Interview by Severino Colombo with Agata Tomšič, “Corriere della sera”, August 3 2026

I dream of an avant-garde accessible to everyone, “Corriere della sera”, August 3, 2026

Tomšič has spent the last twenty-two years in Emilia-Romagna—first in Bologna, where she studied, and then in Ravenna, where she began working and training with avant-garde theater companies. She will be the first female director of Mittelfest, following 35 editions led by men.

“It is a great responsibility, whether you are a man or a woman. In my previous experiences, I have always given ample space to female creativity; abroad, and in recent years in Italy as well, gender distinctions have been partly overcome. There are so many wonderful female artists, including many from Central Europe, whom I cannot wait to host. I am also thinking about creating a small dedicated path within the festival to highlight the performative research of key figures who are pursuing studies on their presence on stage, as well as their work with sound, music, and the voice.”

In addition to its music, circus, theater, and dance sections, the festival could expand to include new areas. “I am thinking from a perspective of inclusion for families and local residents, and also aiming to reintroduce puppet and object theater, which was already part of the festival in the past.” The practice of being together, of sharing, and the ritual of theatrical performance will be key elements. “I strongly believe in a project like Mittelyoung, which targets under-30 artists from the Central European area while simultaneously involving local educational institutions—academies, conservatories, and high schools. The initiative engages young people directly in choosing the shows to be programmed. It is a formula I absolutely wish to continue. This is what I mean when I speak of sharing the processes of production and programming, bringing even the practical aspects of our craft closer to people and making them active participants.”

It is too early to map out the exact direction of Mittelfest under Tomšič, but a European perspective is certainly among them. “Mittelfest was born in 1991; the Berlin Wall had fallen in 1989, and at the time there was a pressing need to discover that part of Europe and the world. Central Europe, with its interplay among cultures, was already a sort of European Union ante litteram. With the works I will program in Cividale over the next three years, I would like to try to reflect on crucial issues to better understand the present, our place in the world, and our relationship with borders in today’s Europe.”