Now in its 11th edition, The International Competition in the framework of Teatri Riflessi is a contest for short performances, live works no longer than 15 minutes. Since its first edition in 2009, the competition has been promoting and encouraging a discussion on dramaturgy and contemporary performing languages connecting the stage to the representation of the territory and the territory to the contemporary scene.
Teatri Riflessi Festival 2026 is organised by the cultural association IterCulture APS, in collaboration with the Municipality of Zafferana Etnea, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Sicilian Region, and under the honorary patronage of the National Centre for Italian Contemporary Dramaturgy and the University of Messina.
The image evoked by the theme ‘legacy’ is that of a trace: a mark that remains, but also a seed that transforms and is passed on, a memory layered within bodies, landscapes, and relationships.
Through an open call, 12 short performances of a maximum duration of 15 minutes will be selected. The semi-finalists will perform on the evenings of 16 and 17 July 2026 in Zafferana Etnea. Panels of experts (the Programming and Scholars’ & Critics) will determine the finalists, who will perform again during the final on 19 July 2026.
Each selected short performance will receive a fee ranging from 500 EUR to 1,100 EUR (VAT included), depending on the number of performers on stage, as well as a possible contribution towards travel expenses (up to 250 EUR). In addition to the competition prizes, the panel members and partners of the Teatri Riflessi Network will also have the opportunity to award special prizes in the form of artist residencies and touring opportunities within their festivals and programmes.
