The IATC, in partnership with its Chinese Section, organized a Workshop for Young Critics in the generous context of Wuzhen Theatre Festival. Considered “the most beautiful theatre festival in the world”, the event has brought together some of the most prestigious theatre artists and companies for its 2019 edition: Peter Brook and Le Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, Eugenio Barba and Odin Teatret, K. Bogomolov and Moscow Art Theatre, Yuri Butusov and the Academic Theatre of St. Petersburg, Philippe Genty and his company, Michael Thalheimer and Berliner Ensemble, Theodoros Therzopoulos and Attis Theatre, Alessandro Serra and Teatro di Sardegna, and many others.

The English-speaking group was monitored by Octavian Saiu (Romania) and the Chinese one by Peng Tao (China). The international participants came from seven different countries: Eliška Raiterová (The Czech Republic), Ausra Kaminskaité (Lithuania), Lin Chi Ho (Hong Kong), Hung Tzi-Yu (Taiwan), Marcin Bogucki (Poland), Ruxanda Stefan (Romania), Antonina Shevshenko (Russia).

Apart from the animated daily discussions about the performances presented in the festival programme, there was a special public conference dedicated to “Theatre Criticism in the Age of New Global Media.” The event was attended by a wide audience, consisting of specialists, students, artists, critics and many theatre-goers. It presented the young critics with the opportunity to express their views about theatre criticism in the globalized context of new media, this adding to the extraordinary experience they all enjoyed in Wuzhen.