Premio Marcello Magni for Theatre | 1st Edition 2026

1. Introduction

The Premio Marcello Magni for Theatre is promoted by the Marcello Magni Fund, held at the Fondazione della Comunità Bergamasca.

The Premio Marcello Magni for Theatre pursues the following objectives:

• to promote and support young artists and new artistic experiences, contributing concretely to innovation and the transformation of theatrical languages, while acknowledging a cultural and social context increasingly unable to interact effectively with younger generations, and with the intention of offering them appropriate spaces for action and expression;
• to place trust in the artistic and creative production of artists under the age of 35, encouraging experimentation that develops beyond the boundaries of established practices;
• to foster an investigative outlook that looks elsewhere and consciously seeks what is not yet visible, beyond familiar and consolidated frameworks;
• to provide tools of support to nourish the energy and determination that enable young artists to project themselves courageously beyond individual and contextual limits;
• to promote opportunities in which artistic and theatrical practice are centered on the communal and relational dimension, working concretely to ensure that dialogue and collaboration among all components of the Prize—organizers and participants alike—serve as both a method and a defining condition of quality.

2. Eligibility

This call for applications for the Premio Marcello Magni for Theatre, with a total prize fund of €20,000.00, is open to theatrical performance projects created by emerging artists or groups, newly formed companies, or artists engaged in new research paths.

The Prize aims to support the creation of an original and unpublished performance, contributing to the final staging of the excerpt presented during the selection phases.

All participants, regardless of their role in the project submitted to the PMM (directors, actors, playwrights, set designers, etc.), must not have reached the age of 35 by the application deadline (30^th April 2026).

There are no restrictions or limitations regarding the form or content of the submitted project.

Recognised organisations subsidised by the Italian Ministry of Culture (MiC), or recognised and regularly funded by regional authorities, are not eligible to apply.

In the case of participation under a legal entity, the association, cooperative or similar organisation must have been established no more than five years prior to the application date (as stated in the deed of incorporation).

3. Application Procedure

The Prize selects original and unpublished projects intended for the stage.

All materials required to apply must be submitted exclusively online no later than 30^th April 2026, according to the procedures outlined below:

1. Pay the application fee of €40.00 via bank transfer payable to Erbamil Società Cooperativa Sociale,
IBAN: IT13P0845353540000000300574, with the reference: "Application fee Premio MM 2026".

Important: The name of the person making the payment must match the name indicated on the application form. No other payment methods are accepted.

2. Complete the digital application form published on the website www.premiomarcellomagni.com, describing the theatrical project exclusively within the dedicated form.

3. Upload, following the instructions on the website and in the following order:

• the bank transfer receipt confirming payment of the application fee, in PDF format;
• the required video and photographic materials, according to the instructions provided on the website;
• the artistic CVs of the single participants and of the company, if applicable, combined into a single PDF file.

The online application procedure does not allow partial completion or saving of entered data. If the website is exited, all form fields must be completed again. Applicants are therefore advised to proceed with the application only once all required materials are available, as indicated by the confirmation checkbox on the website.

Materials sent by email to the Prize's official address, or submitted by any other means, will not be accepted.

4. Additional Notes

The project presentation video must have a duration of between 10 and 15 minutes and must show rehearsals of selected performed scenes. For this reason, it must be filmed as a continuous recording, except where scene changes are necessary.

Video trailers featuring special effects, titles, graphics, or music that will not be an integral part of the project submitted to the final phase will not be accepted.

Each participant is responsible for providing video material of sufficient quality to allow proper evaluation.

Additional supplementary video documentation relating to the project members, such as interviews, statements of intent, or motivations, is also accepted and welcomed.

Participants submitting a project may not submit additional projects.

Projects submitted to the Prize must not have been publicly performed, in whole or in part, prior to the conclusion of the selection phases and, if selected, until the conclusion of the second phase.

Projects selected for the second phase (Festival) must not compete in other similar theatre awards during the period 1^st May – 30^th September 2026.

All costs related to participation in all phases of the Prize are borne by the participants. The Prize organisation will provide a list of affiliated accommodation facilities.

Application fees are non-refundable under any circumstances.

5. Process

5.1 SELECTION PHASE

All projects received by 30^th April 2026 will be reviewed and evaluated by a Selection Committee composed of industry professionals affiliated with organisations that collaborate with the Marcello Magni Fund (actors, directors, organisers, theatre critics and experts).

Artists selected for the final phase will receive confirmation by email, and the list of finalist projects will be published on the website by 30^th June 2026.

5.2 FINAL PHASE

(26^th–27^th September 2026)

The Final Phase of the Prize will take place in public form as part of the Premio Marcello Magni Festival, scheduled at CULT, a venue in Bergamo, on 26^th and 27^th September 2026.

Finalists will present their projects live to a Jury appointed by the organisers and composed of national and international theatre professionals.

During the Premio Marcello Magni Festival, national and international theatre professionals and operators will have the opportunity to view the finalist projects.

A minimum of 8 and a maximum of 12 projects will be admitted to the final phase.

Live performances must have a maximum duration of 20 minutes and a minimum duration of 15 minutes, in order to allow the Jury and the audience to assess the potential of the performance arising from the submitted project.

The organisation will provide a standard technical rider, identical for all finalists, which will be sent to those selected for the final phase. Finalists, having been informed in advance, are required to adapt their performances to the available technical specifications. Any specific requests may be considered but will not be binding for the organisation.

Final performances may be refined and reworked compared to the videos submitted during the selection phase but must retain clear recognisability of the original project. Substantial deviations from the selected project will result in exclusion.

Changes to the artistic core presented in the first phase are permitted but must be communicated to and approved by the Prize Direction, under penalty of exclusion from the final phase.

All projects selected for the final phase will include the wording "Finalist – Premio Marcello Magni 2026", together with the official logo, in all their promotional materials.

The Jury will award the Premio Marcello Magni to the first-ranked project, with a value of €12,000.00.

At its sole discretion, the Jury may award up to two additional prizes, each worth €4,000.00.

The Jury also reserves the right not to award any prize, or to reduce the prize amounts, should the quality of the submitted projects be deemed inconsistent with the objectives and intentions of the Premio Marcello Magni.

6. Conditions for Awarding the Prize

The winners are required to complete the production of the performance presented as a project for the Premio Marcello Magni by the end of March 2027.

At the time of the award announcement, the organisation will disburse 40% of the prize amount to the winners. One or more professionals appointed by the Prize will follow the production process, also remotely, providing monitoring and mentoring.

The remaining 60% of the prize may be paid in several instalments, based on production needs indicated by the appointed tutor, and will be disbursed after the public performance of the completed work.

The public premiere of the completed performance shall be entirely the responsibility of the prize winner, both from an organisational standpoint (theatre rental, SIAE procedures, etc.) and in terms of communication.

Winning projects undertake to include the wording "Winner – Premio Marcello Magni 2026", together with the official logo, in all promotional materials.

7. Festival Promotion

The organisation of the Premio Marcello Magni reserves the right to organise one or more promotional events, previously communicated to the finalists, requiring their participation (audio and video interviews, press conferences, etc.).

Members of the finalist projects are required to participate in such events, in their own interest, and undertake to promote and publicise the Prize through their own personal or social communication channels.

8. Privacy

By submitting an application to the Competition, candidates approve the collection and storage of their personal data and the uploaded video and photographic materials, as specified in the Privacy Policy on the website premiomarcellomagni.com, exclusively for purposes related to the selection phases and the final festival.

At any time, candidates may request and obtain deletion of all stored data.

With regard to the publication of photos and videos for promotional purposes relating to the final phase and/or winning projects, specific consent will be requested through a dedicated release form.

The Data Controller is Fabio Comana, in his capacity as President and legal representative of Erbamil Società Cooperativa Sociale, the organising body of the Premio Marcello Magni.

9. Organisational Prerogatives

During the validity of these regulations, the Prize organisation may, at its sole discretion, introduce additions or modifications for organisational and functional requirements.

The organisation may also introduce changes or additions due to unforeseen circumstances, in order to protect and safeguard the artistic level of the Competition, while preserving the spirit of the premises and the overall structure of the event.

10. Disputes

Exclusive jurisdiction for the interpretation and enforcement of these regulations is vested in the Court of Bergamo.

11. Information

For information regarding the operation of the Prize or any other matter, it is mandatory to use the contact form available on the website premiomarcellomagni.com under the "Contacts" page.

For technical reasons, the Direction of the Premio Marcello Magni will not respond to messages sent to the official institutional email address.