The "Marin Sorescu" National Theatre in Craiova kicks off, in the period 15-20 September 2025, the international workshop for young people organized within the framework of the project STORM — Shakespearean Theatre for Outlasting Resilience in Mental Health, co-financed by the European Union through the Creative Europe program. The workshop proposes an interdisciplinary framework, which starts from Shakespeare's work to open a dialogue about mental health and the emotional challenges of the young generation.
30 young people, selected following an open call to which 50 people from Craiova, the country and abroad applied, are participating in the week of September 15-20, in the international workshop organized at the "Marin Sorescu" National Theater. This stage of work marks another step in a collaborative creative process, which includes playwriting, directing, acting and scenography sessions, and which will continue in Italy and Germany. The entire process will lead to the creation of an international theatrical co-production in 2026, anchored in the Shakespearean universe and in the emotional realities of the present generation.
The workshop will be coordinated by an international artistic team consisting of Laurențiu Tudor – actor, director and producer (Romania), Frank Heuel – director (Germany), Annika Ley – set designer (Germany), Marta Dalla Via – playwright (Italy), Ovidiu Cârstea și Victoraș Matei – actors (Romania). The young participants will explore both texts written by Shakespeare and their own experiences, in a framework that supports collective reflection and the formulation of questions related to identity, vulnerability and mental balance. The sessions led by Italian psychologist Giuliano Tomei will complement the artistic process with benchmarks from current psychological practice, emphasizing the relationship between creation, emotional health and the individual experiences of those involved.
The next international workshops within the STORM project will take place in Padova (Italy) and Bonn (Germany), extending and deepening the research and collective creation process developed in Craiova. Each stage brings into dialogue distinct artistic and cultural perspectives and contributes to the articulation of a plural scenic discourse on mental health, fragility and belonging.
STORM is a European project that explores how Shakespeare's theatre can be a tool for reflection on mental health, resilience and coexistence. Within it, three artistic teams from Romania (Marin Sorescu National Theatre in Craiova), Germany (fringe ensemble) and Italy (Teatro Stabile del Veneto Carlo Goldoni, Fondazione Fitzcarraldo) collaborate with specialists from complementary fields, to create an interdisciplinary workspace in which art becomes a platform for investigating the present.
The STORM project is co-funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe programme. The opinions and views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Union or the European Executive Agency for Education and Culture (EACEA). The European Union and the EACEA do not assume any responsibility for the content presented.
