Artists and theatre professionals from different regions of the world come together with an interest in the interplay between art, activism, social criticism, and participation.
The ITI Academy offers a space to work on topics such as artistic freedom and censorship, practices of collective care, fair collaboration, and decolonization. Questions of community and relating to one another in collectives and across cultural borders are reflected upon. At the ITI Academy, theatre and the arts are seen as drivers of empathy, learning, and change. Understanding different perspectives, aesthetics, and working methods plays a central role in this.
The ITI Academy Week takes place during the international festival THEATER DER WELT, which is held every three years. Fellows of the Academy Week apply for the programme via an open call and tend to be at the beginning of their artistic practice.
During the week, they attend performances and events organized by THEATER DER WELT and collaborate with artists from the ITI Academy LABs. After the first edition of the Academy Week in 2022/23 focused on transnationally working artists based in Germany, the 2026 edition aims to strengthen the exchange of artists worldwide. The fellows will become part of the alumni network of the ITI Academy, which sustains and strengthens international connections. The worldwide network of the International Theatre Institute forms the basis for this.