Fresh Start: we have absolutely nothing to lose, and the rewards waiting for us could be a wonderful surprise!

Until April 20th, we are eagerly awaiting applications from young graduates all over the country for the Fresh Start residency, which has reached its fabulous 7th edition this year! Alongside the Drama 5 residency, Fresh Start is one of our longest-running projects, and we want this experience to be as enriching and joyful as possible for everyone. To find out more about the magic behind the scenes, we caught up with the wonderful mentors guiding the participants: Ferenc Sinkó, Petro Ionescu, and Oana Mardare.

Dear Fero, Fresh Start has reached its 7th edition! You’ve been a mentor since the very first edition, even though the residency's format has evolved year by year. What is your role within the residency? What has remained constant in your journey with the residents? What has changed?

Fero: Yes indeed, I have the absolute privilege of being part of this extraordinary project right from its debut! It’s a true privilege because I get to do what I love most in an artistic theatrical process: watching the first step of this journey when artists from different backgrounds meet for the very first time in this dynamic and start discovering one another. The first thoughts, first impressions, expectations, reactions, and spark of ideas.

Structurally, much has changed since the first edition, but the vibrant energy of that first face-to-face meeting remains exactly the same! One of my main goals when meeting the group is to dismantle the expectations they bring with them and to make them aware of this wonderful opportunity to work in a safe, supportive space—free from the well-known pressure of the finished product. I want them to realize we are here first and foremost to nurture our curiosity about each other, and through this curiosity, to spark interest in who we are. It's about finding beautiful ways to live and collaborate together in this—often challenging, yet exciting—process of collective creation.

The Fresh Start residency aims to create a safe space to experiment with new artistic practices and explore different theatrical languages. We want to encourage young artists to embrace these directions in the future and to keep an open mind to different ways of working as they build their careers. What does performative theater mean to you?

Fero: For me, performativity is the power to work with one's own vulnerability. For this, you need a safe, protected space where you can let yourself be discovered, where you can be completely honest, and where you can brainstorm ideas so that along the way you find the perfect way to share this with a live audience.

Dear Petro, you joined the residency as a mentor in 2020. What is your role here? What has remained constant in your meetings with the residents, and what has changed?

Petro: My experience with Fresh Start actually began back in 2018, when I intuitively tried to help the team with some feedback and discussions. I realized then that this pedagogical side is something I'm incredibly passionate about: guiding a creative process and helping discover collective creation tools. In 2019, we didn't receive funding for the project, but in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, I officially joined as a mentor (though "mentor" is a word I don't particularly love!). My role is to introduce the residents to the exciting world of devised theater, giving them theoretical concepts alongside fun, practical exercises to better understand what horizontal creation is all about. At the same time, I try to familiarize them with performative elements; to do this, we watch and discuss specific shows, and then create some performative moments and improvisations together. It’s an intense, week-long lab where I try to bring the newly formed team together and lay down a common language they can easily tap into once they start creating on their own. What remains constant in my time with them is how we collaboratively set our group rules from day one—this guides our entire journey and helps everyone feel responsible for what they bring to the table. And what I always hope remains constant is that they feel supported and trusted by Fero and me, knowing we are there to cheer them on!

I can't say exactly what changed, but I have certainly polished this module over time. With each new edition, I see things I've let go of, refined, or reinvented because I wanted to try something fresh. Interacting with a brand-new generation and the unique dynamic of each team keeps me on my toes in the best, most creative way possible!

How familiar, well-understood, and integrated is the practice of devised theater in Romania?

Petro: I always tell our residents: devised practice is always unique depending on who approaches it and how much they choose to take from it. There are basic principles, of course, but they can even serve a more hierarchical workflow. The second important piece of advice I share is that you can't truly do devised theater without a solid experience of working together as a collective. I believe people need to know each other well to create shows using this method, to see if they truly resonate, and that takes time.

Looking at the scene in Romania, I’ve noticed a wonderful diversity in how different artistic collectives use devised theater methods: sometimes roles are kept, sometimes not; sometimes it's devised only at the concept and text level, and the creation might be signed collectively or individually. I think we don’t yet have a deeply rooted culture of devised theater in Romania, as we don't have a company that works exclusively this way, like in other countries. But ideas are flowing! I can see from one generation to the next how people are increasingly well-informed, and many have already experimented with devised practices, which makes me so happy! When I first discovered this style of theater, it was a major turning point for me—I realized theater could be done differently and that I had finally found my artistic home. I hope this residency brings that same spark of discovery to our Fresh Start participants. At least to some of them!

Oana, what is your contribution to this year's residency, and how did your role in the project come about?

Oana: Beyond the amazing learning experience of creating a show from scratch with a team, the residency involves the practical and pragmatic side of producing that show—without putting pressure on the outcome. It’s absolutely fine if this two-month experiment doesn't end with a full-scale production, but if the team wants to keep the show alive for future performances, it's incredibly helpful if someone on the team knows how to organize and manage that effort.

In the past, we at Reactor tried to support the life of the show after the final presentation, but starting this year, we are encouraging the team to take on this responsibility themselves.

The person taking on the manager role in the residency will be guided in this direction, while still sharing the responsibility with the collective. Working in the independent theater scene, it’s vital for the whole team to have a realistic view of how this sector works and the joyful hard work it takes to keep a show running.

How do you see the impact of the Fresh Start experience beyond the residency itself, in the careers of the resident artists? What do you see happening from year to year?

Petro: I think the Fresh Start residency has had a growing impact in recent years. This is clear from the sheer number of applications and the excitement of people wanting to join; word of mouth travels beautifully from one generation to the next, creating a wonderful buzz around the project! Beyond that, we always follow the journey of the shows created during Fresh Start and look for the perfect opportunities for them to keep playing—like tours to Bucharest, festivals for young graduates, and special projects. It's so rewarding to see our alumni continuing to work, getting hired right away, winning awards, and launching major projects. We at Reactor love keeping in touch, and we already have several past Fresh Start participants with whom we collaborate regularly! I also see how the bonds formed here encourage them to keep working together and give them the courage to experiment. These spaces where young graduates from different Romanian schools can meet and share ideas are so essential. I'm thrilled that Reactor isn't the only one investing in this, and that projects like Gala Hop, TNT in Craiova, the D-butan-T festival in Sfântu Gheorghe, and others exist. The future of theater as a supportive community looks so bright when we invest in bringing this young generation together!

Fero: I believe the Fresh Start experience leaves a beautiful mark on these young artists. Right at the beginning of their careers, they gain a fresh perspective on their craft, which they can weave into all their future endeavors. For me, every edition has been a personal "re-fresh start" that keeps me energized, connected to new generations, and looking toward the future. I always start my chats by saying: we have absolutely nothing to lose, and the rewards can be wonderfully surprising!

We are eagerly waiting for your applications until April 20th! Find out more details on how to apply RIGHT HERE