The international conference THEATRE AND CIVIC DIALOGUE: Nová dráma / New Drama 2026
The Theatre Institute in Bratislava announces a call for papers for the international conference
THEATRE AND CIVIC DIALOGUE
which will take place during the 22nd edition of the NOVÁ DRÁMA/NEW DRAMA 2026 festival.
Since ancient Greece, theatre has served as an open platform for artistic expression, reflecting issues of interpersonal relationships, values, responsibility, and the functioning of society. It allows the audience to see different perspectives and promotes public dialogue within the safe and aesthetic framework of an artistic experience. Unlike other art forms, it is unique in its topicality, liveliness, authenticity, and its immediate contact with the audience. It responds to social stimuli, historical events, and current issues of its time. As a publicly accessible art form, it creates space for interpretation, reflection, and consideration of the individual's position as a citizen, as well as the role and boundaries of art in society.
The conference aims to open a professional discussion on the relationship between theatre and the democratic environment, the extent of its social engagement, the responsibility of cultural institutions towards their founders, the autonomy of artistic creation, and the role of theatre in the public sphere. Contributions from the fields of theatre studies, aesthetics, cultural studies, and theatre practice that reflect on historical and contemporary forms of the relationship between theatre and society in a broader European context are welcome.
Conference topics:
- Art as part of public discourse: plurality of opinions and culture of dialogue
- Comparative perspectives on the position of artists in civil society
- Public funding of art and its social responsibility: balancing public interest and creative freedom
- Historical and theoretical perspectives on socially engaged theatre
Applications for the conference, together with an abstract, must be sent by March 1, 2026, to konferencia@theatre.sk. Participants will be informed of the selection of their contributions by March 15, 2026. The conference languages are Slovak and English. The festival offers selected participants accommodation for three nights and tickets to all festival events. Competitive performances are subtitled in English. The conference chair is Dária Fojtíková Fehérová, PhD., director of the festival.
The conference will take place on May 13, 2026.
Applications for the conference (DOCX, 60kB)
The Nová dráma/New Drama Festival is a competitive showcase of contemporary drama productions staged by professional theaters in Slovakia over the past year. The festival's dramaturgical board is responsible for the competitive selection, and an international jury decides on the awards. The festival includes professional and presentation events that highlight the themes and forms of contemporary theatre. The 22nd edition of the festival will take place from May 11 to 15, 2026, in Bratislava.
