The German State Theatre Timișoara (GSTT) announces the completion of the first phase of the educational project “Theatre in Dialogue,” a program dedicated to students and teachers that transforms the theatrical experience into a tool for learning, reflection, and creative expression. Launched in the spring of 2026, the project offers an integrated cultural journey in which a theatre performance becomes the starting point for workshops, debates, and interdisciplinary activities.
The results of the first phase confirm the growing interest among young people in the dialogue between education and the arts. A total of 760 students participated in the project through eight performances from the GSTT repertoire presented at the theatre, followed by audience meetings and discussions, as well as a special performance tour to Reșița with the production Tschick. Why We Took the Car, organized in response to the high number of requests from students.
The educational component of the project also included a series of theatre seminars led by guest facilitators Raluca Blaga and Vlad Haneș, as well as our colleague Mira Țâra (for the German-language workshops), bringing together more than 160 students. An equal number of participants took part in debate sessions inspired by topics familiar to them and reflected in the performances they attended, thereby developing their argumentation skills, critical thinking, and constructive dialogue.
One of the most appreciated modules of the project was the playwriting laboratory, which involved more than 80 teenagers. Guided by playwrights and artists Matei Grunberg, Sever Andrei, Elise Wilk, Maria Manolescu, Thomas Perle, Andrei Dinu, Andrei Radu, Cristian Vicol, Ovidiu Zimcea, Vlad Dragomirescu, and Laurențiu Blaga, participants created 11 short theatre texts on themes relevant to their lives (adolescence, school dynamics, interactions with authority, etc.), demonstrating creativity, critical thinking, and the ability to transform the experiences of their generation into dramatic material.
During this period, a new interactive activity was also launched as part of the project: the escape room Face the Dragon, inspired by the production The Dragon and based on a script by Alma Diaconu and Robert Bogdanov Schein. Designed as a participatory experience, it challenges students to solve clues, collaborate, and make decisions as a team while exploring the themes of the performance in an engaging and playful way. The activity complements the theatrical experience through an educational approach that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork.
The first phase of the project was made possible through collaboration with numerous partner educational institutions: Nikolaus Lenau Theoretical High School (Timișoara), Grigore Moisil Theoretical High School (Timișoara), William Shakespeare Theoretical High School (Timișoara), Babel High School (Timișoara), Carmen Sylva National Pedagogical College (Timișoara), David Voniga Theoretical High School (Giroc), Diaconovici-Tietz National College (Reșița), Adam Müller-Guttenbrunn Theoretical High School (Arad), the National College of Arts (Târgu Mureș), and Nestor Oprean Secondary School (Sânnicolau Mare).
The project Theatre in Dialogue will continue from September 2026 with a new series of activities dedicated to young people. The programme will include a public reading marathon featuring texts written by teenagers, as well as the Theatre in Dialogue Caravan, which will bring theatre performances directly into middle and high school classrooms, based on two of the texts developed during the playwriting laboratory. In addition, theatre journalism seminars will be organized, the escape room activity will continue, and students will have the opportunity to participate in the inter-school competition Theatre Quiz.
Through the scale of participation and the diversity of activities offered, Theatre in Dialogue continues to strengthen its mission of bringing young people closer to the performing arts and creating meaningful opportunities for interaction between theatre, education, and the community.
For further information, please contact the GSTT project coordinator, Diana Sârbu, Artistic Secretary, tel. +40 729 729 693, e-mail: diana.sarbu@dstt.ro.
The project “Theatre in Dialogue” is co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN) and implemented by the German State Theatre Timișoara.
