Youth Theatre

The Theatre of Youth Piatra Neamț is a professional cultural institution, subordinated to the Neamț County Council and specialized in the production of theater performances and interdisciplinary artistic activities, for which the permanent actors collaborate with guest artists.

Supporting theater creators at the beginning of their journey is a mission marked in the DNA of this institution from the starting moment of its operation, in 1958. Known in the theatrical world in the period before 1989 as the "Piatra Neamț phenomenon", this theater has functioned as a creative laboratory for entire generations of artists, many of whom have become peaks of their generation.

Today, we’re taking this theatre’s tradition further, by envisioning and organizing cultural projects which relate to the young generation’s approach in directing, acting or stage design. Additionally, we’re trying to develop or secure a number of intercultural projects which would allow us to connect the dramatic act to other types of artistic manifestations, but also to achieve coherent dialogue with other cultures. 

‘Future Laboratory’, financed through the Creative Europe programme, finds itself among the Theatre's latest intercultural projects and it involves twelve European performing arts institutions with a strong international component, which are working collaboratively to discover the European narratives of tomorrow. Determined to better integrate marginalized, isolated and disengaged communities in their activities both on and off stage and acutely aware of the impact the pandemic has had on the next generation, the partners have set up an international research project to support the career and international development of emerging artists. From 2022 to 2024, the Theatre of Youth hosts 4 research residencies for artists Ewa Mikula (Poland), Maurin Olles (France), Carlota Matos (UK/Portugal) and Anne Kapsner (Germany). Also, during the same period, it offers the context for a mentorship program for the Romanian artist Ruxandra Simion.

Another product of a European partnership is the UNLOCK THE CITY! initiative, financed through the Creative Europe programme, a culture-led regeneration project aimed at developing an integrated working method that combines technical scientific and design-oriented research with theatre practice. Operating in places or areas that played a key role for citizenship during the pandemic, the project explores the concept of limit (economic, social, physical, etc.) in the post-pandemic city, on three different levels: building (Object), community (Subject), relationship between urban area and the theatre (Relationship). For each of them, the Theater of Youth will produce a show signed by the artists Irina Moscu, Bogdan Zamfir and Daniel Chirilă respectively.  

The international Piatra Neamț Theatre Festival is nonetheless amongst the Theatre’s proudest achievements because it reflects the institution’s mission thoroughly: supporting the new generations of artists and promoting cultural products that focus on important topics for the local and global community. The event proposes to all its participants - the local public, visitors from Romania and abroad - productions that raise discussion about relevant themes, pressing matters for today’s society, created by authors with an artistic language that is personal, striking and provocative.