday 18 July 2027.
Will I have free time?
Yes. Rehearsals and public events take place mainly during the afternoons and evenings. The only mandatory morning commitment is the panel feedback session on Sunday 18 July.
Would you like further details?
In addition to contacting the Competition Manager, you can join our online information sessions on Google Meet on Tuesday 22 September 2026:
English Session at 19:30 (CEST / Italian time)
https://meet.google.com/mkh-wxdc-rnh
For inquiries, WRITE to
teatri.riflessi.festival@gmail.com
or CALL/TEXT Robertavenera Gambino on Whatsapp
+39 0958996470
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.
