TRNAVA, June 10, 2026 – Whether you were stepping off the train, waiting for a bus, or simply strolling through the enchanting lanes of the Little Rome, since May the iconic purple signposts bearing the letters TTF have been greeting you in Trnava. After two years, the international theatre biennial Teen Theatre Fest has returned.
The second edition continued the vision of bringing the very best of contemporary artistic creation to young audiences — and audiences of all ages. Alongside top-tier Slovak ensembles, the festival attracted artists from abroad, including Finland, Germany, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic.
Teen Theatre Fest dared to present a programme that pushes beyond established conventions, opens new perspectives, and reflects the needs, lives, and culture of younger generations. Its motto „WE ARE NOT ALONE“ is a signal to everyone who feels unheard and lost today that theatre, too, can be a space for self-expression, belonging, and safe, inclusive encounter.
“Teen Theatre Fest is not merely a showcase of excellent theatre, but an event in which young people are given space and a voice. And it is with them that we want to shape the future of theatre and of society,“ summarised Zuzana Hekel, Director of the Ján Palárik Theatre.
The festival programme was also significantly marked by the international participatory project IN JOY, realised in collaboration with choreographer Jaro Viňarský a performer Matthew Rogers. The project was created in direct dialogue with the exhibition Field of Memory by the Ukrainian Dakh Theatre, hosted by the the Ján Koniarik Gallery in Trnava.
Over three intensive days, students from the Private Dance Conservatory of Dušan Nebyla in Trnava, the Conservatory in Bratislava, and the Alegria Dance and Movement Studio created an original performance rooted in dialogue with the Field of Memory exhibition and the ideas of Hannah Arendt. The project touched on themes of war, loss, and memory, while simultaneously opening space for reflection on new beginnings, hope, and human solidarity. The result was a powerful artistic statement that culture and art can be not only a witness to pain, but also a space for care, resilience, and renewal.
“IN JOY showed that collaborative creation can connect people across schools, cities, and life experiences. What emerged was not just a performance, but new relationships, understanding, and community. Creating space for such encounters is one of the most important values of Teen Theatre Fest,“ said festival Executive Director Ivica Franeková. The project was created as part of the international stART collaboration co-financed by the Creative Europe programme.
For six days, Trnava became the cultural epicentre of Slovakia. Honest testimonies from Generations Z and Alpha alternated with experimental art forms, while the programme was enriched by workshops, installations, networking, and concerts featuring acclaimed performers.
Two awards were presented at the closing ceremony. Running alongside the festival was also the Young Critics Seminar, offering secondary and university students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the performing arts, to articulate its qualities and shortcomings, and to develop their thinking about theatre within broader social and artistic contexts.
The seminar participants, led by Associate Professor Elena Knopová of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts at the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica, Elenou Knopovouawarded the Young Critics Seminar Award to the inspiring movement performance RAUM · ZEIT. They recognised the interdisciplinary work of Berlin-based artist Tobiasa Piera Dohma, in which he weaves together dance and new circus with live music. Not a single word is spoken in his performance, giving audiences the freedom to form their own interpretations of a poetic experience of space and time.
This edition of Teen Theatre Fest featured, for the first time, an international jury, composed of experts from member institutions of the European Theatre Convention. Representing the Cyprus Theatre Organisation was ETC board member Marina Maleni Kyriazi, from Sweden’s Backa Teater, director and actor Lars Melin and from the German Deutsches Theater, theatre educator Maura Meyer.
The jury evaluated the participating productions and performances from multiple angles. Key criteria included dramaturgy, conceptual clarity, originality, the quality of the artistic performances, and aesthetic form. “Of course, our personal impression of each performance also played a role. Though such impressions are often subjective, we were delighted to find that in this case we reached unanimous agreement on all our assessments,“ noted the expert jury.
The ETC Jury Award was ultimately shared between two productions. The Second Prize went to the international co-production by the Finnish Trial & Theatre. Nano Steps – Into the Lab captivated the jury with its remarkable concept of “the world’s smallest puppets.” The excursion into the world of microparticles impressed not only with its ingenuity, but with the idea that art is all around us.
First Prize went to Prague. Twenty-two young artists from theatres ARCHA+ a NIE launched the first day of the festival in grand style with an uncensored portrait of society in the production One and one and one. “The main stage of the Ján Palárik Theatre was filled with extraordinary energy that showed us theatre as a space of courage — it moved us deeply, yet without any sense of hopelessness. The production stood out for its remarkable costumes and characters, and its impressive talent in music, dance, movement, audience engagement, and overall aesthetic sophistication.“
At the close of the ceremony, the jury expressed its gratitude to the Ján Palárik Theatre — not only for creating the festival, but above all for its quality and sustained work with young audiences. It specifically highlighted the production In my dreams, the second original project by members of Ján Palárik Theatre Children’s Theatre Academy:
“We are grateful to have witnessed such a wealth and variety of performances at this festival. We saw extraordinary dancers and acrobats who drew children directly into their productions, making them part of their magical world; street dancers transforming stories into living reality; creative workshops sparking imagination and critical thinking; exhibitions; and a rich programme in which everyone found something for themselves.“
The festival offered not only artistic experiences, but also space for professional reflection. Part of the programme was the international colloquium We Are Not Alone in Working with Youth, which brought together representatives of cultural institutions, youth workers, academics, and members of the civic sector.
The discussion brought current data, experiences from both domestic and international settings, and a wealth of inspiring examples of good practice. It demonstrated that the issues of young people naturally transcend sectoral boundaries, and that collaboration between culture, education, and community work is what creates space for meaningful and lasting change.
Teen Theatre Fest continues thanks also to the support of its founding body — the Trnava Self-Governing Region. The Ján Palárik Theatre wishes to express its gratitude for the close collaboration of the cultural institutions under the TTSK founding body: the Ján Koniarik Gallery, the Juraj Fándly Library, and the Creative Centre Trnava. The cultural centre Malý Berlín is also a co-organiser of the festival.
The festival’s partners include Región Trnava, the Faculty of Law of Trnava University in Trnava, Nádvorie – a space for contemporary culture, Zaži v Trnave – the Municipal Cultural Centre, the City of Trnava, GenT, Trnavské klubovne, the Theatre Institute, the Department of Scenography at the Faculty of Theatre at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, Lifestarter, the Private Dance Conservatory of Dušan Nebyla, and the Secondary School of Transport in Trnava.
The festival was financially supported from public funds by LITA. Some activities are co-financed by a grant from the European Union — Creative Europe.
Media contact:
Mgr. Milan Hoďa
Tel.: +421 940 887 321
E-mail: milan.hoda@djp.sk
