World Congress of the International University Theatre Association

World Congress of the International University Theatre Association The XIII World Congress of AITU-IUTA will be held on July 8–13, 2026, at Vilnius University, Lithuania.

The theme of the conference is "University Theatre in the Time of Global Challenges."

🎭 Even though almost 2 weeks have passed - it was an absolute honor to welcome so many incredible theatre companies, per...
23/07/2026

🎭 Even though almost 2 weeks have passed - it was an absolute honor to welcome so many incredible theatre companies, performers, and universities to Vilnius. Your energy and stories made the XIII AITU-IUTA World Congress truly unforgettable.

This congress is officially over - let the countdown to the next stage begin! 🌍✨

As we close this chapter, this page will fall quiet, but our community keeps growing. To stay in touch with our team and see what's next for us, follow VU Kultūros centras

Until we meet again on another stage. 💜



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🎭 Mums buvo didžiulė garbė Vilniuje priimti tiek daug nuostabių teatro trupių, kūrėjų ir universitetų. Jūsų energija ir istorijos pavertė XIII-asis pasaulinį Tarptautinės universitetų teatrų asociacijoskongresą tikrai nepamirštamu.

Šis kongresas oficialiai baigėsi – pradedame skaičiuoti laiką iki kito susitikimo! 🌍✨

Festivaliui pasibaigus, šis puslapis po truputį nurims, tačiau mūsų bendruomenė gyvuoja toliau. Jei norite neprarasti ryšio su mūsų komanda ir sekti naujienas, kviečiame sekti Vilniaus universiteto Kultūros centrą.

Iki kitų susitikimų – kitoje scenoje. 💜

22/07/2026

From 7–13 July, Vilnius University became the global home of university theatre. For the first time in the history of the Nordic and Baltic region, it hosted the World Congress of the International Association of University Theatres (AITU-IUTA) alongside the International University Theatre Festival.
🎭 35 events
🌍 Participants from more than 22 countries
🎬 16 performances
👥 Around 250 participants
👏 Nearly 3,200 audience members
We are proud that university became a place where not only the Congress programme came to life, but also new connections, partnerships, and ideas that will shape the future of university theatre around the world.
Vilnius University Culture Centre brings together much more than theatre. It is home to 16 artistic ensembles and studios, spanning theatre, choirs, orchestras, dance, folklore, jazz, storytelling, and more.
We look forward to welcoming you next semester to our concerts, performances, and many other cultural events. Follow the Vilnius University Culture Centre channels to stay updated on upcoming events and invitations.

📸 Moments from our official photo wall! Thank you to all the amazing participants, guests, and organizers of the XIII AI...
15/07/2026

📸 Moments from our official photo wall!

Thank you to all the amazing participants, guests, and organizers of the XIII AITU-IUTA Congress and Festival for sharing your energy and smiles during the event! Tag yourselves and your friends! 🌟

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📸 Akimirkos prie mūsų oficialios foto sienelės!

Ačiū visiems nuostabiems XIII AITU-IUTA kongreso ir festivalio dalyviams, svečiams ir organizatoriams už jūsų energiją bei šypsenas viso renginio metu. Žymėkite save ir savo draugus! 🌟

📌 A performance staged without electricity.📌 Songs that echoed through the Vilnius University courtyard until midnight.📌...
15/07/2026

📌 A performance staged without electricity.
📌 Songs that echoed through the Vilnius University courtyard until midnight.
📌 A story that began back in 1570.
📌 Just half an hour to turn actors from different countries into one ensemble.
The 13th World Congress of the International Association of University Theatres (AITU–IUTA) has come to an end, but its stories will stay with us for a long time.
Discover the most memorable moments from the largest project ever organised by the Vilnius University Culture Centre in our recap. 👇
https://www.kultura.vu.lt/en/news/2573-world-university-theatre-congress-in-vilnius-brings-together-a-community-from-22-countries-performances-attract-more-than-3-000-spectators
🔗 You can find recap link in the comments

🎭 A huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who made the XIII AITU-IUTA World Congress and International University Theatr...
14/07/2026

🎭 A huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who made the XIII AITU-IUTA World Congress and International University Theatre Festival such a success!

This incredible week of creativity and connection was built by an amazing community:

✨ To our participants & speakers: Thank you to all the theatre companies, keynote speakers, presenters, and members of the AITU-IUTA community. Your performances, ideas, and stories brought this event to life.

🛠️ To our organizing, communication, design, tech & venue teams: We are deeply grateful to the staff of the VU Kultūros centras, Vilniaus universitetas / Vilnius University, the AITU-IUTA Executive Committee, VILNIUS TECH theatre studio "Palėpė", and the teams at Vilniaus teatras „Lėlė“ and Meno Fortas. Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers and tech crews who supported us every step of the way.

🎶 To our artistic groups: A warm thank you to the Wind Orchestra Oktava, Folklore Ensemble Ratilio, the Song and Dance Ensemble, and the Improvisation Studio for enriching our program and creating unforgettable moments.

Thank you all for being part of this international celebration of theatre, creativity, and friendship. Until we meet again! 💜



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🎭 Nuoširdžiai dėkojame visiems, prisidėjusiems prie XIII Pasaulinio AITU-IUTA kongreso ir Tarptautinio universiteto teatrų festivalio sėkmės!

Ši ypatinga savaitė įvyko tik jūsų visų dėka:

✨ Mūsų dalyviams ir pranešėjams: Ačiū teatro trupėms, pranešėjams, sesijų pirmininkams ir visai AITU-IUTA bendruomenei. Jūsų pasirodymai, idėjos ir pokalbiai įkvėpė gyvybę šiam renginiui.

🛠️ Organizatoriams, komunikacijos ir dizaino komandai, savanoriams, technikams ir erdvėms:

Esame dėkingi Vilniaus universiteto Kultūros centro, Vilniaus universiteto darbuotojams, AITU-IUTA vykdomajam komitetui, Vilnius TECH teatro studijai „Palėpė“ bei Vilniaus teatro „Lėlė“ ir „Meno forto“ komandoms.

Taip pat – visiems mūsų nuostabiems savanoriams bei technikams, padėjusiems kiekviename žingsnyje.

🎶 Mūsų meno kolektyvams: Dėkui VU pučiamųjų instrumentų orkestras „Oktava“, Vilniaus universiteto folkloro ansamblis RATILIO, Vilniaus universiteto Dainų ir šokių ansamblis bei Improvu už papuoštą programą ir gražias akimirkas.

Ačiū, kad buvote šios tarptautinės teatro, kūrybos ir draugystės šventės dalimi. Iki kitų susitikimų! 💜

🤝 Great international events are built through partnership.Our sincere thanks go to everyone contributing to the XIII AI...
13/07/2026

🤝 Great international events are built through partnership.

Our sincere thanks go to everyone contributing to the XIII AITU-IUTA World Congress of University Theatre.

Special thanks to our patrons – the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO and the International Theatre Institute (ITI).

We are grateful to our funders – the Lithuanian Council for Culture and the State Studies Foundation of Lithuania.

Our thanks also go to our main information partner – LRT.

We sincerely appreciate the support of our partners – Vilnius TECH, University Theatre Association (UTA), Go Vilnius, Vilnius Theatre Lėlė, The Lithuanian Theatre, Music and Cinema Museum and Open Readings 2026.

And of course - big thanks to our great Vilniaus Universitetas and VU Kultūros centras!

Your trust and support made it possible to bring the international university theatre community together in Vilnius, foster meaningful dialogue, and celebrate the power of theatre across cultures.

Thank you for being part of this journey. 💜

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🤝 Puikūs tarptautiniai renginiai kuriami partnerystės dėka.

Nuoširdžiai dėkojame visiems, prisidedantiems prie XIII AITU-IUTA pasaulinio universitetinio teatro kongreso.

Ypatinga padėka mūsų mecenatams – Lietuvos nacionalinei UNESCO komisijai ir Tarptautiniam teatro institutui (ITI).

Esame dėkingi mūsų rėmėjams – Lietuvos kultūros tarybai ir Lietuvos valstybės studijų fondui.

Taip pat dėkojame pagrindiniam mūsų informaciniam partneriui – LRT.

Nuoširdžiai vertiname mūsų partnerių – Vilnius TECH, Universitetinio teatro asociacijos (UTA), „Go Vilnius“, „Vilniaus teatro „Lėlė“, Lietuvos teatro, muzikos ir kino muziejaus ir „Open Readings 2026“ – paramą.

Ir, žinoma, didelis ačiū mūsų nuostabiam Vilniaus universitetui ir VU Kultūros centrui!

Jūsų pasitikėjimas ir parama leido suburti tarptautinę universitetų teatro bendruomenę Vilniuje, skatinti prasmingą dialogą ir švęsti teatro galią skirtingose ​​kultūrose.

Ačiū, kad esate šios kelionės dalimi. 💜

We have officially reached the final day of the XIII AITU-IUTA World Congress and Festival! Today wraps up an incredible...
12/07/2026

We have officially reached the final day of the XIII AITU-IUTA World Congress and Festival! Today wraps up an incredible week of theatre, connection, and culture.

The last day of activities started with the General Assembly and a scenic social excursion to Trakai. Later this afternoon, we opened our doors to the public for the final two festival performances: the highly anticipated VERTEP. HOPE from Ukraine 🧸🇺🇦 and the captivating dance performance REPLICA by the VU Kinetinis teatras 💃🇱🇹.

We will wrap up this unforgettable week together with our official Closing Ceremony this evening at Vilnius University !

A massive thank you to all the performers, delegates, and audience members who made this week so magical. Let's celebrate this final day together! 🥂

Lietuvos nacionalinė UNESCO komisija | International Theatre Institute | Lietuvos kultūros taryba | Valstybinis studijų fondas | Go Vilnius | Vilniaus universitetas / Vilnius University | VU Kultūros centras | VILNIUS TECH | Vilniaus teatras „Lėlė“ l Teatras Meno Fortas | LRT



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Oficialiai pasiekėme paskutinę XIII Pasaulinio AITU-IUTA kongreso ir festivalio dieną! Šiandien užbaigiame neįtikėtiną teatro, bendrystės ir kultūros savaitę.

Paskutinė veiklų diena prasidėjo Generaline asamblėja ir vaizdinga ekskursija į Trakus. Vėliau šią popietę atversime duris žiūrovams paskutiniams dviem festivalio pasirodymams: itin laukiamam spektakliui „Vertep. Viltis“ iš Ukrainos 🧸🇺🇦 ir įtraukiančiam VU Kinetinio teatro šokio spektakliui „Replika“ 💃🇱🇹.

Šią nepamirštamą savaitę kartu užbaigsime oficialia Uždarymo ceremonija šį vakarą Vilniaus universitete!

Be galo dėkojame visiems atlikėjams, dalyviams ir žiūrovams, kurie pavertė šią savaitę tokia magiška. Atšvęskime šią paskutinę dieną kartu! 🥂

Theatre can continue to exist even when circumstances seem impossible.The fourth day of the 13th World Congress of the I...
11/07/2026

Theatre can continue to exist even when circumstances seem impossible.

The fourth day of the 13th World Congress of the International University Theatre Association (AITU-IUTA) explored theatre as a space for resilience, dialogue, and community building.

The day opened with a presentation by Ukrainian theatre educator and director Myhailo Urytskyi on theatre education during the full-scale war. In Ukraine, students continue learning and creating performances despite constant power outages, with some productions taking place in complete darkness.

“Over the years, we have learned to live a normal life under abnormal circumstances. We do not forbid people to experience joy. And theatre is a celebration,” said M. Urytskyi.
🇺🇦
The programme continued with academic sessions, creative workshops, and performances from Colombia, Romania, Belgium, as well as an international production created by artists from Ireland and Switzerland.

The day concluded with an evening hosted by the Vilnius University Folklore Ensemble “Ratilio”, where guests joined in traditional Lithuanian songs and dances.

11/07/2026

The XIII AITU-IUTA World Congress and Festival on LRT.

We’re delighted to see the spirit of the festival reaching even more people through today’s LRT report.

This week, Vilnius is filled with theatre, creativity, inspiring encounters, and participants from around the world, all brought together by a shared passion for the performing arts.

Watch the report and join us as we continue celebrating this unforgettable week of university theatre.

🎭 Full festival programme: congress2026.kc.vu.lt/festival

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