Demonstrating Democracy (with) Drama in Retz, Austria
Some conferences stay with you not only because of what you learned, but because of how they made you feel.
That’s exactly how I feel after attending the 26th Drama in Education Conference 2026 organised by IDEA Austria in the beautiful town of Retz.
This year’s theme, “Demonstrating Democracy (with) Drama! Dialogue & Call for ACT.ION!”, could not have been more timely, or more necessary. Across five intensive and deeply enriching days, we came together as educators, facilitators, artists, and human beings to explore how drama can help us preserve democracy, build understanding, and create spaces for dialogue, empathy, and action. And what a journey it was.
A Place That Invites Reflection
Before I even mention the workshops, I have to say something about the setting.
Retz itself felt like a little storybook town: peaceful, picturesque, and full of character. Nestled in Lower Austria and known for its charming historic square, vineyards, medieval walls, and famous windmill, it offered the perfect backdrop for a conference centred around connection, reflection, and collective imagination.
There was something about the pace and atmosphere of the town that made it easier to slow down, notice things, and truly arrive.
And then there was our venue: Althof Retz Hotel & Spa.
Honestly, it was a gem.
A former castle transformed into a warm and elegant country estate, Althof Retz offered the perfect balance between history, comfort, and calm. With its beautiful courtyards, old stone details, cosy gathering spaces, and relaxing atmosphere, it created exactly the kind of environment that allows people to learn deeply and connect meaningfully. It felt both grounding and inspiring which, really, is the dream combination for a drama conference.
Five Days of Growing, Expanding, and Bonding
This was not a “pop in for a session or two and head home” kind of event.
It was an intensive five-day conference, the kind that asks something of you and gives so much back in return.
Each morning began with thoughtfully designed warm-up activities that gently and joyfully brought us into the day. These moments weren’t just energisers. They were invitations: to be present, to connect, to move, to listen, and to step into the shared space with openness.
And over the course of those five days, something beautiful happened. We grew. We expanded. We bonded.
And we did so with one common target in mind: preserving democracy through dialogue, creativity, empathy, and embodied learning.
Workshops That Stayed With Me
One of the mini-workshops I especially enjoyed was “Speak Up and Shine” by Annikki Scheu. This lively voice workshop invited us to reconnect with the body as a resonating space through movement, singing, breathing, text work, and partner activities. It was energising, practical, and deeply relevant not only for performance, but for teaching too. It reminded me how much our voice carries: not just sound, but presence, confidence, empathy, and intention.
Another meaningful session was “Presencing Spaces: How do we co-create sustainable togetherness?” by Eva Goksel. This workshop explored how we, as educators and global citizens, hold space for one another and what kinds of spaces our presence can create. Through embodied exercises, improvisation, and reflective dialogue, we explored encounter, reciprocity, listening, openness, and co-creation. It was thoughtful, timely, and quietly powerful.
I was also particularly moved by Dr. Richard Finch’s full-day workshop, “Pathways to Democracy.” Rooted in African oral literature, folktales, proverbs, and poetry, the session beautifully demonstrated how rich cultural art forms have long carried messages about governance, justice, democracy, and human rights. What I especially appreciated was how practical and adaptable his approach was. It was a powerful reminder that drama and storytelling are not simply expressive tools, they are civic tools too.
Another full-day workshop that left a strong impression was Stephen Wei’s “Devising Theatre for a Just Society.” Through games, improvisation, movement, and ideas inspired by Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, we explored power, privilege, status, consent, and gaslighting in ways that made abstract concepts tangible and immediate. It was bold, thought-provoking, and at times deeply uncomfortable in the best and most necessary way. It reminded me that drama can help us not only understand society, but question it.
A Change of Plans and a Beautiful Surprise
We were all very much looking forward to learning from Dr. Erika Piazzoli and her full-day workshop, “Thirty Birds – One Flight.” Sadly, due to illness, she was unable to attend, and she was truly missed.
But in true drama educator spirit, the programme adapted.
And what followed was another wonderful full-day workshop led by Eva Goksel, in which we explored Process Drama by collaboratively creating the main characters of a story, its tensions, relationships, twists, and plot. Through conventions such as role on the wall, thought tapping, and rumours (to name just a few), we entered a fictional world together and shaped it from within.
It was rich, layered, imaginative, and deeply engaging, and a beautiful reminder that when one path closes, another creative one can still open.
So Much Richness, So Many Choices
As always with conferences like this, one of the biggest struggles was choosing what to attend.
There were several wonderful mini-workshops happening in parallel that I simply couldn’t join and I want to acknowledge them too, because the programme was truly rich from every angle.
Yohan Diaz de Begar’s workshop, “Eye Fish,” sounded especially intriguing, using chess and forum theatre to explore complex and often difficult themes such as prostitution, addiction, and disability. The combination of internal and external perspectives, structured roles, and audience intervention sounded like a bold and imaginative way to engage with moral complexity and nuanced discourse.
Harald Volker Sommer’s mini-workshop, “Building Democracy: Collective Creativity in the Theatral Chorus,” also sounded fascinating. His exploration of the political dimension of chorus work and the embodied experience of acting as a collective, almost like a swarm, felt especially relevant to the conference theme. The idea that chorus work develops the kinds of skills we need in a world where problems cannot be solved alone is one that really stayed with me, even from reading the description.
I was also especially sorry to miss the workshops of two amazing friends of mine, both of whom are brilliant experts in their field, and I feel very lucky to know them.
Nada Rumanovska Uherova’s workshop, “Teacher Training and Professional Growth,” brought together drama, acting, and theatre as tools for teacher development, something I deeply value. Her focus on voice, breath, body awareness, grounding, energy management, and the inner role of the teacher sounded both practical and deeply nourishing. It’s exactly the kind of work that reminds us that teaching is not only pedagogical, it is also deeply human and performative.
And Katherina Zarnikov’s workshop, “Creative Synergy: Embodying Support,” invited participants to explore ways to support young people’s creative expression through different art forms. The idea of using the synergy of the group and the arts to build shared creative visions of dreams, support, and the world around us sounds exactly like the kind of poetic, sensitive, and empowering work that young people need.
This is one of the bittersweet things about conferences like these: there is never enough time for everything. But somehow, even the sessions you miss become part of the atmosphere, part of the richness, part of the larger creative ecosystem surrounding you.
The People Make It
Of course, as with all truly memorable conferences, the learning was only one part of the experience. The other part was the people.
It was such a joy to reconnect with old friends from the global educational drama community, to collaborate again with familiar faces, and to make new connections that already feel like future reunions waiting to happen. There was a real sense of belonging throughout the conference, a shared understanding that what we do matters, and that we are stronger when we keep doing it together.
And yes! Plans were definitely made for the next conference in two years.
Gratitude and Looking Ahead
A huge and heartfelt thank-you to Dagmar Hofferer and the entire IDEA Austria Team for organising such a thoughtful, rich, and beautifully held event.
IDEA Austria 2026 was more than a conference. It was a space of encounter, challenge, care, creativity, and hope.
It reminded me that democracy is not only something we discuss in theory. It is something we practise: in how we listen, how we collaborate, how we make space for multiple voices, and how we imagine better ways of being together.
And drama, as always, gives us a way in.
I left Retz with a full notebook, a fuller heart, and a renewed belief in the power of drama not only to teach, but to connect, question, and help us imagine more democratic ways of living and learning together.
Until next time, Retz 🎭