Bilkent University Department of Performing Arts participated in the SAFest Summer Academy Festival 2026, organized by Civica Accademia d’Arte Drammatica “Nico Pepe” in Udine, Italy.
Held between 13–17 July with the theme “Aria” (Air), the festival was organized in collaboration with the UNESCO ITI Network for Higher Education in the Performing Arts. Bringing together theatre schools and artists from around the world, SAFest offered a week of performances, workshops, and artistic exchange.
Participants included institutions such as Bilkent University (Türkiye), Seoul Institute of the Arts (South Korea), Scuola del Teatro di Napoli – Teatro Nazionale, and the Paolo Grassi School of Milan.
Bilkent’s Class of 2026 staged August Strindberg’s The Stronger, directed by Jason Hale, Chair of the Department of Performing Arts. Hale also conducted a masterclass workshop for festival participants. In addition, Bilkent students performed Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit (A Porte Chiuse), engaging with an international audience.
The program further featured a theatre-dance masterclass led by Julie Anne Stanzak of Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal and Hiro Soejima, highlighting the festival’s diverse artistic offerings. Throughout the week, young actors, directors, and educators experienced rich artistic interaction and exchange.
