The city without a classical repertoire theatre is coming to life thanks to the Trenčín-All-Theatre project, which brings contemporary performance art to public spaces and cultural spaces. A form of live art that combines elements of theatre, dance, movement, sound and visual art and is often created in close contact with the audience.
The project is part of the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026 programme and under the curatorial leadership of choreographer and director Petra Fornay, it transforms ordinary urban spaces into unconventional stages and creates intense artistic experiences accessible to all.
Theatre accessible to all
Although Trenčín is the only regional capital without a repertory theatre, thanks to the title of European Capital of Culture for 2026, its residents and visitors can already enjoy theatre in new and unexpected forms. The Trenčín-All-Theatre series presents a series of stage events, not only in traditional and expected spaces for performing arts.
The Trenčín-All-Theatre series opened with the children’s performance Aero from the Odivo Theatre. It met with a great response and brought joy and laughter to the youngest spectators. Adults can enjoy the production Custom View, an assisted solo for dancer and choreographer Tomáš Danielis, on 14 June at 19:00 in the Kultúrno-kreatívne centrum Hviezda.
“The performance Custom View is a sincere confession of a mature dancer and choreographer Tomáš Danielis, who has been working for more than twenty years in many artistic and cultural environments. This gives him the mandate to compare them, but not through a detached listing of pros and cons. Through a balanced presence of text and movement, Danielis offers us a look into the intimate space of his own creation and life — sometimes indulgent, sometimes dramatically precise and ironic. He contextualizes the profession of an artist in our society, opening many essential questions concerning the meaning and necessity of art itself,” said project curator Petra Fornayová, who has long worked on the intersections between theatre, dance and public space More information: https://www.trencin2026.eu/podujatie/custom-view/
The dramaturgy of the Trenčín-All-Theatre series includes three new productions created especially for the Trenčín 2026 project and twelve existing productions, which will be performed in different formats – some in classical theatres, others in non-traditional spaces. The selected Slovak artists come from non-established venues, do not have their own performance spaces and have not yet presented their works in Trenčín – so these will be their Trenčín premieres.
Theatre as a tool for change and dialogue
The series will also include a discussion format “Manifesto of the Theatre of the Future”, which will consist of several moderated discussions with experts not only on the topics of individual performances, but will also raise questions of a sustainable format of theatre and dance art in times of climate, technological and social challenges. The aim is not only to present contemporary forms of performance art, but also to search for its new functions in a changing world.
“Theatre today has the power to connect different communities, to raise important social issues and to bring artistic experiences outside of traditional venues. In Trenčín, we are creating a new space for dialogue between artists and residents – where we might not have expected it,” said Petra Fornay.
Part of the broader vision of Trenčín 2026
The Trenčín-All-Theatre project follows the city’s ambition to make culture accessible to all – here too it is about awakening curiosity and promoting live culture right in the streets. Trenčín thus proves that art can be created in different conditions, in different spaces, with and for different actors.
The project was supported from public funds by the City of Trenčín, the Trenčín Self-Administration Region and the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. The project partner is the European Union.
