POLIS 2026 – Anna Cavallo interviews Agata Tomšič, “Theatron 2.0”, May 14 2026
POLIS Teatro Festival: The Brave and Youthful Scene of the Baltic and Scandinavian Countries, “Theatron 2.0”, May 14 2026
The focus this year is on the Baltic and Scandinavian countries. What can you tell us about the protagonists and the selection criteria?
Agata Tomšič: This year, Davide and I worked just as we did in previous years, leveraging the international relationships we have built over time, both as artists and as artistic directors. This research doesn’t just come from visiting these countries, their festivals, foundations, and institutions that promote the circulation of their local artists—a feature that is very prominent in Northern Europe and guarantees these artists international visibility.
What I mean is that there are public or private institutions that invite festival directors, like the two of us, to visit their countries and get to know their artists. This way, you have the opportunity to connect with many artists in just a few days. They also offer a reimbursement of expenses, if not total, at least partial, just as they do when their artists come to our country. These are concrete opportunities that do not exist in our country, or exist only to a very small extent. This financial support not only provides visibility for the artist outside national borders but also offers the opportunity to “take risks” in terms of aesthetics and experimentation.
That being said, regarding the selection criteria, Davide and I investigated firsthand by traveling to Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. We also went to Finland, while for the other countries, we relied on consultations with professionals we met in international contexts. It wasn’t possible to bring every reality we encountered to the stage—sometimes for financial reasons, other times due to scheduling conflicts—but what we discovered is an extremely rich, brave, young scene that is highly focused on female creation, not only in terms of authorship but also curation. The artistic directors and dramaturgical consultants of the festivals we visited are mostly women between 35 and 45 years old, with remarkable energy and a radical approach that struck me deeply, and with whom I found myself very much in tune.