The Sibiu International Theatre Festival () is one of the most important theatre and performing arts festivals in the world, and the third biggest, after the Festival d'Avignon and the Edinburgh International Festival. FITS takes place in the city of Sibiu, Romania, in June every year and lasts for ten days. Founded in 1993 by Constantin Chiriac, the festival programme features renowned names of the international stage, offering spectators a broad range of sections, with guests from around 73 countries per edition, performing approximately 550 events.

History In March 1993, Constantin Chiriac organized the National Student Theatre Festival. The participants to this first edition of the festival represented no more than two countries (Republic of Moldova and Romania), and in 1994, the number of participating countries rose to eight, while the following two editions had guests from 21, and 24 countries, respectively. In 1994, the National Student Theatre Festival became the International Festival of Young Professional Theatre. Unlike the first three editions, in which the festival lasted for three days, the 1995 edition had a duration of four days, and for the first time proposed street performances, too. In 1997, the International Festival of Young Professional Theatre became the Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS), the name it still holds. Starting with the 1999 edition, it was decided that the festival would last for ten days every year. FITS played a decisive role in the city of Sibiu receiving the title European Capital of Culture 2007. Starting with the 8th edition (25 May – 3 June 2001), FITS has been organized yearly by the Radu Stanca National Theatre in Sibiu, the Sibiu City Hall and the Sibiu Local County, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the “Lucian Blaga” University in Sibiu, the Romanian Cultural Institute, the Romanian Theatre Union, and the Sibiu County Council, and produced by the Democracy through Culture Foundation.

Slogans

From the 1995 edition on, each year, FITS has unfolded under the sign of a slogan: 1995 - Tolerance 1996 - Violence 1997 - Cultural Identity 1998 - Links 1999 - Creativity 2000 - Alternative 2001 - Challenges 2002 - Bridges 2003 - Tomorrow 2004 - Legacies 2005 - Signs 2006 - Together ?! 2007 - Next 2008 - Energy 2009 - Innovations 2010 - Questions 2011 - Community 2012 - Crisis. Culture makes a difference 2013 - Dialogue 2014 - Uniqueness in diversity 2015 - Growing Smart - Smart Growing 2016 - Building trust 2017 - Love 2018 - Passion 2019 - The art of giving 2020 - Empowered 2021 - Building hope together 2022 - Beauty 2023 - Wonder 2024 - Friendship

Sections

Theatre From the very first edition of the festival, Sibiu saw the presence of some of the most representative international theatre companies, directors, actors, scenographers, which led to a transformation not only in terms of the community's openness to other mentalities, worlds, and cultures, but also to a professionalization of the Romanian performing arts artists and students invited to Sibiu to perform and participate at workshops, conferences, etc.

Throughout its 27 editions, the festival has presented over 1,500 indoor performances (theatre, dance, circus, music, opera, musicals, concerts), of which more than 1,000 theatre shows.

Famous world-class or young directors with a huge potential have contributed to the notoriety of the festival: Rimas Tuminas, Andriy Zholdak, Hanoch Levin, Lev Erenburg, Eugenio Barba, Yuri Kordonsky, Pippo Delbono, Eimuntas Nekrošius, Masahiro Yasuda, Levan Tsuladze, Lars Norén, Peter Brook, Armin Petras, Joël Pommerat, Declan Donnellan, Hideki Noda (playwright), Ivan Vyrypaev, Peter Stein, Wajdi Mouawad, Krystian Lupa, Lev Dodin, Angélica Liddell, Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota, Data Tavadze, Kazuyoshi Kushida, Yoshi Oida, Monika Strzępka, Christoph Marthaler, Thomas Ostermeier, Luk Perceval, Jarosław Fret, Alvis Hermanis, Tim Robbins, Tang Shu-wing, Philippe Genty, Akihiro Yamamoto, Jernej Lorenci, Robert Wilson (director), Eric Lacascade, Lisa Peterson, Eirik Stubø, Timofey Kulyabin, and many more.

Renowned Romanian directors have participated at the festival every year, throughout various editions: Silviu Purcărete, Victor Ioan Frunză, Cătălina Buzoianu, David Esrig, Alexandru Dabija, Mihai Măniuțiu, Răzvan Mazilu, Alexandru Darie, Alexander Hausvater, Miriam Răducanu, Radu Beligan, Chris Simion, Felix Alexa, Gábor Tompa, Anca Bradu, Alexandra Badea, Radu Afrim, Florin Piersic Jr., Radu Alexandru Nica, Gavriil Pinte, Vlad Massaci, Cristi Juncu, Andrei Șerban, Theodor Cristian Popescu, Lia Bugnar, Ada Milea, Bobi Pricop, Bogdan Georgescu, Eugen Jebeleanu, Gigi Căciuleanu, Andrei and Andreea Grosu, Eugen Gyemant, Cătălin Ștefănescu, Radu Jude, Vlad Cristache, Botond Nagy, Nona Ciobanu.

Dance Although the name of FITS still includes the word “theatre”, from the first editions, it has become a true performing arts festival. The need to bring the audience not only new forms of theatre, but also other art forms, determined the organizers to invite several types of dance performances – contemporary, traditional (flamenco, kathak, kabuki, butoh, noh, dervish, African, Balinese), hip-hop, flexing, etc.

Some remarkable contemporary or traditional dance choreographers have left their mark on the history of the festival: Karine Ponties, Amir Kolben, Gigi Căciuleanu, Adi Sha'al, Nicole Mossoux, Patrick Bonté, Lia Rodrigues, Marie Chouinard, Noa Wertheim, Răzvan Mazilu, Thierry Smits, Barak Marshall, Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak Dance Company, Sasha Waltz, Alain Buffard, Paco Peña, Rocío Molina, Olivier Dubois, Ohad Naharin, María Pagés, Jesus Carmona, Brenda Angiel, Ziya Azazi, Jin Xing, Linda Kapetanea, Aditi Mangaldas, Yamamoto Akihiro, Damien Jalet, Hervé Koubi, Reggie (Regg Roc) Gray, Peter Sellers, Gregory Maqoma, Itzik Galili, Eun-Me Ahn, Michèle Noiret, Luca Silvestrini.

Circus and contemporary circus Ever since the first editions, the festival programme comprised outdoor and indoor circus shows, which enjoyed great success. Some of the best-known companies invited to Sibiu are Cirque Baroque, Les Lendemains – from France, Les Parfaits Inconnus, Les 7 Doigts de la Main and Machine de Cirque – from Canada, Circa (contemporary circus) and Gravity and Other Myths, Strut & Fret Production House – from Australia, Lady Cocktail and Cie Carré Curieux, Cirque Vivant! – from Belgium, Compagnia Finzi Pasca, Martin Zimmerman, Compagnia Baccalà and David Dimitri – from Switzerland, Kallo Collective from Finland, Lurrak – from France.

Musical FITS has hosted several musical performances, signed both by international directors (Pierre Notte), and by directors from Romania or originating from Romania (Răzvan Mazilu and Cosmin Chivu).

Opera The companies that have made up the FITS programme over the years include: Yue Opera from China, Hangzhou Yue Opera Theatre and Shaoxing City Performance CO., or Vuyani Dance Theatre from South Africa.

Music Over the 25 editions of FITS, outdoor music concerts, especially those presented in Sibiu's Big Square or Small Square, have brought together the biggest number of non-paying spectators. Some of the national and international artists that have performed on the festival stage are: Misia, Mamselle Ruiz, Vama (band), Holograf, Delia & Band, Imperial Kikiristan, Șuie Paparude, Vunk, Loredana Groza, Smiley (singer), the Brass Band from Cozmești, Voltaj, Vama Veche (band), Iris (Romanian band), Zdob și Zdub, Direcția 5, Cargo, Țapinarii, Irina Sârbu & Trio Puiu Pascu, Antract, Grupul Iza, Klaus Obermaier & Chris Haring, Phoenix (band), Tudor Gheorghe, Professional Folk Ensemble “Cindrelul - Junii Sibiului”, Monica Anghel, Robin and the Backstabbers, Otros Aires, Shukar Collective.

In time, the music and concert section of FITS focused more and more on other genres (fado, gospel, jazz, organ concerts) and new band and artist names, such as Kadebostany, De Staat, KillAson, Youngr, Adrian Naidin, Urma (band), Superorganism (band) etc.

Concerts in churches and historical sites Through the editions of FITS, the churches in Sibiu and in the surrounding area (Mărginimea Sibiului) have hosted a series of fado, gospel, organ, opera and other types of concerts, held by Romanian and international artists and bands, such as Weinberger Blues Machine, Isabelle Roy, Felix Dima Quarteto, Celina Ramsauer, Max Vandervorst, Cantabile, André Mergenthaler, Ursula Philippi, Orchestra Bibescu, Marius Mihalache, Matthias Anton Quartett, Mariachi Figueroa, Kleztory, Mandinga, Stockholm Lisboa Project, Shaun Davey, Ensemble Renaissance, Grigore Leșe, Francesco Agnello, Grupul Vocal Acapella, IDMC Gospel Choir, Compagnie Lyrique Corse, Llarena “Michito”, Cantabile – The London Quartet, The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices, Maria Berasarte, Sanda Weigl, Howard Gospel Choir, Group TAGO & AtoBIZ Ltd., Kurrende Choir from Tübingen & Sibiu State Philharmonics Orchestra & the Sibiu Bach Choir, SoNoRo, Fado Violado, Ana Sofia Varela, Adrian Naidin Quartet, Jorge Da Rocha, Cristiano de Sousa, Liviu Holender, Fiona Pollak Parvathy Baul. From the 24th edition (9-18 June 2017), the FITS programme also extended to Transylvanian fortified churches, thus adding a new dimension to the festival, by exploiting the Romanian cultural heritage and raising the profile of renovated Transylvanian organs. Church choirs and artists, like Amalia Goje, Noémi Miklós, Jürg Leutert, Erich Türk, Ursula Philippi, Roxana Bârsan, Capella Coronensis & the Black Church Bach Choir, played organ concerts for the communities around Sibiu, in the Evangelical churches in Cisnădie, Gușterița, Cisnădioara, Slimnic, Roșia and in the Criț Fortified Church.

Street performances For a quarter of a century, more than 500 street companies have performed in various outdoor spaces in Sibiu. Among the most important names are Teatr Osmego Dnia, Biuro Podróży, Neighbourhood Watch Stilts International, DAH Teater, Teatrul Masca, the Brass Band from Cozmești, Abracadabra Foundation, Osadia, Aktionstheater Pan.Optikum, Generik Vapeur, Compagnie Transe Express, Faber Teater, Compagnie Malabar, Compagnie Carabosse, Compagnie Opposito, Xarxa, Les Goulus, Plasticiens Volants, Aérosculpture, Teatr KTO, Ljud Company, La Salamandre, Carros de Foc, Bash Street Theatre, Sarruga Produccions, International Show Parade, Close-Act Theatre, Bilbobasso, Theater Titanick, David Dimitri, Cirq'ulation Locale, Cie. Faï, Kitonb Project, AAINJAA, Cie. Woest, Muare Experience & Duchamp Pilot, Cie Remue Ménage, Teatro tascabile di Bergamo, Planète Vapeur, Geschwister Weisheit, Teatro dei Venti, Architects of Air.

Heritage performances Heritage performances created by the “Radu Stanca” National Theatre, the main organizer of FITS, have a special place in the programme of theatre shows. These performances created in Sibiu throughout the years have been highly appreciated by national and international audiences, as part of them have been included in each edition of FITS: “Metamorphoses”, “Faust”, “Waiting for Godot”, “The Scarlet Princess” (directed by Silviu Purcărete), “A Streetcar Named Popescu” and “The Cioran Temptation” (directed by Gavriil Pinte).

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