European Union Invests
€1.000.000 in Groundbreaking Theatre & Investigative Journalism Project

‘TRUth on STage – Stories, Journalism, Theatre (TRUST)’ connects 9 leading theatres across Europe with investigative journalists and will run until June 2028. The partners will kick off the project with a first Working Symposia from 27-29 March 2026 at Schauspiel Köln, Germany.

The European Union is investing €1.000.000 to launch ‘TRUth on STage – Stories, Journalism, Theatre (TRUST)’, an ambitious new European cooperation project connecting theatres and investigative journalism.

Led by the European Theatre Convention (ETC) and Schauspiel Köln, and connecting 9 leading theatre partners from across Europe, TRUST will pioneer new models of collaboration between theatres and journalists to bring journalism stories to stage – and strengthen democracy, counter disinformation, and create space for critical public dialogue.

It will run until June 2028 and aims to reaffirm theatre’s historic role as a space for social reflection and civic engagement, at a time when Europe faces mounting crises, anti-democratic sentiment, and the spread of disinformation and fake news.

The project is heavily inspired by the work by TRUST project lead Schaupsiel Köln and its renowned Artistic Director Kay Voges, whose theatre and journalism production of ‘Geheimplan Gegen Deutschland’ from 2024 – accompanying a high-profile exposé of plans by far-right political figures in Germany by the media outlet CORRECTIV - was performed in 40 theatres around Germany, reached 1.500.000 spectators digitally via livestream and on-demand, and played a pivotal role in fomenting the biggest protests in German history, which brought 4 million people to the streets.

“Theatre has always helped societies navigate complexity,” commented Heidi Wiley, Executive Director of the European Theatre Convention (ETC). “In an era of fractured information landscapes, we need storytellers who can articulate urgency with clarity and precision.

“The European Union’s decision to invest 1.00.000 EUR in TRUST is a bold commitment to create focused, communal spaces where audiences can reflect, dissect, and decide together what is best for their world.”

A Pan-European Partnership

The TRUST consortium reflects the cultural diversity of Europe, connecting leading theatres, journalists & media partners, and the largest network of public theatres in Europe, the European Theatre Convention (ETC):

• Schauspiel Köln (Germany)
• European Theatre Convention (Germany)
• Ivan Vazov National Theatre Sofia (Bulgaria)
• National Theatre Prague (Czech Republic)
• Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II, Lisbon(Portugal)
• CDN – National Dramatic Center - Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers (France)
• Örkény Theatre, Budapest (Hungary)
• Folkteatern Göteborg (Sweden)
• Volkstheater Wien (Austria)
• De Toneelmakerij, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)

These partners, drawn from across the continent, represent a wide spectrum of venues and theatrical traditions, building on a strong history of award-winning collaboration and artistic innovation. They will meet for a first Working Symposium from 27-29 March at Schauspiel Köln.

A European Journalistic Theatre Collective

Across the project, TRUST will establish a European journalistic theatre collective. Together, they will:

• Develop innovative, research-driven theatre productions rooted in journalistic investigation
• Train theatre professionals to collaborate effectively with journalists
• Create a scalable model for journalistic theatre that can be adopted by theatres across Europe
• Foster stronger connections between media organisations and cultural institutions
• Engage audiences in critical dialogue about complex societal issues

Beyond the theatre sector, the project is expected to generate tangible benefits for journalism — enhancing outreach, increasing public engagement with investigative reporting, and strengthening democratic values and social cohesion.

"By investing in TRUST, the European Union underscores the essential role of culture in safeguarding democratic values,” commented Kay Voges, Artistic Director of Schauspiel Köln.

“Through bold experimentation and cross-sector collaboration, TRUST aims to create a durable European model for journalistic theatre — ensuring that stages across Europe can serve as spaces where truth is examined, stories are shared responsibly, and communities come together to shape their collective future.”

----ENDS-----

The TRUST partners will gather for a first event from 27-29 March at Schauspiel Köln.

Press Contact:

Amy Pradell, ETC Senior Strategist for Communications, Fundraising and Advocacy
apradell@europeantheatre.eu

About TRUST

TRUST — TRUth on STage: Stories, Journalism, Theatre is a groundbreaking European collaboration exploring what happens when journalism and theatre meet on stage.

Across Europe, artists and journalists are joining forces to investigate urgent stories and transform them into powerful live performances that invite audiences to think, question, and engage.

Led by Schauspiel Köln and the European Theatre Convention, TRUST brings together ten leading European theatre institutions and media collaborators to experiment with a new artistic form: journalistic theatre — a genre where investigative research meets the emotional power of performance.

Aiming to develop a replicable model for journalistic theatre, the project is founded on the conviction that theatre, when combined with the investigative depth and the truth-driven ethos of journalism, can become a powerful space for public dialogue and democratic debate.

At a time of misinformation and growing social polarisation, TRUST explores how theatre can become a place where facts, stories, and collective reflection come together.

TRUST is co-funded by the European Union.

For further information, please contact:

About European Theatre Convention (ETC)

Founded in 1988, the European Theatre Convention (ETC) is the largest network of public theatres in Europe. It is an arts organisation that promotes European theatre as a vital platform for dialogue, democracy and interaction that responds to, reflects and engages with today’s diverse audiences and changing societies.

ETC’s current four-year programme of activities, European Theatre: BREAK THE MOULD, is co-funded by the European Union and supports networking, professional development and artistic collaborations for theatre staff across Europe — championing theatre as a key European art form for the 21st century. ETC has more than 75 members from 30+ countries and is supported by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

About Schauspiel Köln

Since the 2025/26 season, the Schauspiel Köln (SPL KLN) has been under the new artistic direction of Kay Voges and has quickly repositioned itself as one of the most exciting theaters in the German-speaking world. Voges and his team are bringing new impetus to the city—artistically, politically, and digitally. The theater sees itself not only as a stage, but as a place of social debate where art, journalism, and the public meet.

With its programmatic focus on “theatre and journalism,” the Schauspiel Köln builds a bridge between investigative research and artistic representation. Schauspiel Köln stands for openness, attitude, and dialogue. For a theatre that constantly questions itself and is firmly rooted in the present. Or, as Kay Voges puts it in his “96 Theses”: "THEATER IS A PEACEKEEPING MEASURE."