World Congress of the International University Theatre Association

World Congress of the International University Theatre Association The XIII World Congress of AITU-IUTA will be held on July 8–13, 2026, at Vilnius University, Lithuania.

The theme of the conference is "University Theatre in the Time of Global Challenges."

🌍 The countdown is on, and we are thrilled to finally unveil our academic program!We are kicking things off with our cen...
18/06/2026

🌍 The countdown is on, and we are thrilled to finally unveil our academic program!

We are kicking things off with our central theme: “University Theatre in the Time of Global Challenges.” Across the Congress, our speakers will delve deep into how university theatre serves as a resilient space for reflection, critical inquiry, and creative adaptation in a rapidly changing world.

🎭 Meet the Speakers & Presentations:

• 🇱🇹 Olegas Kesminas (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University - VILNIUS TECH, Lithuania)
🗣️ Lithuanian University Theatres in the Face of Challenges, 2014-2026
🌐 Language: Lithuanian

• 🇨🇦 Dr. Filip Dukanic (John Abbott College, Canada)
🗣️ Research-Creation in University Theatre: The Emergence of a Third Sphere
🌐 Language: English

• 🇨🇿 Dodo Gombár (Janáček Academy of Performing Arts, Czech Republic)
🗣️ The World I Live In, The World That Lives In Me
🌐 Language: English

• 🇨🇳 Dr. Erin Holliday-Karre (Beijing Normal Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU), China)
🗣️ Who Killed the Bard?: Playful Pedagogy and Decolonial Inquiry in a Chinese University Theatre
🌐 Language: English

👑 Session Chair: Prof. Françoise Frédérique Odin (INSA Lyon, France)

📍 Venue: Vilnius University, Universiteto St. 3

🎟️ Important Attendance Info: Please note that access to all academic sessions and presentations requires official participant accreditation. Secure your passes and view registration fees here: 👉 https://www.congress2026.kc.vu.lt/fee-payment

📅 Full Schedule & Details: Discover the complete timetable and plan your week here: 👉 https://www.congress2026.kc.vu.lt/programme-2026



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🌍 Kviečiame susipažinti su akademine kongreso programa!

Viena iš temų, nagrinėjamų pirmoje sesijoje - „Universitetinis teatras globalių iššūkių fone“. Kongreso pranešėjai gilinsis į tai, kaip teatras tampa erdve refleksijai, kritiniam mąstymui ir kūrybai sparčiai besikeičiančiame pasaulyje.

🎭 Susipažinkite su pranešėjais ir jų temomis:

• 🇱🇹 Olegas Kesminas (Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universitetas – VILNIUS TECH, Lietuva) 🗣️ Lietuvos universitetų teatrai iššūkių akivaizdoje, 2014–2026 m.
🌐 Kalba: lietuvių

• 🇨🇦 Dr. Filip Dukanic (John Abbott koledžas, Kanada) 🗣️ Research-Creation in University Theatre: The Emergence of a Third Sphere
🌐 Kalba: anglų

• 🇨🇿 Dodo Gombár (Janáčeko muzikos ir vaizduojamųjų menų akademija, Čekija) 🗣️ The World I Live In, The World That Lives In Me
🌐 Kalba: anglų

• 🇨🇳 Dr. Erin Holliday-Karre (Pekino normaliojo universiteto ir Honkongo krikščioniškojo universiteto jungtinis tarptautinis koledžas (BNBU), Kinija) 🗣️ Who Killed the Bard?: Playful Pedagogy and Decolonial Inquiry in a Chinese University Theatre
🌐 Kalba: anglų

👑 Moderatorius: Prof. Françoise Frédérique Odin (INSA Lionas, Prancūzija)

📍 Vieta: Vilniaus universitetas, Universiteto g. 3

🎟️ Svarbi informacija lankytojams: atkreipiame dėmesį, kad patekti į visas akademines sesijas ir pranešimus galima tik su oficialia dalyvio akreditacija. Pasirūpinkite savo pasu ir susipažinkite su dalyvio mokesčiais čia: 👉 https://www.congress2026.kc.vu.lt/lt/mokestis-ir-mokejimas

📅 Visa programa ir tvarkaraštis: tikslias pranešimų dienas, laikus bei sales rasite išsamioje programoje čia: 👉 https://www.congress2026.kc.vu.lt/lt/programa

🎓 What does it mean to become an adult today? For many young people, university is more than a place to earn a degree. I...
03/06/2026

🎓 What does it mean to become an adult today?

For many young people, university is more than a place to earn a degree. It is a space where they search for identity, purpose, career direction, and a sense of belonging. Yet it is also a time marked by uncertainty, anxiety, and difficult decisions about the future.

At the XIII World Congress of University Theatre, sociologist Milda Pivoriūtė will present "University (and Theatre) as a Space for Young People to Rehearse the Self", exploring the expectations and challenges of contemporary youth, as well as the role that the university - and participation in its cultural activities, including theatre - can play during the phase of emerging adulthood.

✨ Get to know Milda Pivoriūtė:

Milda is a sociologist, lecturer, and researcher at Vilnius University, holding a PhD in Social Sciences. She is also a board member of Jaunimo linija, Lithuania’s emotional support helpline for young people. Her research focuses on youth, the transition to adulthood, and the quarter-life crisis. In 2025, she travelled across Lithuania conducting research with secondary school students, spending more than 25 hours in conversation with young people about how they see their generation and what they expect from the universities they hope to attend.

📅 8–13 July 2026
📍 Vilnius, Lithuania

Be part of the XIII AITU–IUTA World Congress 🌍➡️
https://congress2026.kc.vu.lt/fee

Vilniaus universitetas / Vilnius University is preparing to welcome the global university theatre community!Join us at t...
29/05/2026

Vilniaus universitetas / Vilnius University is preparing to welcome the global university theatre community!

Join us at the XIII AITU-IUTA World Congress, organised by VU Kultūros centras and International Association of University Theatres.

📍 Vilnius, Lithuania
📅 8–13 July 2026

Follow us for upcoming programme announcements, featured participants, and Congress news from around the world. ⬇️

https://www.congress2026.kc.vu.lt

🎭 “We meet at a time when the world is experiencing crisis after crisis.”In his welcome speech, AITU-IUTA President Alai...
22/05/2026

🎭 “We meet at a time when the world is experiencing crisis after crisis.”

In his welcome speech, AITU-IUTA President Alain Chevalier reflects on the urgency of today’s world - especially as we gather in Lithuania, a region deeply feeling the proximity of modern conflict - and the vital role of university theatre within it.

He reminds us that our commitment is crucial, as both the University and the Theatre serve as "vectors of peace between peoples" by offering unparalleled spaces for dialogue, exchange, and creativity.

We are thrilled to announce that Alain Chevalier will not only open the Congress but will also be one of our esteemed speakers!

In his presentation, "Artistic and socio-political influence of amateur university theatre: Contexts, methods and questions of identity," he will draw on his 40 years of experience to explore how student theatre companies have shaped the socio-political landscapes from the 1930s to the present day.

✨ Get to know Alain Chevalier:

Co-director of the Royal University Theatre of Liège (TURLg) since 2007 and director of the Liège International University Theatre Encounters (RITU). With over 20 acting roles and 10 directed productions under his belt, his research heavily focuses on the history and unique identity of university theatre worldwide. He has been leading AITU as President since 2024.

🌍 Don’t forget to secure your spot at the XIII AITU–IUTA World Congress ➡️
https://congress2026.kc.vu.lt/fee

📣 Registration is still OPEN until 1 June! There’s still time to join the XIII AITU–IUTA World Congress, happening on 8–...
09/05/2026

📣 Registration is still OPEN until 1 June!

There’s still time to join the XIII AITU–IUTA World Congress, happening on 8–13 July 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Register now for:
• Congress audience access
• Social programme

🔗 Registration & fees: https://www.congress2026.kc.vu.lt/payment-registration

We are honoured to introduce our second keynote speaker of the XIII World Congress of the International University Theat...
07/05/2026

We are honoured to introduce our second keynote speaker of the XIII World Congress of the International University Theatre Association - Mykhailo Urytskyi. 🎭

A theatre director, educator, and Senior Lecturer at the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television in Kyiv, Ukraine, Urytskyi has dedicated decades to theatre education, puppet theatre, and inclusive performance practices.

He has directed more than 70 performances across Ukraine and Europe, including productions created for deaf and hard of hearing audiences as well as spectators with Down syndrome. Alongside his artistic work, he is also actively involved in theatre education, international collaborations, and the development of new methodologies for inclusive theatre.

His keynote presentation, “Theatre education in Ukraine amid a full-scale war. New circumstances. New challenges. New opportunities.”, will explore how theatre education institutions in Ukraine have adapted to the realities of war - from displacement and relocation to blackouts, online learning, and international cooperation.

The presentation will also offer a closer look at the resilience of students, teachers, and theatre communities continuing their work under extraordinary circumstances.

Don’t forget to secure your spot at the XIII AITU–IUTA World Congress. ➡️ https://congress2026.kc.vu.lt/fee
🌐 www.congress2026.kc.vu.lt

We are excited to introduce our first keynote speaker - Dr. Liudas Jovaiša! 🎭An Associate Professor at Vilnius Universit...
02/04/2026

We are excited to introduce our first keynote speaker - Dr. Liudas Jovaiša! 🎭

An Associate Professor at Vilnius University, he is a distinguished historian specializing in the Church and cultural history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. A recipient of the Martynas Mažvydas Award, he is a leading researcher in Church and religious history, a field that includes the transformative arrival of the Jesuits and a starting point of the history of theatre in Lithuania 📜

Jovaiša’s keynote presentation “Jesuit Theatre from Messina to Vilnius: docere, delectare, movere” will explore the development of Jesuit theatre from its origins in Italy to its establishment in Lithuania, highlighting its educational, cultural, and ideological role in Early Modern Europe, as well as its impact on audiences and the broader theatrical tradition.

Learn more about Dr Liudas Jovaiša in the XIII World Congress of the International University Theatre Association AITU-IUTA: congress2026.kc.vu.lt

27/03/2026

Happy World Theatre Day to those who turn words into feeling, movement into meaning, and the stage into a whole new world. Thank you for reminding us that theatre is not just performance, but also reflection, courage, and human connection. Wishing you inspiration, creativity, and many unforgettable performances ahead 🎭

We - World Congress of the International University Theatre Association, VU Kultūros centras, Improvu , Vilniaus Universiteto Dramos Teatras and VU Kinetinis teatras - would like to invite you all to celebrate theatre together on 8–13 of July, 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania 🇱🇹

Secure your spot at the XIII AITU–IUTA World Congress ➡️: https://congress2026.kc.vu.lt/fee

Registration is now OPEN! 🎭We invite you to secure your place at the XIII AITU–IUTA World Congress, taking place 8-13 Ju...
05/03/2026

Registration is now OPEN! 🎭

We invite you to secure your place at the XIII AITU–IUTA World Congress, taking place 8-13 July 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

📅
For Congress participants and theatre companies registration deadline is April 1st.
For the Congress audience, the cultural and social programme registration deadline is June 1st.

Don’t miss the opportunity to join the global university theatre community!

🔗Registration fees & sign-up:
👉 https://www.congress2026.kc.vu.lt/payment-registration

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