3rd NTG Showcase | European Theatre Convention Conference | Meeting of the International Association of Theatre Critics
27.3.2025
A celebration of theatre in three major meetings
88 theatres, 42 countries, 180 participants
3 to 7 April | National Theatre of Greece
From 3rd to 7th April, the National Theatre of Greece is hosting a celebration of the performing arts in three major events at the Ziller Building and the Irene Papas School of Athens: the 3rd NTG Showcase, the European Theatre Convention Conference, and the Meeting of the International Association of Theatre Critics, which is taking place in Greece for the first time.
A total of 180 stage professionals, artistic directors, directors, dramaturgs, heads of international relations, curators, critics and scholars from 42 countries and 88 theatre organisations will gather in Athens, the birthplace of the dramatic arts, to speak the universal language of theatre. The aim is to strengthen an essential feature of the modern world, that of collaboration, creating a forum for discussion where we can think and work together to shape a better future for the theatre, culture, and society, while at the same time seizing a valuable opportunity to raise the visibility of Greek theatre abroad.
The International Conference of the European Theatre Convention
“Thrive Theatre Thrive! Keep the Flame Alive” is the title of the International Conference of the European Theatre Convention, the largest network of theatres in Europe, which the NTG joined in May 2022. The event will be attended by the Executive Director of the ETC, Heidi Wiley, while speakers include Theodoros Terzopoulos, Director and Founder of the Attis Theatre, Katerina Evangelatou, Artistic Director of the Athens Epidaurus Festival, Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, President of the International Association of Theatre Critics, Claudia Belchior, President of the ETC, and Dr. Shuyan Liu, Professor of Global Mental Health. Participating online will be Milo Rau, the Artistic Director of the “Free Republic of Vienna” Vienna Festival, and human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Center for Civil Liberties in Ukraine, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. The conference, which is aimed at the ETC’s member theatres, takes place every six months in a different European country. This year, the NTG will serve as a platform to consider the burning issues that directly affect our culture and our theatres. Some of the pressing questions that will be raised across the diverse four-day programme of speeches, discussions and workshops include:
How can our theatres defend democratic and humanistic values in 2025? How can theatres remain resilient, creative, and free in the face of these challenges? Can our artistic choices combat misinformation and protect the freedom of creators? What kind of leadership and working conditions do our theatres need? What relationship should theatres develop with the next generation? Above all, how can we remain accessible and sustainable organisations, continue producing meaningful artistic work, and serve as a source of prosperity for our communities and society?
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The NTG Showcase
For the third consecutive year, the National Theatre of Greece is organising a Showcase for 25 artistic directors, curators and programmers from major foreign theatres and festivals. For four days, distinguished guests from around the world will watch all the current NTG productions, learn about productions performed in the first part of the season, meet artists who took part in them at specially designed events, discuss ideas for prospective projects, and exchange views on international festival trends and on theatre both currently and looking forward. The aim is to raise the visibility of Greek theatre abroad so that NTG productions can travel to leading foreign festivals, and to initiate future collaborations and co-productions.
The annual Showcase is part of the “National Theatre of Greece Outreach Initiatives” implemented in the framework of the “Greece 2.0” National Recovery and Resilience Plan with funding from the European Union (NextGenerationEU).
International Association of Theatre Critics
The International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) is a partner organisation of the International Theatre Institute (ITI - UNESCO). Its purpose is to foster international understanding through discussion and dialogue, bringing together critics, scholars and professionals from the performing arts. It seeks to promote critical and academic writing on theatre and to protect intellectual freedom and freedom of speech. The Association’s Executive Committee (ExCom) meets annually to address the organisation’s current concerns and make critical decisions. During the four-day event, 13 theatre critics will meet in the historic Ziller Building, while National Theatre of Greece productions will be featured in Critical Stages, the journal published by the IATC twice a year.
Latest updated: 31/03/2025
