1. MAIN OBJECTIVES 

Through this open call, ȘI Festival invites artists from Romania and abroad to submit proposals for inclusion in the official programme of its sixth edition. The call seeks to support and showcase a broad spectrum of artistic practices, including experimental and hybrid formats, while fostering meaningful encounters between artists, audiences and the local community of 2 Mai within a multidisciplinary festival environment.

2. ELIGIBILITY

2.1. Eligible applicants

Applications are open to:

• individual artists

• artistic duos

• independent collectives and companies

• cultural organisations

based in Romania or internationally.

2.2. General requirements

In order to be considered, proposed works must cumulatively meet the following criteria:

• they must be developed by creative teams that include emerging artists with no more than five years of professional experience
• they must be recent productions, with priority given to works created within the past three years

Creative works exploring experimental approaches, hybrid artistic formats, or the 2026 festival theme — sustainability understood as a cultural, social, economic and political phenomenon — may have an advantage in the selection process, although this is not a mandatory requirement.

2.3. Disciplines and formats

The call welcomes a wide range of artistic disciplines, including but not limited to:

Performing Arts

music, theatre, contemporary dance, improvisation, contemporary circus, acrobatics, performance art

Visual Arts
fashion, photography, installation, new media art, mural art

Cinema
documentary, animated films

Interdisciplinary and hybrid formats are strongly encouraged.

Please note: Artistic productions created within a university context, including works developed as part of academic study programmes (BA, MA or equivalent), are not eligible for this open call.

3. APPLICATION PROCESS

3.1. Online form

Applications must be submitted exclusively by completing the online application form (Google Forms), available via the link provided here.

All sections of the form are mandatory. If certain information cannot be provided at the time of submission, this must be clearly stated in the relevant field.

Should the organisers consider the information provided to be insufficient or incomplete, they reserve the right not to take the application into consideration.

3.2. Deadline

15 mai 2026, 11:59 PM (GMT+2)

Please note: Late submissions will not be considered.

4. SELECTION

All applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprising members of the festival’s artistic and executive team.

The committee reserves the right to contact applicants during the open call period in order to clarify aspects related to the proposed format or participation conditions.

Selected productions will be confirmed by email no later than the end of May, and subsequently announced through the festival’s official communication channels.

Please note: In the event of selection, the organisers reserve the right to use photographs, posters and descriptive texts submitted through the application for the festival’s communication and promotional purposes.

5. PARTICIPATION

5.1. Presentation within the festival

Selected works will be presented between the 18th and the 25th of July 2026 in various indoor and outdoor locations across the village of 2 Mai, according to a schedule agreed in advance with the festival team.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the available venue information and technical riders prior to submitting their proposal.

Main indoor venues include:

• 2 Mai Sports Hall

• 2 Mai Cultural Centre

Technical riders can be consulted here: https://sifestival.ro/technical-riders/

5.2. Accommodation and logistical support

Selected productions will benefit from:

• accommodation in 2 Mai for a minimum of one night
• logistical support for the transport or reimbursement of technical transport costs (such as set elements or equipment), subject to available budget

Applicants are asked to provide as much detail as possible regarding technical requirements in order to allow the organisers to assess the feasibility of presentation under optimal conditions.

Transport may be arranged along the Bucharest – 2 Mai route, while for productions travelling from other cities or from abroad, the festival team will work collaboratively with participants to identify appropriate logistical solutions.

5.3. Fees

Participation in the official programme is remunerated. Fees for the production team will be agreed through direct negotiation with the festival organisers.

Please note: all events within ȘI Festival are free of charge for audiences, reflecting the festival’s commitment to improving access to culture for the local community and for underserved audiences.

5.4. Communication 

All practical information regarding scheduling, technical arrangements and festival participation will be communicated to selected participants via email and telephone.

6. ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Artists included in the official programme will also be invited to take part in:

• public conversations and round tables

• filmed and written interviews

• professional networking activities

• internal festival gatherings and parties

Where possible, the festival will facilitate special offers or discounts from local hospitality partners in 2 Mai.

By submitting an application, participants confirm that they have read and fully accepted these Participation Guidelines.

ȘI Festival is organised by the Șerban Ionescu Cultural Association in co-production with the Constanța State Theatre and co-funded by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN). The project does not necessarily reflect the position of AFCN. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or for the ways in which its results may be used. Full responsibility lies with the funding beneficiary.