The International Alliance of Independent Theatre – an IATL Project

In Bucharest, Romania, an independent theatre has been built. For the first time in decades, a completely new building has been erected with the sole purpose of producing and hosting theatre performances from around the globe. The authors and curators of this unparalleled venture are theatre director Chris Simion-Mercurian and cultural consultant Tiberiu Mercurian. Together, they have made the impossible possible!

Grivita 53 is a project that is 100% independent, nourished by a revolutionary vision and meant to revitalise an entire neighbourhood through culture. More than a compound of 1200 sqm with a construction budget of 4.5 million Euros, Grivita 53 is an institution that aims to place theatre at the heart of the community in an organic way.

To salute this initiative, the International Association of Theatre Leaders [IATL] is launching a special call for establishing the International Alliance of Independent Theatre [IAIT]. This ambitious new organisation will bring together 53 iconic independent theatre entities – companies, festivals, and artists’ groups – from all over the world. Its chief goal will be to foster free dialogue and effective cooperation between artists who create and promote independent theatre on all continents. The immediate objectives will involve shared funding applications, coproductions, and the first International Independent Theatre Award.

To join this unique trailblazing entity, send your dossier – including portfolio of activities, brief history of your organisation, and further development plan – to iait@theatreleaders.org. Following a careful selection process, the founding members of the alliance will be announced in December 2025 at the Official Opening of Grivita 53.

You are invited to be part of something unprecedented, which is likely to generate new local energies, while becoming a global phenomenon. This is the time to make history! In theatre, through theatre, and beyond.

Photos: Nicu Ilfoveanu for Grivita 53