The sixth edition of Mittelyoung came to a highly successful close, once again confirming itself as a vibrant and essential festival for the international under-30 contemporary arts scene.
The nine performances featured in the programme were selected from 238 applications coming from 28 European countries through the 2026 open call, which once again highlighted the vitality and diversity of emerging contemporary creativity.
Among them, the under-30 curatores — the heart of the project and the driving force behind the artistic selection — chose the three winning performances, which will return to the stage at Mittelfest 2026, taking place from July 16 to 26, as part of the official programme dedicated to the theme FEAR.
And here are the winners:
dance
Adam’s Apple
Company Creama
music
Nove stare zgodbe
Duplina
circus
Chuck My Life
Arman Kupelyan
Alongside the curatores’ selection, the special awards were also presented by the expert jury composed of Riccardo Ventrella from Teatro della Pergola, Francesca Di Fazio, junior artistic director of ERT Fondazione, and critic and scholar Roberto Canziani.
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
ADAM’S APPLE
The snake is not a bad creature, but a delightful temptress. Adam and Eve hold their apple tightly, transforming shame into a feminine celebration of the sins of Eden. Among these, dance is the most ironic.
AUTHENTICITY
NOVE STARE ZGODBE
The friendship of banjo and accordion tells authentic feelings. Happiness, first love, the purity of water, the scents of the forest. And the voices of Jonas and Gorazd amplify the sound on a peaceful evening of folk singing.
ENSEMBLE
UN LIVE PODCAST
Whose story is it? The actor performing it? The author who wrote it? The one who lived it? Through the many formats of podcasts, the four members of Divanoproject attempt to tell their own story. With the immediacy and sense of reality that belong to a promising young company, whose strong group chemistry deserves special recognition.
CROSSMEDIA
INSERT COIN
A video game without videos. Instead, flesh and blood. With performers so real that they appear digital. Fatal attractions, deadly challenges, hardcore players confront us with our gamified lives. Inevitably, the next request. Insert coin. Slip in a coin. And we continue to play together.
Admire once again the magic of this edition’s Under-30 artists through our Gallery (photos by Luca A. d’Agostino © Phocus Agency)
Relive the Festival and be amazed once more by watching our Videos (video by Stefano Bergomas | Massmedia.it)
