At the meeting, they reviewed the plans of and preparations for the Theatre Olympics to be held in Budapest in 2023, the press chief said, recalling that the Theatre Olympics were founded in 1994 at the initiative of Theodoros Terzopoulos. The purpose of the event is to connect different theatrical cultures and schools together under the auspices of a festival, as part of which members of the profession and the audience can obtain an overall insight into the heritage of the world’s theatre arts and contemporary theatrical trends. The event serves as a scene for a dialogue between artists and members of the audience, and at the presentations and professional forums held as part of the Olympics, theatrical companies have an opportunity to network and to acquaint themselves with one another’s cultural traditions. At the event, performances focus on a specific topic, and despite the name there are no competitive elements or prizes at the Theatre Olympics. The organisation has two administrative centres, one located in Athens, the other in Japan.
In January 2020 in Budapest, Theodoros Terzopoulos announced that Hungary had been awarded the right to host the 10th Theatre Olympics in 2023. The event will be held on the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Hungarian writer Imre Madách, together with the Madách Imre International Theatre Meeting.
Earlier, the Director General of the National Theatre said the hosting of the Theatre Olympics in Hungary will offer Hungarian culture a unique opportunity to showcase its fantastic values both within and beyond the country’s borders and to also strengthen its diplomatic positions.