Progetto UAD Teatro Stabile del Veneto

Universal Art Design (UAD) is a Creative Europe project that brings the principles of universal design into the performing arts, putting inclusion at the heart of artistic creation. Inspired by the idea of designing for everyone from the very beginning, UAD explores how performances can be accessible, open and diverse without the need for special adaptations.

Led by WOAK (Poland) with partners Teatro Stabile del Veneto – Teatro Nazionale (Italy) and Kulturanova (Serbia), the project involved 36 young artists from Italy, Poland and Serbia. Coming from different backgrounds and abilities, they worked together on themes of social justice, equality and diversity through shared creative practice.

As the final stage of the project, UAD Festival presents performances by seven companies from Serbia, Poland and Italy, together with workshops, talks and city-wide activities in Padua, created in collaboration with local associations and national artists engaged with themes of racism, disability and LGBTQIA+ communities.

→ Free events, reservation required

FEBRUARY 02
– H 7.30 PM
Maddalene Theatre - Padua

Through the Eye of a Needle

The pantomime performance Through the Eye of a Needle focuses on communication, or rather its absence. Through the duality of embroidery and pantomime, the protagonists find a way to express a shared language.
The two actors are members of the Deaf Community Organisation in Novi Sad.

The embroidered scenography elements are the result of embroidery workshops created with members of the Deaf Community, developed as a parallel activity alongside pantomime workshops.

→ running time 20'
→ pantomima, no dialogue, no music

FEBRUARY 03
– H 7.30 PM
Maddalene Theatre - Padua

To Be Young, Gifted and Black

A performance of words, body, and sound that explores the radical legacy of Audre Lorde and brings it into dialogue with the experiences of new Afro-descendant generations raised in Italy.
Three young workers suddenly find themselves unemployed after the unexpected closure of the bar where they worked. In this suspended space — half real place, half symbolic territory — their voices, vulnerabilities, and visions emerge. The bar thus becomes a field of resistance and imagination, where central questions of the diaspora intertwine: how can anger be transformed into political strength? How can one build a home outside the “master’s house”? What does it mean to belong to a country that tolerates you but does not grant you fundamental rights?

→ running time 1H no interval
→ in Italian, with English and Italian subtitles

FEBRUARY 04
– H 7.30 PM
Maddalene Theatre - Padua

AFTER. АФТЕР

AFTER - АФТЕР is an interactive monodrama accessible to Deaf audiences. The audience and the protagonist attend the launch of a suicide prevention marketing campaign, during which they are gradually drawn into the protagonist’s thoughts about his life and suicide.
The project emerged from the need to address men’s mental health, a topic still rarely spoken about and often framed through calculated and sensationalist language. AFTER - АФТЕР seeks an authentic and intimate approach, exploring what comes after silence, after trauma, and after life itself, within an atmosphere reminiscent of an afterparty where unresolved memories are unpacked.

→ running time 2H no interval
→ in English, with English and Italian subtitles

FEBRUARY 05
– H 7.30 PM
Maddalene Theatre - Padua

By any other name. Playing Juliet and Romeo

By any other name. Playing Juliet and Romeo is a transpophagic reimagining of the Shakespearean original. The work investigates the oppression that dominant society exerts coercively on bodies considered dissident. Bodies of flesh, of affections, desiring and loving bodies, self determined bodies and, consequently, inevitably sanctioned ones. Political bodies that reclaim the space of the visible and the livable, both on stage and in life. A cry of love that seeks to tear open the wall of hatred dividing those who are inside from those who are outside, those who are allowed to exist and those who are not, those deemed right and those deemed wrong, those allowed to love and those allowed to be loved.

→ running time 1H no interval
→ in Italian, with English and Italian subtitles

FEBRUARY 06
– H 10.30 AM
Teatro Verdi’s Foyer - Padua

Project Closing Conference

A two-hour conference marking the conclusion of the Creative Europe project UAD – Universal Art Design, featuring contributions from the project partners WOAK (Katarzyna Pagowska), Kulturanova (Jelena Bozić), and Teatro Stabile del Veneto (Alessandro Businaro).

The session will present the main project outcomes, selected best practices, and key insights developed throughout the project, with a focus on accessibility, inclusion, and sustainability in the performing arts, as well as future perspectives and transferability.

→ running time 2H
→ in English

FEBRUARY 06
– H 7.30 PM
Maddalene Theatre - Padua

Gorgon Syndrome

March 6th, 2024, the center of Warsaw.
Women take to the streets and scream: “AAAAAAA.”
That scream — wild, painful, unstoppable — became an impulse.
Four women. Four true stories.
About violence that doesn’t end in a single moment.
About trauma that lives beneath the skin.
About the silence that comes afterward — and hurts even more.
The starting point became the legend of Medusa — the Gorgon.
Myth becomes a mirror.
Violence. Transformation. Severance. Rebirth.

→ running time 55' no interval
→ in Russian with Polish Sign Language interpretation, with English and Italian subtitles

FEBRUARY 06
– H 9.30 PM
LibrOsteria– via Savonarola 167, Padua

Stand-up comedy

Like Maradona. Lies and Discoveries of Adulthood

Like Maradona is an ironic and personal story about what it means to become a man after turning twenty.
Diego, our protagonist, surfs between bureaucratic battles and his hypochondria, between his procrastination and a city where it feels like you can never stop, until he discovers that ever since he became a man—white, short—people laugh more at his jokes.
He’s nothing like Maradona; he didn’t even play soccer as a kid. And yet Like Maradona is the second sentence he says most often. The first one? You’ll find out soon.

→ running time 1H
→ in Italian

FEBRUARY 07
– H 10.00 AMTeatro Verdi’s Rehearsal Room – Padua

Workshop on movement and word

PornoDrama

PornoDrama is a process that explores movement through words. Participants will work in pairs to create a shared score.
By listening to their own bodies, to one another, and to the visual perception of the surrounding landscape, we will build a dramaturgy of bodies and voices starting from the description of movement.
In the first part, we will engage in listening practices to shape the group and explore the space through shared body-based experiences.
In the second part, we will introduce descriptive language, which will be used as a generative engine for research.
The workshop is open to all bodies.
We will preferably work barefoot, and no prior experience in theatre or dance is required.

→ running time 3H
→ in Italian and English

FEBRUARY 07
– H 3.00 PMCarichi Sospesi - Vicolo del Portello 12 - Padua

Workshop about waacking

Hullabaloo

Hullabaloo is a workshop inspired by the children’s game of the same name, which encouraged movement and the recognition of shapes and colours.
The workshop version developed by the artists is designed for anyone interested in experimenting with the body and exploring conscious movement, drawing on the techniques and practices of waacking/punking — a dance style that emerged in the queer clubs of 1970s Los Angeles.
Hullabaloo is a collective performative moment in which participants, through narrative inserts and playful prompts, are invited to be guided by imaginative instructions, testimonies, and descriptions of the nightlife in which waacking/punking first took shape.
Hullabaloo is an invitation to play with the materials of the night and to create a temporary community through dance, movement, and improvisation.

→ running time 2H
→ in Italian and English

FEBRUARY 07
– H 5.30 PMLa forma del Libro - Via del Carmine 6, Padua

Talk

Accessible Cultural Programming

This talk sets out to address the question in a direct and concrete manner, bringing together practices, experiences and different perspectives.
As a member of the association Al.Di. Qua. Artists, Francesco will share his educational and professional journey as an artist, reflecting on what it means to navigate the performing arts from the point of view of someone who encounters barriers, limitations and still largely unexplored possibilities.
The talk will then delve into accessible cultural programming, examining it from three perspectives: that of the artist, who often faces a lack of spaces and the inaccessibility of venues; that of the organisation, which must balance economic sustainability, inclusive programming and conscious curatorial choices; and that of the audience, for whom “accessibility” means being able to truly participate, supported by practical tools and concrete examples.

→ running time 1H 30'
→ in Italian

FEBRUARY 07
– H 7.30 PM
Maddalene Theatre - Padua

Please, anyone but Richard III

The project was born from the encounter between Giammarco Pignatiello, Benedetta Pigoni, and Cristian Viscione, an artist, activist, and digital author known as @atrofic_king. Cristian lives with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a degenerative neuromuscular disease that progressively weakens muscles and can compromise breathing. On stage, he is connected to a ventilator, writes using a two-button mouse, and also communicates through a synthetic voice.
The starting point is a simple and brutal question: theatre has always been a device for transformation. But what happens when a body like Cristian’s—laden with meaning even before speech—is asked to “perform”? Is it still possible to become something else, or does the stage force you to remain yourself?

→ running time 1H 30'
→ in Italian, with English and Italian subtitles

FEBRUARY 08
– H 11.00 AM
Padua City Centre

Accessible City Walk

Mapping Architectural Barriers

An accessible walk through the city of Padua, led by the Italian Paralympic Committee of Padua (CIP), focusing on the identification and discussion of architectural and urban barriers. The walk invites participants to experience the city from different embodied perspectives, highlighting obstacles, accessibility gaps, and inclusive design challenges in public space. A collective experience aimed at raising awareness of accessibility in the urban environment and promoting more inclusive approaches to urban design.

→ running time 2H
→ in Italian

FEBRUARY 08
– H 3.00 PMTeatro Verdi’s Rehearsal Room - Padua

Workshop about memory, sound and voice

Imperceptible

The workshop deals with caring for one's voice, investigates the meaning of mother tongue and seeks to flush out the father tongue. Mother tongue and father tongue are hierarchies of power, a lens with which to interrogate linguistics about the meaning feminism has given to the concept of productive and reproductive labour, being relegated to domestic space, to not having institutional recognition, etc.
To be a mother tongue, very often, is to live gently in agony but also to cherish our first pulsating memories of life. Starting from our flesh, from the most important memories, we will try to let the collective voice reverberate in us, the one that only in orality has decided to live, out of Father’s control, relying on the work of all.

→ running time 2H
→ in Italian and English

FEBRUARY 08
– H 5.30 PMPalestra Comunale Petron Vicolo San Massimo 17/A, Padua

Anti-Racist workshop

Through workshop activities, shared experiences, and collective reflection, we will deepen our awareness of the various axes of privilege and oppression that structure the society we live in and shape our lives and identities.

By adopting an intersectional approach, we will focus in particular on racism, racialization, coloniality, and the privilege of whiteness, and then work together to create spaces for deconstruction, critical reflection, and allyship.

→ running time 2H 30'
→ in Italian and English

FEBRUARY 08
– H 7.30 PM
Maddalene Theatre - Padua

Nothing

Nothing is not an absence, but a potential.
The performance presents a single workday in the Nothing Service Office at the Museum of Nothing — an institution that earnestly catalogues absence and displays such exhibits as emptiness, ether,
vacuum, or nothingness. In the convention of the theatre of the absurd, small, ordinary, at times comical office rituals slowly turn into a quiet alarm: what happens when work loses its meaning and every action becomes commodified? The creators propose various interpretations of “nothing,” both as an experienced state and as a concept. It is a light comedy that gradually reveals a bitter reflection on a system in which action often becomes mere pretence.

→ running time 2H 30'
→ in Polish with English and Italian subtitles

1. Purpose and Objectives of the Call

As part of the Creative Europe UAD Universal Art Design project (no. 101173862), Teatro Stabile del Veneto Carlo Goldoni – Teatro Nazionale, in collaboration with WOAK Regional Cultural Animation Centre in Torun (Poland) and Kulturanova (Serbia), is supporting a programme of workshops and creative residencies, aimed at production, and dedicated to young artists with disabilities or facing marginalisation.

The Creative Europe UAD project is based on the philosophy of universal design, which originates from architecture and focuses on designing products, environments, programmes, and services to be accessible to as many people as possible without requiring specific adaptations or solutions. The project aims to develop a model that applies this philosophy to the performing arts, opening up new creative possibilities and enriching audience experiences, ultimately creating a more inclusive artistic space for all. UAD will support diversity and inclusive artistic development for 36 young artists from Italy, Poland, and Serbia, including individuals with disabilities and those from marginalised groups, addressing their specific needs. The project is intended for those committed to social justice, equality, and diversity, who wish to deepen their awareness and expand their skills in anti-discriminatory practices in the arts and universal design.
Within this framework, Teatro Stabile del Veneto – Teatro Nazionale is selecting 3 to 6 artistic teams under the age of 36, each composed of 2 to 4 members, who will have the opportunity to participate in: a 9-day workshop in Poland, a 3-day "conceptualisation" phase in Serbia, a 21-day artistic residency in Padua.

The residency will be regulated by a contract agreement, the artistic development phase will be supported by a production budget, and the activity will culminate in a final presentation. Two of the selected projects will be chosen by an international jury to be showcased in a dedicated festival at Teatro Maddalene in Padua in February 2026.
Throughout the workshops and residencies, participants will engage in artistic, technical, and organisational discussions, benefiting from training sessions with artists, scholars, cultural operators, and professionals, fostering creative processes and experience-sharing.

2. Eligibility

This call is open to both existing companies and artistic groups formed specifically for this opportunity. Projects must belong to the field of performing arts, including but not limited to theatre, dance, and performance art. Applications related to circus arts or music will not be considered.

Members of the artistic teams must meet the following criteria:

All members must be under the age of 36 at the application deadline.
Applicants must be residents of Italy.
An artistic background is required, though it does not necessarily need to be professional.
At least 50% of the group members must belong to underrepresented communities or have experienced marginalisation in any form. This may include, but is not limited to, people with disabilities, individuals from diverse cultural and/or linguistic backgrounds, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, or those who have faced barriers to full participation in artistic and social contexts.
At least one member of the group must have a B2 level of English proficiency in both comprehension and expression.
Artistic teams may consist of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 members. A total of 3 to 6 groups will be selected, with a maximum of 12 artists in total.

The proposed project must be original and must not have been previously presented to the public, either as a work-in-progress or as a completed performance. The final version may only premiere at the end of the residency programme, during the final presentation.

Priority will be given to performing arts projects that explore themes of diversity and inclusion, addressing topics such as the experiences of marginalised groups, cultural, gender, and disability identity dynamics, or the challenges of discrimination and social exclusion. Artists are encouraged to approach these themes with sensitivity and awareness, avoiding stereotypes and discriminatory perspectives, while reflecting on how art can contribute to equality and empathy. Proposals should also consider accessibility and universal design, aiming to promote a more inclusive and equitable representation in the performing arts.

3. Activities, Methods, and Venues

Teatro Stabile del Veneto – Teatro Nazionale offers three activity phases in three different locations.

Workshop in Polonia

From 4 to 12 June 2025, an international nine-day workshop will take place in Torun, Poland, involving an additional 12 selected artists from Poland and 12 from Serbia, for a total of 36 participants.

The workshop will be structured in three phases:

An initial phase focusing on anti-discrimination practices
A second phase exploring the use of inclusive language in the performing arts
A final artistic workshop led by professionals and artists from Serbia, Italy, and Poland

Beyond training, the workshop represents a valuable opportunity for networking and exchange between artists from diverse backgrounds, fostering new connections and collaborations. Through group discussions, collective activities, and informal dialogue, participants will have the chance to establish professional relationships and expand their artistic network in an international and interdisciplinary setting. The workshop will be conducted in English.

All selected artists will be provided with:

Round-trip travel from their place of residence to the workshop venue (travel dates: 3 and 13 June)
Accommodation in Torun
Breakfast and lunch for the duration of the workshop

Conceptualisation in Serbia

From 8 to 10 July 2025, in Novi Sad, Serbia, one representative per group will have the opportunity to share their project ideas with fellow artists from Poland and Serbia. The goal is to further develop their concepts, integrating insights and inspirations gained from the workshop in Poland. The activity will be conducted in English.

The selected group representative will be provided with:

Round-trip travel from their place of residence to the venue (travel dates: 7 and 11 July 2025)
Accommodation in Novi Sad
Breakfast and lunch for the duration of the activity

Residencies in Italy

Between 8 September and 2 November 2025, the selected artistic teams will undertake a 21-day residency at Ridotto del Teatro Verdi and Teatro Maddalene in Padua.

Each artist will be contracted under a fixed-term agreement for the duration of the residency, with a salary in line with the minimum rate for the “actor” category as defined by the applicable National Collective Labour Agreement (CCNL).
Round-trip travel from the artists' place of residence to Padua will be covered
For artistic teams requiring accommodation in Padua, TSV may provide a reimbursement of up to euro 800.00 (gross), only for lodging expenses.ù

Each artistic team will have access to either Ridotto del Teatro Verdi or Teatro Maddalene, complete with resident technical facilities. In addition, they will receive a production and accessibility budget of euro 2,000,.00, which will be directly managed by Teatro Stabile del Veneto.

Each team will also benefit from the guidance of an external mentor for at least one week of work at the theatre. Mentors will be assigned based on the specific needs of the selected projects. Throughout the residency, participating artists will have the opportunity to engage with industry professionals, experts in social inclusion and accessibility, and key artistic and organisational figures at Teatro Stabile del Veneto – Teatro Nazionale, including Artistic Director Filippo Dini.
During the final week of the residency, teams will receive technical support for lighting, sound, and video components.

At the end of the residency, each artistic team will present the outcome of their work in a public showcase, held in the same venue where the residency took place (Ridotto del Teatro Verdi or Teatro Maddalene). The public showcase will serve as an opportunity for exchange with the audience, industry professionals, and the wider community.

For each performance day, artists will be contracted under a fixed-term agreement with a gross daily salary of 100,00 euro, in accordance with the applicable National Collective Labour Agreement (CCNL).

Following the residency phase, an international jury will select two projects per country to be presented in a dedicated showcase at Teatro Maddalene in February 2026. The final selection will be announced by 30 November 2025.

4. Accessibility and Inclusivity

Teatro Maddalene and Ridotto del Teatro Verdi are designed to ensure accessibility for people with mobility disabilities. Teatro Maddalene is fully accessible, with no architectural barriers, allowing for direct and easy access to its facilities. Ridotto del Teatro Verdi is accessible via a mobile ramp, facilitating entry for individuals with reduced mobility.

For participants requiring a companion, travel expenses for the companion are covered within the project budget.

Additionally, a personal access needs form will be provided, allowing each artist to indicate any specific requirements to be communicated to the relevant staff. Artists may also specify their preferred level of privacy regarding this information.

5. Application and Selection Process

To apply, candidates must submit their application by 11:59 PM on 18 April 2025, exclusively via the designated online form. No other application methods will be accepted.

Each artistic group must submit:

A brief biography of each group member, including a description of their artistic experience and motivation for participating (max. 5,000 characters, including spaces)
A description of the project concept the group intends to develop during the residency, which can be submitted in text, audio, or video format (max. 5,000 characters, including spaces)
A full script or initial materials (max. 5,000 characters, including spaces).

Once the application deadline has passed, a Selection Committee will be appointed, consisting of members of the UAD Universal Art Design project management team. A preliminary selection will be made from all eligible applications, and shortlisted groups may be invited for an interview for further discussion. The date of the interview, if required, will be arranged directly with the selected artistic groups.

The final selection results will be communicated by 15 May 2025.

6. Summary Timeline

Date	Activity
25 February 2025	Publication of the call for applications
18 April 2025	Application deadline
15 May2025	Selection results announcement
3-13 June 2025	Workshop in Poland (including travel)
7-11 July 2025	Conceptualisation in Serbia (including travel)
8 September -2 November 2025	Residencies in Padua and final presentations
30 November 2025	Announcement of selected projects for the showcase
February 2026	Showcase

6. Production Agreements

The projects selected through this call will be considered productions of Teatro Stabile del Veneto – Teatro Nazionale only for the performances presented at its venues. Any future collaborations or engagements beyond these venues will be governed by specific agreements between the parties.
Should the selected projects have further performances outside the scope of this project, the artistic formations commit to including the following statement in their future presentation materials: “Project selected as part of the Creative Europe UAD Universal Art Design project.”

7. Information and Contacts

Two webinar sessions will be held to present the call on the following dates:

Wednesday, 5 March 2025, at 11:00 – link: https://rb.gy/kcdwrp
Tuesday, 1 April 2025, at 16:00 – link: https://rb.gy/kcdwrp

It is strongly recommended to contact the Artistic Development and Training Department of Teatro Stabile del Veneto at progetti@teatrostabileveneto.it by 11 April to express interest in applying and to receive further guidance on the relevance of the proposed project. We advise requesting a consultation as early as possible to ensure support is available.

For further information and communication, please email progetti@teatrostabileveneto.it.

UAD Universal Art Design