Roots & Routes Festival: A Pan-European Stage for Emerging Theatre Voices in Cyprus
The curtain has closed on the successful Theatre in Palm programme for emerging artists, in which the Cyprus Theatre Organisation has actively participated over the past three years alongside partners from eleven other countries, under the leadership of the University of Turku in Finland. The programme culminated in the International Theatre Festival: Roots & Routes, hosted by THOC in Nicosia, Cyprus. The festival brought together emerging theatre voices from 12 European countries.
This landmark event—THOC’s largest international festival to date—took place at its facilities from 11 to 13 April 2025. It showcased the vitality and creativity of a new generation of theatre artists through a dynamic programme of performances, presentations, and discussions.
Artists from Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, and Finland gathered in Nicosia, offering a rich mosaic of artistic approaches, cultural narratives, and contemporary explorations of identity.
Each performance, lasting up to 40 minutes, explored the central theme of identity, diving into related issues such as gender, sexuality, historical and social influences, loneliness, and mental health. All performances were staged in a uniquely designed shared space created by award-winning emerging set designer Petros Kourtellaris.
At the Festival’s opening, Vice President of the THOC Board of Directors, Anthi Antoniadou, emphasized the Board’s commitment to extroversion and meaningful networking with artists across Europe. She underlined the importance of continuous dialogue and exchange in supporting the growth and evolution of theatre.
Programme coordinator and head of the Festival’s organizing team, Marina Maleni, noted that Theatre in Palm provided a valuable platform for many emerging artists, enabling them to create, participate in residencies and exchange programmes, and engage in international collaboration. The programme also fostered strong inter-organizational partnerships, not limited to theatre institutions. She highlighted the honor of hosting the programme’s closing festival in Cyprus—an expression of the consortium’s trust in THOC and its team.
The festival was attended by the ambassadors of Portugal and Ireland, academics, theatre professionals, students, and theatre lovers from across Cyprus.
In addition to performances, the three-day programme included presentations and workshops on key issues for emerging artists. Notably, Dr. George Rodosthenous, Professor of Directing at the University of Leeds, delivered a compelling workshop on “Breaking Through: Networking and Resilience in the Arts.” Mervi Rankila-Källström, programme director and senior lecturer at the Academy of Arts at the University of Turku, presented an overview of the institution’s contributions to the project.
Furthermore, Cypriot emerging artists who participated in the THOC-led Roadshow initiative shared insights from their experiences in partner cities including Barcelona, Reggio Emilia, Amsterdam, and Stockholm.
With strong attendance and overwhelmingly positive feedback from professionals and audiences alike, the festival affirmed Cyprus’s growing role as a hub for contemporary European theatre and empowered emerging artists to build connections, share experiences, and grow within the international creative landscape.
The event was supported by the 273rd Aglantzia Air Scout Group, who actively assisted in various capacities, contributing to the vibrant, collaborative spirit of the festival.
