A place for meeting and debate - spectators interested in women's rights gather at the first three Femminicity festivals
A place for meeting and debate - spectators interested in women's rights gather at the first three Femminicity festivals
The FemminiCity project, co-funded by EU based on a CERV call, facilitates the organisation of international theatre festivals in partner cities in order to showcase the five theatre productions created due to the project. So far, festtivals were organised in Maribor, Timisoara and Montpellier, while Wroclaw and Novi Sad will follow in October 2026.
March 4-8th Maribor
The 4th edition of the Red Dawns Festival in Maribor took place from 4 to 8 March 2026 as part of the 27th International Feminist and Queer Festival Red Dawns. Organised by Društvo ZIZ in co-production with Narodni dom Maribor and KUD Mreža, the festival brought together artists, performers, cultural workers and audiences from Slovenia and several European countries, including Romania, France, Poland and Serbia. The programme featured theatre performances, participatory artistic practices, an improvisation workshop, a performative concert and a public discussion on community-based models in contemporary performing arts.
The international program was implemented within the framework of the FemminiCity project, supported by the European Union through the CERV program. Through artistic collaboration and public engagement activities, the festival contributed to increasing the visibility of women and underrepresented voices in culture while creating opportunities for transnational networking and knowledge exchange among European cultural practitioners.
Pre-event: improvisational theatre workshop The Politics of Creation 28. 2. - 1. 3. 2026
As a pre-event activity of the 4th Red Dawns Festival in Maribor, the improvisational theatre workshop The Politics of Creation brought together participants to explore collective artistic processes through improvisation. Led by theatre pedagogue and performer Sara Šoukal, the workshop encouraged reflection on collaboration, participation and the social dimensions of artistic creation.
The activity strengthened connections among local artists and cultural workers while promoting inclusive and participatory approaches aligned with the objectives of the FemminiCity project.
The festival opened with the performative event From the First to the Last, developed within the FemminiCity project. Through artistic, historical and sociological perspectives, the performance initiated a public conversation on menstruation, addressing stigma, gender norms and bodily autonomy.
The evening continued with Son by internationally acclaimed performer and choreographer Nataša Živković, produced by Mesto žensk. Combining performance, anthropology and drag, the work explored the phenomenon of sworn virgins in the Balkans and offered a powerful reflection on gender, identity and survival within patriarchal systems.
The first festival day concluded with a performative concert by Ingver in Gverilke, a vocal trio known for blending polyphonic singing, improvisation and community-oriented artistic practices. Their performance created an informal and engaging space for gathering, exchange and dialogue between artists and audiences, strengthening the festival’s participatory atmosphere.
The second day began with an international roundtable on community-oriented and non-hierarchical models in performative practices, bringing together artists and cultural workers from Slovenia, Poland, Romania, France and Serbia. Participants exchanged experiences and methodologies related to participatory governance, collective creation and inclusive cultural work.
The program continued with Broken Rib by Trupa Drž' ne daj, a participatory theatre production addressing misogynistic stereotypes and femicide. Developed through collaboration between an international artistic team and a local community group of women, the performance highlighted the importance of collective artistic processes in addressing gender-based violence. The evening concluded with Matkopolis by Kobietostan, which explored parenthood, care work and the accessibility of public space from the perspective of mothers and families.
In addition to the roundtable discussion, both performances were followed by audience talks with the artists, fostering international exchange and collective reflection on gender equality, community participation and social justice.
The festival concluded on International Women’s Day with the dance performance Whose Eyes? by Patricija Crnkovič. Through movement and feminist artistic practice, the performance examined the internalised male gaze, bodily autonomy and the possibility of resistance through embodiment. The closing event provided a strong reflection on the festival’s central themes of gender equality, representation and social transformation.
May 24-28th - Timisoara
The Csiky Gergely Theatre included the Romanian festival version of the Femminicity project in its annual festival TESZT – Euroregional Theatre Festival, which took place 23-30 May in multiple locations in Timisoara, indoor as well as outdoor. TESZT had a total of over 50 events in 8 days.
The association with TESZT increased visibility of the Femminicity festival and attracted higher attention from theatre-goers, benefiting from the overall exuberance of theatre bustle in the city. All photos and clips with Femminicity shows were also posted on TESZT platforms. It also allowed non-professional performers involved in Femminicity performances to watch shows included in the general TESZT festival, as opportunity to learn and broaden horizons.
Promotional materials for TESZT festival included also information about Femminicity, but additional festival brochure and outdoor materials in the city were printed specifically for promoting Femminicity. The pre-festival promo tour included one radio show and one TV show about the Femminicity project. In order to reach diverse audiences, we contacted the local feminist organisation SPICC, which also supported us for the initial project training and also the queer activist organisation Identity.Education, both of which spread the news about the festival among their database.
The Femminicity shows were scheduled 24-28 May in the Theatre’s Studio Hall (suitable for small-scale performances), while tickets were priced at an affordable rate in order to offer easy access for different social categories (single tickets for 2-4 euro, passes for the entire festival 7 euro).
The festival schedule included one show by the host-theatre and 2 shows/day by guest partners:
24.05.2026 – 5:00 PM
12A Happiness Street – Csiky Gergely Hungarian State Theatre
25.05.2026 – 5:00 PM & 8:00 PM, Q&A 9 PM
From the First to the Last – ZIZ Maribor (Slovenia)
26.05.2026 – 5:00 PM & 8:00 PM, Q&A 9 PM
Motherpolis. Walk among Absence – Kobietostan Wrocław (Poland)
27.05.2026 – 5:00 PM & 8:00 PM, Q&A 9 PM
D.R.I.F.T. – Université Paul Valéry – Montpellier (France)
8.05.2026 – 5:00 PM & 8:00 PM, Q&A 9 PM
Broken Coast – Drz Ne Daj Novi Sad Company (Serbia)
The performances benefitted from Romanian, English and Hungarian surtitles.
A discussion with every team was organised after the second show of the day, with simultaneous translation in English/Hungarian/Romanian and moderation by PhD Bilibok Apollonia, theatre theoretician.
A film crew was present at the festival in order to film footage for the project documentary – filming the performances as well as interviews with performers.
June 2-4th - Montpellier
The Femminicity project was presented in Montpellier from June 2nd to the 4th, 2025, at the heart of the Printemps des Comédiens, one of the largest theatre festivals in France, where the french organisation hosted the five Femminicity shows.
Le Printemps de comediens is a showcase for contemporary show with an international opening; it is also a time that gathers students, professionals, theater amateurs around discussion and meetings. Each year, the festival welcomes nearly 40,000 attendees, presenting around 45 productions and more than 130 performances, primarily at the Domaine d’O in Montpellier. For Femminicity, this would provide access to not only a large audience but also a highly diverse one. Beyond regular theatre-goers, the Printemps des Comédiens attracts a curious and constantly renewing student population, creating an ideal environment for exploring and discussing the project’s major themes. This unique mix of generations, cultures, and perspectives offers the perfect setting for fostering transgenerational and transcultural dialogue. Femminicity at Printemps des Comédiens took place over three days at Théâtre d’O, the departmental theatre within the Domaine d’O cultural complex in Montpellier.
On 2 June, the festival opened with two performances, followed by three performances on 3 June. Each performance was followed by a discussion with the audience in the theatre foyer alongside the artistic teams. While each conversation began with themes raised by the performance itself, discussions often evolved in response to audience contributions, creating spaces for collective reflection and dialogue. The only exception was DRIFT, which was followed by a Long Table discussion, a participatory format in which audience members are invited to join a table set on stage and share their reflections and experiences in response to the performance. There are no moderators, predefined conclusions, or formal structure; instead, the conversation develops organically according to the interests and contributions of the participants, who, by stepping onto the stage, become both performers and political thinkers.
Women compared their experiences of violence and gender inequality in France and Romania, noting that in French society these issues often appear more concealed, yet the realities faced by women around the world share many common elements. Women from different countries and generations also exchanged experiences of motherhood, discussing the ways in which their cities and communities either supported them or failed to do so.
In addition to its presence within the framework of Printemps des Comédiens, Femminicity actively sought to engage audiences beyond the festival setting. Broken Rib and DRIFT were presented to students at Lycée Notre-Dame de la Merci, creating opportunities for exchange with younger audiences. Meanwhile, 12A Happiness Street, Motherpolis, and From the First to the Last welcomed invited university students, broadening participation and fostering dialogue with emerging generations.
Encounter in Montpellier: Towards a Collective Book Publication
The gathering in Montpellier held the 4th of June also provided an important opportunity to further develop the project’s collective publication. Discussions among artists, partners, and participants contributed to envisioning the structure and content of the book as a shared creation, reflecting the diversity of experiences, perspectives, and artistic practices represented within the Femminicity network. During this meeting a questionnaire was created, to be shared with all of the participants so they can answer and merge as many point of view and experiences as possible in one book.
