What does it mean to create theatre at a university when your country is at war? How are the climate crisis and rapid technological advances changing what is told on stage – and how it is told? How prepared is the younger generation to face global challenges, and can university theatre help build its resilience?
These are some of the questions that will be explored at the 13th World Congress of the International Association of University Theatres (AITU-IUTA), taking place in Vilnius from 8–13 July, alongside the International University Theatre Festival. Organized by the Vilnius University Culture Centre, this is the first event of its kind to be held in the Nordic and Baltic region. It will bring together artists, researchers, educators, and students from more than 20 countries. For one week, university theatre will become not only a space for artistic expression but also a barometer of the world—a place where some of today’s most complex experiences are reflected upon and where answers to questions raised by global change are sought.
A New Role for University Theatre in a Changing World
Vilnius University has a distinguished university theatre tradition dating back more than 400 years, one that significantly shaped the cultural life of Vilnius as an important city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Performances created by students and professors, inspired by classical plays, were staged in public squares and university spaces, attracting audiences ranging from townspeople and nobles to visitors from abroad.
Today, nearly every major university around the world has its own theatre, each serving different purposes. Some function as important cultural hubs for their academic communities, others focus on students’ artistic education, while many serve as laboratories for experimental performance and new theatrical forms.
“As the world changes, so do the university and its theatre. The relevance of our congress theme – University Theatre in the Face of Global Challenges – has been confirmed by the tremendous interest we received, with more than 40 paper proposals submitted. This strong response shows that the university cultural community feels an urgent need to discuss these changes and rethink the role of university theatre in today’s world,” says Gintė Jokubaitienė, Director of the Vilnius University Culture Centre.
An International Festival Featuring Student Theatre Created Under Wartime Conditions in Kyiv
The International University Theatre Festival, held alongside the congress, will showcase a remarkable diversity of countries, artistic forms, and themes. The programme includes 16 events, ranging from performances on theatre stages to productions presented in public urban spaces. Audiences can expect drama, street theatre, dance, and puppet performances, as well as experimental works and productions developed through academic research and creative laboratories.
The festival features theatre companies from Lithuania, Ukraine, Costa Rica, Colombia, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Morocco, and many other countries. For many of them, this will be their first opportunity to perform for Lithuanian audiences.
One of the festival’s most anticipated performances is “Vertep. Hope,” presented by students from the Kyiv National Ivan Karpenko-Karyi University of Theatre, Cinema and Television. The puppet performance draws on the centuries-old Ukrainian vertep tradition, a form of puppet theatre that tells the story of the birth of Christ. The creators reinterpret this tradition in the context of contemporary Ukraine, exploring how hope can endure in the midst of war.
The production has already been presented at international festivals in Poland and Slovakia and, in 2025, was recognised as the Best Professional Ukrainian Puppet Theatre Performance. In Vilnius, audiences will have a rare opportunity to experience a work created in a country where theatre continues to be made under wartime conditions.
Theatre Open to the City and the University Community
While congress participants discuss the role of university theatre in today’s world, members of the Vilnius University community and the wider public will be invited not only to watch performances but also to become part of this international celebration of theatre.
The congress will officially open on 8 July at 12:00 in the Small Aula of Vilnius University. Later that day, at 18:00, the Vilnius University Theatre Hall will host a theatrical musical performance celebrating key symbols of Lithuanian culture. Fragments created by the Vilnius University Drama Theatre and the Vilnius University Song and Dance Ensemble will come together in a unified narrative structured around the four seasons, highlighting the natural and cultural symbols that are deeply rooted in Lithuanian identity.
On 9 July, the streets of Vilnius Old Town will come alive with a colourful international theatre parade. Festival participants from around the world will march from the Grand Courtyard of Vilnius University to the Lėlė Theatre, transforming Pilies Street into a vibrant stage filled with music, movement, and theatrical improvisation.
Most festival events are free of charge and open to the public.
The full congress and festival programme is available at www.congress2026.kc.vu.lt
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