Sign Up for Fresh Start! 7th Edition – Creative Residencies

We are looking for enthusiastic young graduates eager and excited to experiment, research, collaborate, and discover the wonderful world of show production in an independent theatre setting!

Fresh Start. 7th Edition is thrilled to guide 9 fresh graduates from acting, directing, playwriting, set design, choreography, music, theatre studies, and cultural management! Together, they will dive into creating a fabulous show using devised theatre techniques, while also learning the exciting basics of team management and production in the independent scene.

The 9 selected residents will have the wonderful opportunity to be guided by experienced artists specializing in various theatrical methods. The first part of the residency will be playfully led by:

● Sinkó Ferenc – actor, lecturer at the Faculty of Theatre and Television in Cluj-Napoca, with a passion for choreography and performance

● Petro Ionescu – director and playwright, proud member of the Reactor team, specializing in devised theatre and research methods

● Oana Mardare – actress, co-manager of the Reactor space, producer, and founding member of the Reactor Association for Creation and Experiment

Residents will dive into hands-on work with Sinkó Ferenc in a fun team-building workshop, using performative theatre and dance methods, followed by an inspiring theoretical and practical introduction to devised theatre with Petro Ionescu. Throughout the residency, our 9 participants will enjoy regular mentoring sessions with Petro Ionescu to help shape their show concepts and dramatic structures. In parallel, the team will participate in lively discussion and work sessions with Oana Mardare, focusing on the exciting journey of producing an independent show and managing an artistic collective!

This exciting program will unfold during the sunny months of July and August.

The residencies are open to energetic young graduates from the country's arts faculties who have graduated within the last 3 years and are not currently employed in the field. To double the fun, the "Fresh Start" project happily accepts collective applications in various formulas (e.g., director-playwright or director-choreographer) if you have a shared creative concept—just make sure to mention this in your application form!

These residencies are paid, and the organizers will happily provide accommodation for participants coming from outside of lovely Cluj-Napoca.

To join the adventure, simply download and fill out the application form right here: FRESH START Application – Creative Residencies

Please send your applications to freshstart.rezidente@gmail.com by April 20th at 11:59 PM.

Following the applications, our fantastic mentors and project coordinators will select an exciting directorial project. Based on this, a vibrant, mixed team will be formed—including a director, a playwright, a set designer, a choreographer, a cultural manager, actors and/or dancers, and musicians. We might also schedule a cozy interview (in person or online, as needed) between April 22nd and May 10th.

Key Dates to Remember:

April 20 — Application Deadline

April 22 – May 10 — Selection Process

May 11 — Announcing the Participants!

July 1 – July 15 — First phase of the residency, guided by mentors: exciting practical workshops with Sinkó Ferenc and Petro Ionescu

July 16 – August 31 — Lively sessions with Oana Mardare, rehearsals, creative meetings with Petro Ionescu, and sneak-peek viewings

September-October — Grand public showcase of the final creation in Cluj and Bucharest

Our Wonderful Partners: Replika Educational Theatre Center in Bucharest, Faculty of Theatre and Film Cluj-Napoca, University of Arts Târgu Mureș, National University of Theatre and Film Bucharest, George Enescu National University of Arts in Iași

Poster Art: Mihai Păcurar

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

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