Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu and the Drama Universities Festival bring to Sibiu tens of prestigious universities from all over the world at FITS 2025
Sibiu, 20 June 2025 – Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu (Department of Drama and Theatre Studies) and Radu Stanca National Theatre bring to FITS the Drama and Arts Management Universities Festival, the most important event of its kind in Europe, that presents the audience with the best performances that theatre schools around the world have to offer.
“Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu (ULBS) represents, through its students and professors, the driving force behind the Drama and Arts Management Universities Festival at FITS. For ten days every year, Sibiu becomes a huge international stage for prestigious artistic events, and that is a truly remarkable learning opportunity for our students, as well as a chance to gain stage experience with international exposure. This year, too, ULBS, alongside the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, support this organisational effort for the benefit of the academic community and the entire community of Sibiu”, stated Prof. Dr. Sorin Radu, rector of Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu.
“All of our research efforts in the last 30 years have contributed to the improvement of these two FITS-associated structures, namely the International Platform of Doctoral Research and the Drama and Arts Management Universities Festival. Thanks to the International Platform of Doctoral Research, forty-nine universities have engaged in dialogue and, every year, FITS hosts tens of performances presented by theatre schools. This year we are hosting high-value performances, from top universities around the world – from University of Michigan (USA), Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) to Beijing Dance Academy (China) or Howard University (USA)”, stated Constantin Chiriac, President of FITS.
The Drama and Arts Management Universities Festival
Once again, the Sibiu International Theatre Festival will facilitate the meeting between several prestigious universities within two of its associated structures: the Drama and Arts Management Universities Festival and the Platform of Doctoral Research. Founded in 1996 with the name Drama and Arts Management Schools Convention, in 2017 the section becomes the Drama and Arts Management Universities Festival and celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025.
The plays staged by the students go through a selection process conducted by a jury of international experts – professors at prestigious universities – and the Council of the Department of Drama and Theatre Studies at ULBS, so that both the Romanian academia and the general public can have access to artistic creations presented publicly at the highest level of excellence.
During this year’s edition of FITS, we will have the chance to see universities such as:
Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) with This Show Doesn’t Pass the Bechdel Test, Wednesday, 25 June, at CAVAS Hall of ULBS;
Beijing Dance Academy (China) with Beauty Beyond the Words, Saturday, 28 June, at the Great Hall of TNRS;
University of Michigan (USA) and New Bulgarian University (Bulgaria) with the international co-production 7 Hours Difference made consisting of two performances that will be presented Sunday, 29 June, at CAVAS Hall of ULBS;
Nihon University (Japan) with Pink Terror. Sweet Dream 3, Thursday, 26 June, at CAVAS Hall of ULBS;
Howard University (USA) with Glorious God, that will be performed seven times in different places of worship in Sibiu between 22 and 29 June.
Nihon University (Japan) with Pink Terror. Sweet Dream 3, Thursday, 26 June, at CAVAS Hall of ULBS;
Howard University (USA) with Glorious God, that will be performed seven times in different places of worship in Sibiu between 22 and 29 June.
Romanian universities will also present their performances. The following universities are scheduled to appear: Târgu-Mureș Arts University – Nostalgia Radio (Sunday, 22 June, at CAVAS Hall of ULBS) and Girls Wanted (Monday, 23 June, at CAVAS Hall of ULBS), Craiova University – Look Back in Anger (Thursday, 26 June, at CAVAS Hall of ULBS), UNATC – Far Away (Saturday, 21 June, at CAVAS Hall of ULBS), UBB Cluj-Napoca – Rómeó & Julieta (Sunday, 22 June, at CAVAS Hall of ULBS), and George Enescu Arts University in Iași – Numbers (Sunday, 22 June, at GONG Theatre, the hall on the first floor).
ULBS, the host university, will present two performances at this year’s edition of FITS: Youth Without Old Age and Life Without Death, directed by Ștefan Lupu (Friday, 20 June) and Mutter, directed by Dumitru Acriș (Friday, 27 June).
Platform of Doctoral Research in the Fields of Performing Arts and Cultural Management
In its eleventh year, the Platform of Doctoral Research is an excellent space for dialogue and academic exchange between young researchers, members of academic communities, and the general public. Starting 2014, the event takes place every year during the Sibiu International Theatre Festival.
The main purpose of the Platform is to promote inter-institutional collaboration and artistic education within the context of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival. To this end, there have been established collaboration partnerships for doctoral studies in the fields of performing arts and cultural management with 49 prestigious universities in 19 countries, including the USA, United Kingdom, China, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Switzerland, or Germany.
The theme of this year’s edition is The Art of Saying “Thank You”: Theatre and Cultural Diplomacy. Events debating this theme are scheduled on Friday, 20 June (11 AM) and Saturday, 21 June (12 PM), at the Lucian Blaga Auditorium at Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu. Free access, based on registration, subject to availability.
The main purpose of the Platform is to promote inter-institutional collaboration and artistic education within the context of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival. To this end, there have been established collaboration partnerships for doctoral studies in the fields of performing arts and cultural management with 49 prestigious universities in 19 countries, including the USA, United Kingdom, China, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Switzerland, or Germany.
The theme of this year’s edition is The Art of Saying “Thank You”: Theatre and Cultural Diplomacy. Events debating this theme are scheduled on Friday, 20 June (11 AM) and Saturday, 21 June (12 PM), at the Lucian Blaga Auditorium at Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu. Free access, based on registration, subject to availability.
U.talk – A series of discussions between doctoral candidates and supervisors
This year a new event takes place: the discussion series U.talk, moderated by Ion M. Tomuş. The event will take place every day between 21 and 29 June, at the Faculty of Letters and Arts, and it will bring together the Drama and Arts Management Universities Festival and the Platform of Doctoral Research in the Fields of Performing Arts and Cultural Management.
U.talk creates a space for open dialogue between representatives of participating theatre schools, doctoral candidates, doctoral supervisors, and professionals in the field of artistic education. This event offers the ideal place to critically discuss and analyse the productions presented the previous day, encouraging the exchange of ideas and perspectives between generations and institutions.
For each invited university, U.talk becomes a platform for introducing and promoting their academic and artistic identity, facilitating discussions between the directions of artistic education, scientific research, and contemporary performative creation.
With this informal format, U.talk aims to become an international hub for academic networking, a space for fostering future collaborations, joint projects, and academic mobility. Moreover, the event is a bridge between the Drama Universities Festival and the Platform of Doctoral Research, integrating these structures in the vibrant and generous context of FITS.
This year’s edition of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, themed THANK YOU, will take place between 20 and 29 June and will host over 841 indoor, outdoor, and online events.
More details about the indoor, outdoor, and online events at FITS 2025 are available on the sibfest.ro website and in the FITS app.