POLIS Teatro Festival 2025

In a world increasingly torn apart by conflict and imperialistic ambitions, where the concepts of universal and international are losing their positive connotations, Gianluca Costantini's reference to Francisco Goya in homage to the Iberian Focus at the heart of the POLIS Theatre Festival 2025 inevitably brings to mind another work by the Spanish painter whose title could not be more topical: The sleep of reason produces monsters. This year's festival continues to build bridges between the past and the future through the languages of contemporary performing arts, in order to continue reflecting on the present and imagining new possible worlds together with artists, spectators, scholars, journalists and international operators. Pursuing the utopia that a world without borders is still possible, as hoped for by Miguel Torga, the Portuguese author quoted at the beginning of this edition, we recall that the new focus comes significantly on the eve of the 40th anniversary of Spain and Portugal's accession to the European Community, and many of the events hosted will serve as a springboard for reflection on Europe and the world today.

This 8th edition opens with a major new feature: a section entirely dedicated to the Italian under-35 scene, with free admission.

More than 35 events, including shows and discussions, round tables between artists, scholars and international operators, confirming the festival's distinctive European artistic offering, bringing to the theatre people who, for economic or social reasons, would not normally set foot there, as well as hundreds of under-30s, but also educational activities and participatory projects that develop throughout the year through valuable collaborations with the local area.