Voila! Theatre Festival is produced by The Cockpit with the support of United Colleges Group. Voila! started at The Cockpit in 2012 as a French-English bilingual festival, and expanded into Voila! Europe in 2017 in response to the Brexit referendum.
In 2024, Voila! expanded again into a global panlingual festival taking place in 9 London venues including The Cockpit, a ‘theatre of ideas and disruptive panache.’
Director Dave Wybrow says:
“Our best future will depend upon our ability to make the most unlikely connections. The cross border challenges we face – from climate change to terrorism to globalised consumerism to people on the move – require deepening cross border cooperation, not retreating behind walls. Which is why The Cockpit continues to help produce and support Voila Europe. Not because it brings together a glossy selection of designer theatre for an elite market but because it brings together people who have something to say and are driven to say it before a live, engaged audience. Not because they all speak the same language and can take a good reception for granted, but specifically because they don’t.”
EUROPE FOR FESTIVALS, FESTIVALS FOR EUROPE
The EFFE Label is Europe’s quality stamp for remarkable arts festivals attributed for their work in the field of the arts, community involvement and international openness. Voila was proud to receive the Badge of Invention, a special edition of the EFFE Label 2021, highlighting stories that unveil the resilience, the inventiveness, and the strong will of festivals to be there for their artists, and their audiences. EFFE brings the arts to the attention of festival audiences through a searchable database, FestivalFinder.eu, that serves all sorts of interactions and initiatives recognising the work of Europe’s diverse arts festivals landscape.
THESSALONIKI FRINGE EXCHANGE AWARD
In 2024, we created an exchange with Thessaloniki Fringe Festival. The inaugural Thessaloniki Fringe Exchange Award winner is μεταδραματικό / postdramatic by Thekla Gaiti, performing at Voila! 2024. One show from Voila! 2024 will be selected to perform at Thess Fringe in May 2025.
Thessaloniki Fringe Festival is an independent international performing arts festival that celebrates a wide range of genres, including theatre, comedy, dance, music, circus, physical theatre, family shows, cabaret, storytelling, and more. A vibrant festival is dedicated to fostering creativity by creating opportunities for artists, building a strong creative network, and offering audiences unique experiences that capture the essence of Thessaloniki’s dynamic cultural scene.
THEATRE DELI
In addition to being a performance venue in 2024, Theatre Deli has been a long-standing partner of Voila! Theatre Festival, providing free memberships and discounted rehearsal space for artists participating in the festival.
In 2018, Theatre Deli hosted our European Theatre Forum to share, learn, debate and connect over a weekend of workshops, panels, performances and Open Space Discussions. 100 years after Armistice, the Forum explored how theatre can transcend political, cultural, and linguistic borders.
OFF WEST END
OffWestEnd is the network of over 100 independent, fringe & alternative theatres across London, promoting and celebrating the work of these theatres, including through a number of awards. Shows with “full runs” are eligible for the Offies awards, which cover around 25 categories. In addition, there is the OffComm award for “short runs,” and the OffFest, which is available to theatre festivals.
The OffFest was launched in 2019 as an award for theatre shows at the Camden Fringe Festival and the Voila! Europe Theatre Festival.
In keeping with the community spirit of Voila, our OffFest award nominations come from our network of European artists, including alumni of previous Voila! festivals.
In 2019 the Off Fest award recognised:
Winner: Napoli 44 by Lavinia Carpentieri / Compagnia Francesca Caprioli
Nominee: I Will Tell You In a Minute by Nuna Livhaber
Nominee: We Must Live by The Pushkinettes
In 2020, the Off Fest award recognised:
Winner: Farewell Concert by K2 Theater, supported by the Hungarian Cultural Centre, London
Finalist: Diary of an Expat (Reloaded) by Paper Smokers
Finalist: The Escape of Iris Dupont by Simsalabim Productions
Nominee: Sh*t Happens by Patricja Dynowska
Nominee: State vs Natasha Banina by Arlekin Players
In 2021, the Off Fest award recognised:
Winner: Unforgettable Girl by Elisabeth Gunawan & Created a Monster
Finalist: Awakening by Ladder Art Company, supported by the Hungarian Cultural Centre, London
Finalist: Withered Optimism by OftheJackel
Nominee: Are You Done? [Solitude_is_Bliss_Part 1A] by Francasixiə
Nominee: Going Home by Scallabouche Theatre
Nominee: I Am by Kupalaucy Independent Theatre Group Belarus
Nominee: RadioLove by Studio Total Helsinki
Nominee: Transit by Hunhu Productions
In 2022, the Off Fest award recognised:
Winner: Pourqoui les Vieux, Qui N’ont Rien a Faire, Traversent-ils au Fea Rouge? / Why Do Old People, Who Have Nothing to Do, Cross the Road When There is a Red Light? by In Itinere Collectif
Finalist: 999 by Chance of the Hunter
Finalist: Enos by Donald Craigie
Nominee: Let Go Home by son.theatre
Nominee: On the 20th of November by Teatro Gíria
Nominee: This Is Why We Live by Open Heart Surgery Theatre
FRANCAIS A LONDRES
Français a Londres is a website that unites the French-speaking community in London. They’re brilliant at helping us to cultivate more European theatre-lovers. Francaisalondres.com is the web magazine that sends your weekly newsletter summing up the news, classified ads, coming events, and more!
FISICO FESTIVAL
FISICO (Alba International Physical Theatre Festival) takes place in the beautiful city of Alba, Northern Italy. The aim of the festival is to promote physical theatre in its various forms displaying shows with almost no, or very limited, verbal interaction which have the potential of attracting audiences from all over the world. Furthermore, the festival intends to be a hub for programmers specifically interested in physical theatre performances.
ALL IN EQUILIBRIUM
We envision a Voila! Europe network of festivals around the continent, where artists can develop and tour multilingual, multicultural, multidisciplinary theatre. In Vienna, Petra Freimund and Andrija Repec have created a new company to promote independent theatre throughout Europe.
Petra & Andrija say:
“In uncertain times like these, when we do not know yet what the future may hold, we are building bridges and looking for silver linings. That is why we founded an Austrian registered theatre society, to stay connected with the UK despite whatever Brexit may bring. For us, devised and physical theatre open up opportunities to develop storytelling in a visceral way, not necessarily dependent on language.”
RICH MIX
In 2019, Rich Mix hosted Voila! Europe performances in their Studio and in their flexible Mix space. The venue also supported three Voila companies to develop new works in residence at Rich Mix which premiered at our festival.
Josh McNorton, head of programmes, said:
“Rich Mix was founded in 2006 to develop and showcase the multi-cultural creative communities of east London and we are honoured to partner with Voila! to host seven shows from European artists. It’s now more important than ever for audiences and venues to support the boundary-less power of live performance and Voila! showcases this beautifully.”
THE ACTORS CENTRE
In April 2019, we created a new festival called A Piece of the Continent with the Tristan Bates Theatre at the Actors Centre.
Programme Coordinator Will Mytum said:
“A Piece Of The Continent was created to offer a platform of visibility and opportunity for European artists, who may feel a sense of alienation in the aftermath of Brexit and the antagonistic rhetoric that has followed. The incredible quality of the companies participating in the festival is a testament to how valuable European work is to the fabric of UK’s theatre scene. Anyone questioning the value of collaboration with our European neighbours should come and try a Piece of the Continent!’
THE LISZT INSTITUTE
The Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Centre London organises and supports innovative programmes to promote Hungarian art and artists in the UK. In 2019, the Liszt Institute supported STEREO AKT to present their show EUROPEAN FREAKS at Rich Mix as part of the Voila! festival. In 2020, they helped K2 Theater to adapt their show FAREWELL CONCERT to video in order to be part of our digital programme. In 2021, they brought Ladder Art Company from Budapest to present AWAKENING. Our fourth collaboration in 2022 allowed Chance of the Hunter Theatre to present 999, an apocalyptic dark comedy at The Cockpit.
SPECIAL THANKS TO
United Colleges Group for their support of The Cockpit
EUNIC, the network of European Union National Institutes for Culture
The Czech Cultural Centre for supporting past productions
The French Institute UK for supporting past productions
Wallonie-Bruxelles International for supporting past productions
The Italian Cultural Centre, London for supporting past productions
JOIN US
We’re always happy to hear ideas for new partnerships! Please contact festival directors Amy Clare Tasker & Katharina Reinthaller at hello@voilafestival.co.uk. We look forward to connecting with you!
