Come di Verona and Estate Teatrale Veronese, in collaboration with Teatro Stabile del Veneto – Teatro Nazionale, presents Planet Shakespeare – Academy Festival, an international festival dedicated to Theatre Academies, aimed at promoting internationalization and interaction among new generations of artists. This new internationalization project focuses on young people, directly engaging them in how they experience and perceive Shakespeare and his works, both in their most traditional forms and through rewritings, adaptations, and reinterpretations.
The call originates within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement between the Municipality of Verona (Comune di Verona) and the National Theatre of the Veneto Region (Fondazione Teatro Stabile del Veneto Carlo Goldoni), as per Comune di Verona protocol no. 0467003/24 dated 16/12/2024, with reference to Article 4.
The event, scheduled to take place at Teatro Camploy in Verona from September 10 to 20, 2025, will feature works inspired by the playwright, including classical performances, rewritings, adaptations, and reinterpretations.
Through this call, four productions will be selected to join the performances of the newly graduated students from Accademia Teatrale Carlo Goldoni (Teatro Stabile del Veneto), who will stage a rewriting of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the participants of the Spazio Teatro Giovani project from the city of Verona, who will present a reimagined version of Romeo and Juliet.
Eligible works include those developed within academic programs or created by groups composed of graduates, provided that the diploma was obtained within the five years preceding the current year.
The festival welcomes applications for both original works that have yet to be performed and productions that have already been staged. Each group or individual may submit a single proposal.
1. Selection Requirements
The Planet Shakespeare - Academy Festival will select productions that have the following requirements:
- Productions created within Theatre Academies based outside Italy or groups composed of students or graduates (within five years of obtaining their diploma) from Theatre Academies based outside Italy.
- Productions inspired by Shakespeare’s texts (traditional interpretations, rewritings, adaptations, or reinterpretations are accepted).
- Compliance with the eligibility requirements outlined in section 3.
- Compatibility with the technical specifications detailed in section 6.
2. Conditions
The festival will provide:
- Each selected project will receive a reimbursement of expenses up to a maximum of €5,000.00. The reimbursement may be subject to tax withholding, based on international conventions between Italy and the applicants’ countries.
- The technical rider of Teatro Camploy, as detailed in section 6. The date of the show will be between 10th and 20th September 2025.
Props, if available, for companies unable to provide them. The Festival Organisation retains the final decision regarding the materials that can be supplied. Requests should be specified in the application. - The festival does not provide additional fees, stipends, or any other form of payment for artists or company staff.
The selected companies will:
- Take care of the employees’ fees, per diems, eventual medical costs, board and lodging costs. Employees must be duly hired in compliance with regulations for social security, welfare, and accident prevention purposes.
- Cover travel expenses for company members from the company’s headquarters to Verona, including transfers to and from the airport and local travel in the city of Verona.
- Handle transportation of stage materials from the company's headquarters to Teatro Camploy and any staging and performing expenses.
- Take care of travel, hiring, social security, safety costs, etc., for all the people travelling.
- Provide English subtitles and the script of the play.
3. Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible, applicants must be legal entities (private or public bodies), which entails being registered in the business register (or an equivalent registry), having a legal representative with power of attorney, the ability to issue regular invoices, and possession of a bank account. Professionals who are not legal entities must enter a contract with a legal entity before signing the final agreement with the Festival Organisation. The legal entity will then sign the contract with the Festival Organisation as the legal representative of the professional(s).
Applicants based in an EU Member State must provide the A1 Form, certifying social security coverage in their home country and exemption from social security contributions in Italy for each travelling member of the company.
Applicants not based in an EU Member State, or for whom European Social Security Legislation does not apply, must verify the possibility of obtaining a document from their own Social Security System attesting social security coverage in their country and exemption from social security contributions in Italy for each travelling member of the company.
If applicants are unable to provide the A1 Form (EU countries) or an equivalent document proving social security contributions in their own country (non-EU countries), the Festival Organisation will be required to pay social security contributions in Italy. This service can be provided by the Festival Organisation upon specific request, and the costs will be charged to the company (approximately €20.00 per worker per performance day).
For further information on social security in an international context, please refer to the guide published by Pearle Live Performance Europe, available here.
4. How to Participate
The candidates must send the application by March 14th at 23:59. The application must be filled in at the following link.
The required attachments are the following:
- Detailed project description, including the concept and vision for the work inspired by Shakespeare.
- Information about the academy and the working group, including past productions and any recognitions.
- Technical rider, if available.
The selected companies will be informed by March 31st, 2025.
