Exciting news! Reactor is launching Animat—a wonderful new cultural program dedicated entirely to the magic of object theatre for both the young and the young at heart!

September-December 2026 

@ Reactor de creație și experiment, 4 Petőfi Sándor St., Cluj-Napoca

@Tipo18, 18 Tipografiei St., Cluj-Napoca

A delightful new puppet theatre production for adults, magical storytelling shows for kids, guest object theatre performances all the way from Belgium and the Czech Republic, fun workshops, and plenty of other surprises for Cluj locals of all ages are coming to Reactor and Tipo18 from September right through to the end of the year!

Small worlds, big stories: the wonderful Animat project brings the magic of object theatre closer to Cluj audiences, inviting both children and adults to discover the joyful possibilities of this unique art form! Object theatre is a lovely sub-genre of puppet theatre that swaps traditional puppets for everyday objects, combined with the playful expressiveness of the performers and, of course, your wonderful imagination.

Animat aims to connect our local scene with the wider cultural world by bringing you brilliant performances for kids and adults alike, staged by acclaimed companies from the heart of European object theatre. We are absolutely thrilled to host Czech companies Kolektiv TMEL, Terén, KHWOSHCH (performing across Prague and Berlin), as well as the legendary Tof Théâtre, a true star of visual theatre from Belgium!

The exciting lineup also features playful staged readings of contemporary stories for young theatergoers, as well as a fantastic new object theatre show for adults directed by Irene Vecchia and Gál Orsolya, with dramaturgy by Petro Ionescu, premiering at the beginning of December: The White Stag.

To make things even more exciting, the program includes wonderful learning opportunities: a masterclass, hands-on creative workshops for kids and professionals, and friendly post-show discussions where you can share your thoughts and chat about the themes of each performance!

These exciting events will take place at Reactor and TIPO18 (an alternative cultural space and cozy apartment theatre located at 18 Tipografiei St.).

We can't wait to welcome you to discover the absolutely fascinating world of object theatre!

The performance schedule and tickets (including free-entry or supporter options) can be found on eventbook.ro: animat program.

Project partners: the French Institute of Cluj, Clujul Copiilor, Bookstory, and the Czech Centre Bucharest.

A cultural project co-funded by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN).

The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the project results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.

Project realized with the support of the Cluj-Napoca City Hall and Local Council.