IATC was proud and pleased to hold an international young critics’ seminar between November 29 and December 5 during the 2014 Interferences Festival in Cluj, Romania. Working in two groups (one speaking English, the other French), monitored by experienced critics Mark Brown (from Scotland, UK) and Jean-Pierre Han (from France), the seminar involved 20 young critics from across Europe; from Georgia, Russia and, of course, Romania in the east, to Spain, Italy and France in the west.

Participants were able to immerse themselves in a festival theatre programme which contained productions from Romania (in both the Romanian and Hungarian languages) and around the world. These included Ubu Roi, directed (in French) by Declan Donnellan for the famous British company Cheek By Jowl, and Paysage Inconnu by the acclaimed Hungarian choreographer Josef Nadj.

In the seminar itself, the young critics were able to hold intensive critical discussions about the productions on stage and also to discuss theatre and theatre criticism in the various countries represented. As ever with IATC seminars, the participants also seized the opportunity to get to know each other and to form international friendships.

IATC thanks the Interferences Festival for its kind and excellent hospitality.