Interview with Agata Tomšič, “Panorama”, August 26 2026

My challenge for Mittelfest will be to combine popular art with the avant-garde and research, “Novi Matajur”, August 26 2026

I browsed the internet a bit regarding your concept of theater, and I gathered that it mostly has to do with cross-contamination, both in terms of genres and expressive languages.
Yes, multidisciplinarity has always interested me because, as I was saying earlier, theater was that space where all my passions merged. Furthermore, for over fifteen years as a performer and actress, I have been pursuing research on voice and sound through interaction with both contemporary classical music and theater. I have also always been interested in visual arts and art-house cinema—essentially, anything that can nourish my creative work from an aesthetic and visual standpoint.

It’s a contemporary, if not future-forward vision. But will there also be room for tradition in your Mittelfest?
Yes, in fact, my three-year plan for the festival includes the challenge of combining tradition with experimentation, and popular art with the avant-garde and research. To achieve this, I would like to activate active participation processes or shared artistic journeys with the people living in these regions—creating gathering opportunities, shared viewings of performances, or small theatrical and musical preview events throughout the year to build a community that feels ready to engage during the festival, even by trying things they might not be familiar with yet.

Reading the headlines in the press and online regarding your appointment over the last few days, it stands out how often it has been highlighted that you are the first woman to become director of Mittelfest. How does that feel?
I think the appointment itself is a significant responsibility; it is a festival with a long history, rooted in a specific region, with well-established relationships built over the years. My first feeling was one of satisfaction, as I can test myself against something complex. I hope to be valued for my work, my credentials, and my skills, rather than my gender. That being said, it is obviously an honor for me to be the first woman to direct this festival.