Mittelfest

In 1991, at a time of reconnection between East and West known as the Pentagonale initiative, Mittelfest was born. This project initially included Italy, Austria, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary but has since expanded to include 19 Central and Eastern European countries under the Central European Initiative (CEI) umbrella.

For three decades, Mittelfest and its festival have been uniting different languages and cultures of Central Europe, with the Balkans as a hub for collaboration. The inception featured five renowned persons from Hungary, Italy, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Austria who directed the artistic direction in tandem. Giorgio Pressburger (Hungary/Italy), Tomás Ascher (Hungary), Jovan Ćirilov (Yugoslavia), Jiři Menzel (Czechoslovakia), and George Tabori(Austria) set an example that has since enabled artists to come together under one roof in order explore new possibilities.

Mittelfest today encourages constructive dialogue between 27 nations of Europe, such as Albania, Austria, Belarus, and Belgium, through theatre, music, and dance performances. Additionally, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Estonia are included in the list, along with Germany and Greece, among other countries, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, and North Macedonia. Moldova And Montenegro are involved in this event, as are the Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine Hungary. So it's all about diverse cultures getting together!

From July 21st to the 30th, 2023, Mittelfest will cement its status as a global and multifaceted gathering - theatre, music, and dance - by creating a meeting point between Italy and the Balkans. Cividale del Friuli is brimming with potential; it's an epicenter of ideas, views, and perspectives! Celebrating its 32nd year, Mittelfest is a meeting point for artists and audiences, acting as an open dialogue between different cultures in Central Europe. This festival edition will focus on exploring the theme 'Inevitable.'