15:00 - 16:00

ETC Board Meeting [for the ETC Board of Directors only]

Salle Vive, Théâtre de Liège

14:00 - 18:00

Welcome Desk

Foyer, Théâtre de Liège

17:00

Exhibition: Tides of Times - Siu Yung Wong
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Chapelle

18:00

Opening Reception

 

Join us for the kick-off of the event and opening speeches, as we set the stage for an engaging and inspiring series of sessions, discussions and performances.

 

With:

• Willy Demeyer, Mayor City of Liège
• Pascale Delcomminette, CEO of  Wallonia Foreign Trade and Investment Agency (AWEX) & Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI)
• Virginie Cordier, Deputy Head of the Minister-President of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation
• Cláudia Belchior, President of European Theatre Convention (ETC) & Executive General Coordinator at the Centro Cultural de Belém
• Serge Rangoni, General Manager & Artistic Director of Théâtre de Liège & ETC Treasurer
• Heidi Wiley, Executive Director of European Theatre Convention (ETC)

Foyer, Théâtre de Liège

18:00

Exhibition: A Chair fr Co-Responding
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Société Libre d’Emulation

19:00 - 20:20

Performance: Dragons - Eun-Me Ahn (KR)
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Grande Main, Théâtre de Liège

20:30

Official Reception - Walking Dinner

Baci, Théâtre de Liège

09:00 - 18:00

Welcome Desk

Foyer, Théâtre de Liège

10:00 - 12:00

ETC International Theatre Conference: Artists' Pitches

 

Artists will offer a glimpse into their innovative works currently on tour or in production, pushing the boundaries of contemporary art and performance.

 

With: 

• Eric Arnal-Burtschy
• Ersatz
• Dead Center
• Byungjun Kwon
• Guillaume Marmin
• Anna Anderegg
• Ontroerend Goed
• Boeun Kim & Digital Medienkunst Bremen
• Igor Cardellini & Tomas Gonzales
• Taavet Jansen
• Paulien Geerlings
• Yves Degryse
• Vanessa Hannesschläger

 
Forum, Grand Poste

12:00 - 14:00

Joint Lunch
Grand Poste

12:00 - 12:45

Showcase: Handle with Care - Ontroerend Goed (KR)

Studio Forum, Grand Poste

13:00 - 13:30

ETC International Theatre Conference: Buddy Meeting
[For new Member Theatres and designated ‘Buddies’ only]

Salle Vive, Théâtre de Liège

14:00 - 15:30

ETC International Theatre Conference: 'After the World: Digital Theatre'

 

How can theatre evolve in the digital age? What creative possibilities does technology unlock for artists? How can big data analytics inspire artistic exploration? As artists and institutions navigate the shifting landscape of performance, the integration of new technologies opens new doors for creativity and collaboration. ETC’s new Digital Theatre Programme, developed in partnership with the Academy for Theatre and Digitality in Dortmund, will provide opportunities for theatres and artists to engage and experiment with cutting-edge technologies and explore grant opportunities for innovative projects.

 

With: 

• Blanca Li, Choreographer, Director and President of Parc and the Grande Halle de la Villette
• Heidi Wiley, ETC Executive Director 
• Annabell Blank, ETC Project Manager
• Marcus Lobbes, Academy for Theatre and Digitality in Dortmund 
• Martin Hennecke, Composer and research fellow at the Academy for Theatre and Digitality in Dortmund 
• Carla Meller, Academy for Theatre and Digitality in Dortmund 

Forum, Grand Poste

15:30 - 16:00

Coffee Break

16:00 - 17:00

ETC International Theatre Conference: General Assembly
[ETC Members only]
Forum, Grand Poste

17:00 - 22:00

Performance: Alone Together - Anna Anderreg (CH/KR)
Continuous performance, in and out
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Salle Regina

18:00

Exhibition: Opening of Hyperborée - ERSATZ (FR/BE)
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Overflow Gallery

19:00 

Performance: On the Bird's Day - Kwon Byungjun (KR)
Group 1
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Oeil Vert, Théâtre de Liège

19:00 

Performance: Je suis une montagne - Eric Arnal Burtschy
Session 1 / 20-minute session, preview
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Nouvelles Têtes, Théâtre de Liège

20:00 - 21:00

Performance: Je suis une montagne - Eric Arnal Burtschy
Session 2 / 20-minute session, preview
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Nouvelles Têtes, Théâtre de Liège

21:00 - 22:20

Performance: Dragons - Eun-Me Ahn [KR]
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Grande Main, Théâtre de Liège

22:30

Party Reception
Hall, Théâtre de Liège

09:00 - 18:00

Welcome Desk

Foyer, Théâtre de Liège

10:00 - 12:00

ETC International Theatre Conference: Asia Meets Europe – Festival Connections

Asia’s vibrant festival scene meets Europe in this presentation that brings together key festival leaders from major Asian and European cultural scenes to explore the potential for international connections and collaborations. What are the cultural exchanges that can emerge when these two regions connect and engage across borders?

 

With: 

• Kyu Choi, Seoul Performing Arts Festival (SPAF) 
• Cho-pei Kao, National Theater & Concert Hall Taipei & Taiwan Week 
• Sasapin Sirriwanij,Bangkok International Performing Arts Market (BIPAM) 
• Yoko Kawasaki, Kyoto Experiment  
• Michael Eickhoff, Academy for Theatre and Digitality in Dortmund
• Jerôme Villeneuve, Hexagone Meylan & Festival Experimenta  
• Natacha Duviquet, Siana
• Jonathan Thonon, Théâtre de Liège & IMPACT 
• Jérémie Bellot, Festival Constellations Metz 
• Heidi Wiley, European Theatre Convention

Forum, Grand Poste

12:00

Group Picture

Grand Poste

12:00 - 14:00

Lunch

Grand Poste

14:00 - 15:00

Performance: On the Bird's Day - Kwon Byungjun (KR)
Group 2
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Oeil Vert, Théâtre de Liège

16:00 - 17:30

ETC International Theatre Conference: Theatre and Sustainability in the Digital Age

Ecology and digital, lost in transition ? 
Caught between ecological imperatives and the need to support digital practices - of artists, audiences, and cultural institutions - cultural professionals struggle to find a balance. This "ecological transition vs. digital transition" dilemma can be paralyzing, even though the boundaries are porous: while digital technologies have a real ecological impact through their energy consumption and materiality, digital creations, with their narrative power and critical dimension, nourish new collective imaginaries. To (re)reconcile “ecology” and “digital”, it is undoubtedly necessary to raise the stakes to a structural level, where players act collectively to build a responsible cultural sector. 

Session in French with simultaneous English translation.

Organised by the French Embassy in Belgium, the Institut français, HACNUM, TMNLAB and TRAS

Forum, Grand Poste

16:00 - 17:00

Performance: Je suis une montagne - Eric Arnal Burtschy
Session 3 / 20-minute session, preview
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Nouvelles Têtes, Théâtre de Liège

17:00 - 18:00

Performance: Je suis une montagne - Eric Arnal Burtschy
Session 4 / 20-minute session, preview
Read more
Nouvelles Têtes, Théâtre de Liège

18:00 - 19:00

Performance: Je suis une montagne - Eric Arnal Burtschy
Session 5 / 20-minute session, preview
Read more
Nouvelles Têtes, Théâtre de Liège

17:00 - 22:00

Performance: Alone Together - Anna Anderreg (CH/KR)
Continous performance - in and out
Read more
Salle Regina

19:00

Exhibition: Passengers - Guillaume Marmin (FR)
Read more
Esplanade des Guillemins

20:00

Joint Dinner
[at own expense]
Grand Café de la Gare

09:00 - 18:00

Welcome Desk

Foyer, Théâtre de Liège

09:30 - 10:30

ETC International Theatre Conference: New International Collaborations

 

The official launch of ETC’s major new programme, EUROPEAN THEATRE: BREAK THE MOULD, will mark a bold step in shaping the future of European theatre. Built around five key programmes —Next Theatre Generation, Diversity in Theatre, Sustainable Theatre, European Theatre, and Digital Theatre — ETC offers unprecedented new collaboration opportunities for theatres and artists in Europe. With innovative co-creations, development grants, scholarships, residencies, shared learning tools and international networking, BREAK THE MOULD promotes theatre as place for dialogue, as a bastion of freedom of expression, and one of the major pillars of democratic values in Europe.

Forum, Grand Poste

10:30 - 11:00

ETC International Theatre Conference: Project Pitching
ETC Member Theatres present concrete project ideas, look for partners and call for artistic collaborations.

Forum, Grand Poste

11:00 - 11:30

Coffee Break

11:30 - 13:00

ETC International Theatre Conference

European Theatre Talks- ‘Free Culture: Resisting Political Interference’

2024 has been a challenging year for freedom of expression in the arts. Far-right governments are on the rise around Europe, and increasingly prone to interfering in the running of public institutions – by dismissing directors that they see as too challenging and replacing them with more deferential candidates. This edition of the European Theatre Talks will focus on the increasing restrictions of freedom of expression in a European context, with interventions from artists, cultural figures and policy makers that work closely on themes of artistic freedom and democracy.

 

The European Theatre Talks are a high-profile theatre and policy even that emerged following the European Theatre Forum event in 2023, which collected the shared needs and desires of the European Theatre sector in a resulting policy document, called the Opole Recommendations. The goal of these talks is to implement the recommendations in this document through consistent dialogue with policy makers.

 

Moderated by Marina Maleni, Theatre Development Officer, Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC) and ETC Board Member 

 

With:

• Georg Häusler, Director for Culture, Creativity and Sport in the European Commission (DG EAC) [online]
• Gabrielle Bernoville, Representative of the Education, Youth, Sport and Culture department at the European Commission (DEGEAC)
• Cláudia Belchior, President of European Theatre Convention and Executive General Coordinator at the Centro Cultural de Belém
• Elena Polivtseva, Co-Founder of Culture Policy Room
• Miriam Kičiňová, Artistic Director of Drama at Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava
• Fariba Mosleh, Curator and Cultural Manager / Council Member of the Free Republic of Vienna / Vienna Festival | Wiener Festwochen
• Elfriede Jelinek, Playwright and novelist [video intervention]
• Kay Voges, Artistic Director of Volkstheater Vienna
• Anita Debaere, Director of Pearle* - Live Performance Europe
• Audrey Jungers, Managing Director at Opera Europa
• Jean Peters, Senior Reporter for Correctiv

Forum, Grand Poste

13:00

Joint Lunch
Grand Poste

14:00 - 15:00

ETC International Theatre Conference: ETC Theatre Green Book (TGB) - Closed meeting
For ETC TGB Focus Group II and Mentorship Programme Participants

Salle Vive, Théâtre de Liège

15:00 - 16:00

ACuTe Symposium: Partners' Meeting
[ACuTe partners only]
Salle des Affranchis, Grand Poste

16:00 - 18:00

ACuTe Symposium: Design Thinking Toolkit Workshop

 

Design Thinking is an iterative approach to creating better products by focusing on user needs. It helps you understand the user, challenge assumptions, and redefine problems to uncover alternative strategies and solutions that may not be immediately obvious. This method combines a way of thinking and working with hands-on experimentation techniques.
The Design Thinking methodology was selected to develop a toolkit in close collaboration with ACuTe consortium partners. These testbeds will enable the testing and prototyping of new technologies for use in performing arts productions.
This short crash course was developped to provide a practical understanding of Design Thinking. In small teams, participants will tackle a design problem, gain deeper insights into user needs, define the challenge, brainstorm innovative solutions, create prototypes, test them, and ultimately apply the product in practice — all within a condensed timeframe.

 

With:

• Herman Paassen, Lecturer & Researcher at Saxion University of Applied Sciences
• Hester van der Ent, Teacher at the Bachelor Course of Creative Media and Game Technologies of Saxion and coordinator at the XR lab of the Saxion School of Creative Technology.

 

Salle Vive, Théâtre de Liège

18:00 - 19:00

Performance: Je suis une montagne - Eric Arnal Burtschy
Session 6 / 20-minute session, preview
Read more
Nouvelles Têtes, Théâtre de Liège

10:00 - 13:00

ACuTe Symposium: Synergies

In this session, partners from ACuTe – Culture Testbeds for Performing Arts and New Technologies will offer a deep dive into their experimental productions created during the project. They will explore how digital technologies are transforming international theatre production, offering insights into how digital tools facilitate creative collaboration across borders and offer new ways of working together. The panel will also highlight the new collaboration between the arts and academia, where researchers and artists are working side by side to push the boundaries of theatre-making. The session will examine how these innovations are reshaping the production process, from concept development to performance. Attendees will gain a behind-the-scenes look at the impact of the ACuTe project and learn from the cutting-edge digital strategies driving the future of European theatre.

 

With:

Keynote speech by: Pål Mørk Hansen, NetNordic Norway

• Florence Minder, Venedig Meer
• Julien Jaillot, Venedig Meer
• George Albert Costea, Theater Marin Sorescu Craiova
• Catinca Drăgănescu, Directress & Playwright
• Paulien Geerlings, Toneelmakerij
• Vanessa Hannesschläger, Ars Electronica
• Taavet Jansen, EKA Estonian Akademy of Arts
• Liis Vares, Artist

Moderated by Carla Meller (Dortmund Akademie für Theater und Digitalität) and
Jonathan Thonon (Théâtre de Liège)

[with a coffee break at 11:15 - 11:35]
Forum, Grand Poste

13:00 - 14:30

Joint Lunch

Grand Poste

14:30 - 16:00

ETC International Theatre Conference: Individual Networking & Project Meetings

This session offers participants a dedicated space to connect with peers, exchange ideas, and discuss potential collaborations on projects, providing an opportunity for direct networking and in-depth discussions to foster future partnerships.

16:00 - 16:30

ETC International Theatre Conference: Closing

 

Forum, Grand Poste

19:00 - 20:30

L'invisible n'est pas inexistant - Cie Venedig Meer
Read more
Grande Main, Théâtre de Liège

 

20:30 - 21:30

ACuTe Symposium: OPEN LAB 'L'invisible n'est pas inexistant'

Stage tour and artist conversations

Grande Main, Théâtre de Liège