Dialogue between Maija Pavlova, Kristė Agota Savė, Kirsten Simmo, Ingeborg Zackariassen, Tiff Tian Zhang, moderated by Agata Tomšič

When we began programming this new edition of POLIS, I was struck by the number of female curators, artistic directors, playwrights, artists, scholars—women, young professionals—whom I met during my travels through Northern Europe while exploring the performing arts scene of the Baltic and Scandinavian countries. With most of them, the connection was immediate, productive, and concrete. Some have become true consultants for our 2026 festival; others are the result of chance encounters or a deliberate desire to discover more and understand better, reaching even those countries where we have not yet set foot. Some were able to accept our invitation to participate in the roundtable discussion that we traditionally dedicate to the contemporary scene of the geographical area in focus. This allows us to frame this year’s debate through this particular lens, both from the perspective of artistic production and that of programming and curation.

the discussion at the round table is conducted entirely in English


Maija Pavlova is an experienced performing arts producer and co-founder of Theatre on Gertrude Street (2009), one of the most influential independent theatres in Riga. Dedicated and knowledgeable professional who’s daily work involves close collaboration with artists on diverse creative projects locally and abroad, as well as development and strengthening of contemporary theatre and dance field in Latvia. For several years has served a board member of Latvian Theatre Workers Union and Association of Contemporary Culture NGOs.  Since February 2026 started to work as the Head of National Performing Arts School of Latvian Academy of Culture. 

In pursue of adventure and unknown territories, Kristė Agota Savė is a Lithuania-based theatre producer and curator who has come a long way from growing up in a small town in (the still soviet) Lithuania to having studied philology, anthropology and arts management abroad, while living and working in Spain, Poland, USA, Hungary and Kazakhstan. Since 2017, she has been Head of Artistic Management and Dramaturgy Department at the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre,  and since 2019 — Artistic Director of Sirenos theatre festival. She is a co-founder of Lithuanian Theatre Centre, the mission of which is to represent Lithuanian theatre artists internationally. 

Kirsten Simmo is an Estonian theatre professional, cultural manager, and theatre researcher. She has served as the head (board member) of the Estonian Theatre Agency from 2016 to 2025, where she was responsible for coordinating the agency’s activities, promoting Estonian drama internationally, and mediating copyright in the theatre sector. Since 2025, she has continued working at the Estonian Theatre Agency as a licensing agent. Simmo studied theatre studies at the University of Tartu and has also pursued further master’s-level studies in cultural management. Before joining the agency, she worked for over a decade as head of the theatre department at the Estonian Theatre and Music Museum, gaining extensive experience in theatre history, archives, and exhibition work. In addition to her managerial work, Simmo has been actively involved in the wider theatre field. She has long been associated with ASSITEJ Estonia (the international association of theatre for children and young people) and has served on various juries and professional committees.

Ingeborg Zackariassen is a Gothenburg-based Artist, Writer, and Artistic Director. As co-founder of the artist-driven platform No Deadline, she curates and produces the annual Rabbit/Duck Interdisciplinary Art Festival as well as the Creative Currents performance series, which platforms a young generation of choreographers.
Her critical writing examines questions of labor, sustainability, and artistic autonomy in contemporary performance. Her writing is published in Nordic and international journals as well as her own Substack Writing the Movement. Zackariassen’s practice operates across multiple registers—as artist, curator, and critic—positioning her to address structural conditions as well as the aesthetic landscape of contemporary artistic work.
Her curatorial approach emphasizes artist-led models and interdisciplinary exchange, while her writing creates space for critical reflection on the systems that shape cultural production.

Tiff Tian Zhang is a producer and cultural leader specializing in festival and theatre production. She currently serves as Managing Director of Baltic Circle, an international contemporary performance festival based in Helsinki, Finland, where she leads the organization’s strategic development, operations, and interdisciplinary programming. Alongside her work at Baltic Circle, she serves as Executive Producer and Creative Producer at One Hundred, an international studio dedicated to crafting immersive experiences. She previously held the role of Production Director of the internationally acclaimed and award-winning immersive theatre, Sleep No More Shanghai.

Agata Tomšič is an actress, dramaturg, director, artistic director and theorist. Co-founder of ErosAntEros in 2010, she trained from 2005 with several contemporary artists and earned her Master’s degree in Performing Arts from the University of Bologna in 2014, continuing to publish her writings in books and journals, translate and edit publications, and organize and participate in international conferences. With ErosAntEros, she produces multidisciplinary and socially engaged performances with major European theaters (Emilia Romagna Teatro ERT, Slovensko Mladinsko Gledalisce, Théâtre National du Luxembourg, Ravenna Festival, Campania Teatro Festival, Teatro della Toscana, Teatro Piemonte Europa, Teatro Stabile di Bolzano, Teatro della Tosse) and pursues vocal-sound research focused on experimentation with different musicians. Since 2018, she has co-directed POLIS Teatro Festival in Ravenna. Since 2020, she has been an active member of EASTAP – European Association for the Studies of Theatre and Performance. In 2023, she obtained a Level II Professional Master’s degree in Vocal Music and Musical Theatre of the 20th Century and Contemporary Era from the Giuseppe Verdi State Conservatory in Ravenna. As she increasingly establishes herself in artistic and managerial leadership roles, her presence within international projects and networks continues to intensify.