The International Symposium for Directors, and Playwright Retreat provide opportunities for artists from around the world to come together online and learn new or unfamiliar approaches to creating theatre in a virtual setting.
La MaMa Umbria International provides artists from around the world with residency programs and intensive workshops. For nearly 25 years, La MaMa Umbria has fostered cross-cultural and international exchanges and creative collaborations. Hundreds of artists have found Umbria to be a space that is beautiful, spiritually enriching, welcoming, and open to bold artistic experiments.
La MaMa Umbria International is a non-profit cultural center and artist residence founded in 1990 by legendary theatre pioneer, Ellen Stewart. Dedicated to artistic experimentation, research, and learning, La MaMa Umbria is a place where artists from around the world meet to create, and to share work and ideas. Housed in a former monastery just outside Spoleto, Italy, the center is less than two hours from Rome.
Next Generation: New Performance Incubator allows international artists under age 35 to create new projects with collaborators.
La MaMa Spoleto Open, the official fringe of Spoleto’s Festival dei Due Mondi is produced by La MaMa Umbria International in association with Città di Spoleto and Regione Spoleto and features the work of emerging and established international and local artists.
CLICK HERE for a list of financial resources, awards, grants and funding opportunities for artists and applicants
Quotes about La MaMa Umbria International
Thank so much for inviting me to join you in this beautiful, magical kingdom! The entire realm is blessed with creative fairies and elves. And not only do you create rooms for us to dream in, but you feed us exquisitely and excessively.”
— Moisés Kaufman
“I had such a fantastic and inspiring time with you all. It really exceeded all my expatiations. Never have I felt like family so quickly and their care and support while there is deeply generous. The fact that they are all gifted artists makes it even more special.”
— Caden Manson
“I could not and do not want to explain why the week meant so much to me. I am not exaggerating when I say that I felt whole for the first time in my life. A bodily and spirit feeling.”
— Estelle Parsons
I find that the very idea of being allowed to spend time at the symposium with all the great minds of global theatre has deepened my knowledge of theatre in the whole world.
— Rhodessa Jones
“Open your heart and come and you will have many open hearts in return.”
— Joan Allen
“Every time I come here, it’s magic of some kind. I think it’s the particular confluence of the setting and the people. The experience is utterly transformative.”
— Tina Landau
“You have all made a truly unique and special place for theatre artists to collaborate, share ideas, and develop strong connections across the world.”
— Sam Trubridge
"La MaMa Symposiums are where you go to let your soul soar and sing."
— Chris Woodworth
"I have a hard time articulating how truly magical and transformative the month was."
— Adam Parker
List of Past Teaching Artists
2000 Master artists included Mary Overlie (USA), Laurence Sacharow (USA), Min Soo Ahn (Korea), Kavalam Narayana Panikkar (India), Jean-Guy Lecat (France).
2001 Master artists included Anne Bogart (U.S.), Ayla Algan (Turkey), Giancarlo Nanni (Italy), Malick Bowens (France), Theodora Skipitares (U.S.), Ong Keng Sen (Singapore), Jean-Guy Lecat (France), Ellen Stewart (U.S.), Sevi Algan (Netherlands).
2002 Master artists included Françoise Gründ (France), Jean-Guy Lecat (France), Yuri Lyubimov (Russia), Ola Mafalaani (Syria/The Netherlands), Vladia Smocek (Czech Republic), Vito Taufer (Slovenia), and Seth Barrish (U.S.)
2003 Master artists included Wlodzimierz Staniewski (Poland), Tina Landau (USA), Jean-Guy Lecat (France), Anton Juan (Philippines), Jean-Claude van Italie (USA), Jonas Jurasas (Lithuania)
2004 Master artists included Bernardo Rey (Colombia), Liangtee Tue (Canada), Rhodessa Jones (USA), Vito Taufer (Slovenia), Richard Schechner (USA), Maxine Klein (USA)
2005 Master artists included Alida Neslo (Suriname) and Nilo Berrocal (?), Jun Tanaka (Japan), Anne Bogart (USA), Ivica Buljan (Slovenia/Croatia), Andrea Paciotto (Italy), JoAnne Akalaitis (USA)
2006 Master artists included Rina Yerushalmi (Israel), Arben Kumbaro (Albania), Tina Landau (USA), Ping Chong (USA), John Jesurun (USA), Jean-Guy Lecat (France)
2007 Master artists included Petar Todorov (Bulgaria), Andrei Serban (Roumania), Annie-B Parson (USA), Putu Wijaya (Indonesia), Yoshi Oida (Japan), Enrique Pardo (Peru), Lisa Kron (USA)
2008 Master artists included Patrick Acogny (Senegal/France), Naum Panovski (Macedonia), Federico Restrepo (Colombia), Leigh Fondakowski (USA), Mary Overlie (USA), Meng Jinghui (China), Lois Weaver/Peggy Shaw (USA), Joel Zwick (USA), Naomi Iizuka (USA)
2009 Master artists included Meredith Monk (USA), Liz Diamond (USA), Kama Ginkas (Russia), Michael Marmarinos (Greece), Daniel Banks (USA), Takeshi Kawamura (Japan), Romeo Castellucci (Italy), Leigh Fondakowski (USA), Charles Mee (USA)
2010 Master artists included Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver (USA), Leigh Fondakowski (USA), Jean-Guy Lecat (France), Marc Bamuthi Joseph (USA), Ong Keng Sen (Singapore), Ivica Buljian (Slovenia), Andrea Paciotto (USA) Lynn Nottage (USA) and Jan Klug (Germany)
2011 Master artists included Ping Chong (USA), Hjalmar-Jorge Joffre Eichorn (Bolivia/Germany), Ruth Maleczech (USA), Luca Ronconi (Italy), Marco Martinelli (Italy), Dijana Miloševic (Serbia), Baba Israel (USA), JoAnne Akalaitis (USA), Dorcy Rugamba (Rwanda), Tina Landau (USA), André de Shields (USA), Erik Ehn (USA)
2012 Master artists included Stephan Koplowitz (USA), Marco Calvani (Italy)/ Neil LaBute (USA), Elizabeth Swados (USA), Karin Coonrod (USA), John Moran (USA), Melanie Joseph (USA), Yoji Sakate (Japan) and Dr. Fadil Jaf (Iraq), Mac Wellman (USA), Kwesi Johnson (USA)
2013 Master artists included Estelle Parsons (USA), Vít Hořejš (Czechoslovakia), Dan Safer (USA), Ping Chong (USA), Kristin Linklater (USA), Paul Binnerts (USA), Nancy Gabor (USA), Erik Ehn (USA)
2014 Master artists included Natalia Kaliada, Nikolai Khalezin and Vladimir Shcherban – Belarus Free Theatre (Belarus), Hjalmar Jorge Joffre-Eichhorn (Bolivia/Germany), Dijana Miloševic / Dah Teater (Serbia), Roberto Varea (Argentina), Jessica Litwak (USA), Motus / Enrico Casagrande And Daniela Nicolò (Italy), Chen Alon (Israel), Catherine Filloux (France/USA)
2015 Master artists included Stephan Koplowitz (USA), Claudia Castellucci (Italy), Oh Tae-Suk (Korea), Tina Landau (USA), Kok Heng Leun (Singapore), Sergei Tcherkasski (Russia), Brett Bailey (South Africa), Mohammad B. Ghaffari (Iran), Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (USA)
2016 Master artists included Lee Breuer and Maude Mitchell (USA), Basil Twist (USA), Sanjoy Ganguly (India), Nube Sandoval/Bernardo Rey (Colombia), Marianne Weems (USA), Yoshiko Chuma (Japan), Tian Mansha (China), Martha Clarke (USA), Mac Wellman (USA)
2017 Master artists included Tamar Rogoff (USA), Andrea Adriatico (Italy), Chiara Guidi (Italy), Caden Manson (USA), Motus (Daniela Nicolò and Enrico Casagrande) (Italy), Moisés Kaufman (Venezuela/USA), Lee Brock (USA), Sam Trubridge (New Zealand) and Erik Ehn (USA)
2018 Master artists included Semion Aleksanderovskiy (Russia), Stefanie Batten Bland (USA), Krzysztof Garbaczewski (Poland), Ellen Maddow and Paul Zimet – The Talking Band (USA) and Migdalia Cruz (USA)
2019 Master artists included Annie-B Parson (USA), Maya Zbib (Lebanon), Anne Bogart (USA), Akiko Aizawa (Japan), Basil Twist (USA), Dijana Milõsevic (Serbia), Andrei Serban (Romania), Jean-Guy Lecat (France), Lisa Kron (USA)
2020 Master artists included Emily Mann, Iman Aoun, Michael Mayer, Nicole Brewer, Jessica Litwak, Derek Goldman, Richard Jones, Martha Clarke, Nambi E. Kelley
2021 Master artists included Rhodessa Jones (USA), Hope Azeda (Rwanda), Renae Morriseau (Treaty 1 Territory / Canada), Jose Luis Valenzuela (USA), Sharon Bridgforth (USA)
2022 Master artists included Emily Mann (USA), Hope Azeda (Rwanda), Murielle Borst-Tarrant (Kuna/Rappahannocik Nations), Stefan Kaegi (Rmini Protokoll - Germany), Anotnio Fava (Italy), Todd London (USA)
2023 Master artists included Iman Aoun (Palestine), Dmitry Krymov (Russia), Shahid Nadeem (Pakistan), Ong Keng Sen (Singapore), Thomas Ostermeier (Germany), Hana Sharif (USA), Virlana Tkacz (USA), Torange Yeghiazarian (USA), Chay Yew (USA)