InkuBATOR – CALL FOR PROJECTS
InkuBATOR – CALL FOR PROJECTS
for groups of young theatre makers
Ferenc Molnár: LILIOM
TESZT – Euroregional Theatre Festival Timișoara – 2026
Season: DIVERGENCES | Festival Theme: FRONT LINES
The “Csiky Gergely” Hungarian State Theatre of Timișoara launches a new platform dedicated to groups of young theatre creators. The aim of the inkuBATOR program is to offer young artists, from the very beginning of their artistic paths, the opportunity to confront different theatrical perspectives and forms, as well as strong and distinctive artistic thinking within a large-scale festival framework.
The central text of the 2026 edition is Liliom by Ferenc Molnár. For more than a hundred years, this work has continued to live through various interpretative frameworks: the world of theatre as a romantic myth, a social tableau, or the story of a destiny falling apart. The character Liliom has been interpreted in many ways over time: a nonconformist figure, a survivor of the middle class, a chaotic energy, a man blown about by circumstance, or a vulnerable individual who repeatedly makes the same wrong decisions. It is a figure onto which every era can project its own concerns and anxieties.
The “Csiky Gergely” Hungarian State Theatre of Timișoara seeks to reopen the story of Liliom in a new light. The key concept of this year’s TESZT – Euroregional Theatre Festival Timișoara is FRONT LINES, while the motto of the 2025/2026 season is DIVERGENCES. The call invites creators to explore this layered story at the intersection of these two concepts: to place clear and contrasting perspectives side by side and to find a theatrical language that brings the universe of Liliom into dialogue with the dilemmas of the present.
We are looking for a clear and powerful directorial vision and a rigorous conceptual framework, as well as a reading that examines the play with sensitivity and openness toward a female perspective and in relation to the themes of divergences and front lines, supported by a coherent visual conception and a strong dramaturgical concept.
WHO CAN APPLY?
Applications are welcome from teams whose members are up to 33 years old (inclusive).
Applications may be submitted in Hungarian, Romanian, or English.
APPLICATION MATERIALS
1. Directorial Concept (max. 3 pages)
A clear presentation of the proposed interpretation: development of the characters, the focal points of the story, the justification of the chosen spatial-temporal framework, and a description of the theatrical language of the performance.
2. Visual Direction
Moodboard, model photograph, spatial sketch, or any other visual material conveying the proposed scenic universe and atmosphere (spatial organization, color palette, use of materials).
3. Dramaturgical Approach (max. 2 pages)
A short professional summary describing how the creative group intends to use the original text, what structural principles will guide the work, and which scenes and emphases will shape the proposal — including any cuts, rearrangements, or new dramaturgical focuses.
4. Presentation of the Proposed Creative Team (max. 2 pages)
A brief introduction to the collaborators and their professional experience: director, dramaturg, scenographers, choreographers, music creators — all those specialists who define the artistic identity of the performance.
WHAT DOES inkuBATOR OFFER?
The creators of the three strongest concepts (maximum 5 people per application) will be invited for the entire duration of the TESZT Festival, with accommodation provided and access to the professional program of the festival.
During the festival, the three selected teams will have the opportunity to present their concept publicly before a professional jury. The presentation will be open to critics and the public.
The jury will select the director and team who will receive the opportunity to create the performance during the 2026/2027 season at the “Csiky Gergely” Hungarian State Theatre of Timișoara.
SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS
Application deadline: April 23, 2026, 24:00
Announcement of results: May 11, 2026
Applications must be sent to:
Presentation of concepts: between May 23–31, 2026 (exact date to be confirmed).