The Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute has been a long-standing partner of the Divadelná Nitra Association, the organiser of the International Theatre Festival – the largest theatre festival in Slovakia – and the V4@Theatre Critics Residency programme for theatre critics from the Central and Eastern European region. Since 2015, over a few dozen people, now active on the Polish theatre scene, have taken part in the residency. As a result of the cut in funding on the part of Slovak authorities, the 35th edition of the festival will be held in crisis mode.
The International Theatre Festival Divadelná Nitra has lost its public funding following a decision by Slovakia’s national arts funding body, the Slovak Arts Council.
“We believe this decision reflects a broader political pressure on independent culture and artistic freedom in Slovakia. As a result, one of Central Europe’s longest-running international theatre festivals is now facing an uncertain future. You can find more information here. Despite these circumstances, we are doing everything possible to prepare a reduced edition of the festival and continue our mission of promoting artistic excellence, international cooperation, and open dialogue”, writes Anna Šimončičová, the director of the festival.
“Any public message of support, sharing of information, or contribution to our fundraising efforts would help us continue this work. We would greatly appreciate it if you could share the attached poster on your social media channels and add your own comment expressing support for the festival. Please be sure to tag Divadelná Nitra (@divadelnanitra)”, she adds.
Over its nearly 35 years, the International Theatre Festival Divadelná Nitra has showcased 636 performances by top domestic and international theatres, delivered nearly 2 million accompanying programme events and has drawn almost 400,000 visitors – Nitra residents along with guests from Slovakia and abroad.
The Theatre Institute supports the Divadelná Nitra International Festival and has been a subject-matter partner of the V4@Theatre Critics Residency 2026, a project executed with the support of the International Visegrad Fund.
The V4@Theatre Critics Residency is a platform for young theatre critics up to 35 years of age from the Visegrad Group, the Western Balkans, and the Eastern Partnership countries. It has been developed since 2015 at annual workshops. It is a unique opportunity to exchange inspiration and ideas and to network during the Divadelná Nitra International Theatre Festival, the largest theatre event in Slovakia.
Each year, participants selected through an open call are allowed to attend the Divadelná Nitra International Theatre Festival events free of charge. They are provided with accommodation, partial board and travel expenses; they watch performances, participate in meetings with European theatre makers, and actively participate in theatre criticism workshops and debates with artists. The residency focuses not only on strictly artistic issues but also on questions of differences in theatre systems and reflection on the organisation of international festivals. The mentor and supervisor of the residency was for many years the theatre scholar and author of the Dictionary of Theatre Terms Patrice Pavis, followed by Stefan Tigges. In recent years, the master class during the residency has also been led by a theatre theoretician and practitioner, an expert in international cooperation, Darko Lukić.
The Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute is one of the oldest partners of the Divadelná Nitra Association and has been involved in the project from the beginning. Many theatre critics have participated in the residencies and have actively contributed to the Polish theatre scene ever since.
We currently have no confirmed information regarding the open call to the next edition of the V4@Theatre Critics Residency. We will be informing you of any developments about the programme as they come up.
