Project No. 1 – New Stage “The Dream Stage”

Sumy National Theatre is the largest artistic cluster in the northeastern part of Ukraine.

It is a unique professional institution that brings together under one roof specialists working in various fields and areas of performing, choreographic, audiovisual, musical, dramatic, operatic and other forms of art.

The theatre operates six performance venues: the Main Stage, the Small Stage, the Experimental Stage, the Stage-on-Stage, the Shtolnia performance space, and the Concert Hall. It also has production workshops for the tailoring of stage costumes and the manufacture of scenery and props, a carpentry workshop, a recording studio, a stage equipment repair workshop, a 3D printing workshop, a wig and hairpiece production workshop, footwear production facilities, an exhibition complex and art gallery, a stage management workshop, a PR department, and more.

The theatre employs 230 specialists from various professional fields, including drama actors, vocalists, choir and orchestra performers, choreographers, directors, ballet masters, conductors, composers, scenographers and costume designers, carpenters, cutters and seamstresses, wig makers and hairpiece specialists, designers, costume managers, SMM specialists, PR managers, and a large administrative staff.

The theatre’s repertoire policy is diverse and meets the needs of a broad target audience. The theatre presents productions based on classical Ukrainian and world plays in a variety of directorial interpretations. It also offers spectacular concert and entertainment programmes, performances for teenagers and young people, and experimental formats.

Particular attention is paid to productions for children, which helps develop artistic taste and shape the worldview of the youngest members of the audience from an early age.

The theatre is also actively engaged in contemporary Ukrainian playwriting. In addition to repertoire productions based on works by Ukrainian authors, the National Theatre is a regular participant in readings and competitions dedicated to contemporary Ukrainian drama, including Lypnevyi Med and Drama Panorama, and has a joint project on contemporary American drama, “Theatre Windows: Ukraine–USA,” with the United States of America.

A talented directing team works on the creation of the theatre’s productions, including Roman Kozak and Violetta Mityeva, led by the theatre’s director, Dmytro Nekrasov. The theatre actively collaborates with famous Ukrainian and international directors, including Artem Vusyk, Nina Khyzhna, Oksana Dmytriieva, and Ihor Bilyts, laureates of the Les Kurbas Prize; Ukrainian opera director Oksana Taranenko; and renowned Romanian director Radu Gilas.

Over the past several years, the Sumy National Theatre has established a strong reputation at both the national and international levels. In 2025 alone, despite the threat of missile and drone attacks, the theatre presented 374 performances and toured in more than 25 cities in Ukraine and Europe. In particular, as part of the TAW (Theatre Against War) programme, the theatre travelled to Helsinki with the production The Bird in the Attic, representing the Sumy region at the National Theatre of Finland.

The theatre also participated in the international festival of Ukrainian theatre in Europe, East–West, in Kraków with the production Mother. 10 km., directed by Dmytro Nekrasov, and toured Romania, Moldova, and Poland.

In 2025, Ukraine’s most prestigious theatre festival and award, GRA, included three productions by the Sumy National Theatre in its longlist: Alice in Wonderland, The Bird in the Attic, and Stolen Happiness.

Out of 138 productions submitted by Ukraine’s leading professional theatre companies, the Sumy Theatre was included in the Top 50, and subsequently, following evaluations by professional experts, in the Top 14 most outstanding productions in Ukraine in 2025.

The production Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors was recognized and included by United24 in the list of the 9 best reinterpretations of Ukrainian classics.

• In 2025, the theatre welcomed 40,834 spectators.
• 8,529 of them were children.
• 9,342 spectators attended touring performances.
• At the same time, the planned attendance target is 63,160 spectators.

The theatre also has a large online audience. It has more than 15,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok, and more than 10 million views across various platforms.

The theatre’s target audience is diverse. According to internal research, the most active part of the audience consists of progressive people aged 25 to 45 who are interested in Ukrainian culture, questions of personal identity, and who take an active role in society.

At the same time, it should be noted that the theatre positions itself as an open space: its performances are attended by people of any age and/or social status. In particular, the theatre is a fully accessible and inclusive space and fully complies with the requirements of current legislation. It is equipped with an elevator for people with disabilities. Over the past several years, within the framework of the Accessible Theatre grant programmes supported by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, the theatre has adapted 15 productions for people with visual and hearing impairments.

Almost all performances at the theatre are sold out, while, according to the official capacity plan, the auditorium occupancy rate is only 28%.

Why does this happen?

During the period of the full-scale invasion, due to security restrictions, the Main Stage, the Stage-on-Stage format, and the Concert Hall are used very rarely. Over the past several years, the National Theatre has been operating primarily through the Experimental Stage, which can accommodate up to 50 spectators, the Small Stage, with 80 seats, and the Shtolnia performance space, with 30 seats, respectively.

This has made it necessary to create a full-scale alternative and establish a large performance space that could replace the theatre’s Main Stage.

Thus, the project of the New Stage, entitled “Stage of Dreams,” was born.

The theatre building was constructed in 1980 and consists of nine floors: five above ground and four underground. The theatre has an extensive system of basement premises, some of which currently serve as the simplest type of shelter.

It is in one of these premises that a modern, multifunctional creative performance space is planned to be established, serving not only the needs of the National Theatre company but also the city and the region as a whole.

According to the preliminary calculations and the project developed by the architectural bureau, the new performance space will have an area of approximately 300 square meters and will be able to accommodate up to 200 people.

This will significantly increase the theatre’s potential audience capacity, improve the institution’s financial performance, and make it possible to host a wide range of events, including performances, concerts, screenings, children’s ensemble showcase concerts, conferences, diplomatic meetings, and other events in relative safety.

At present, Sumy has almost no touring appearances by renowned artists, theatre companies, or music bands. This space will create an opportunity to significantly improve the situation in this area and provide residents of Sumy and visitors to the city with greater choice in accessing cultural services. The location of the venue will make it possible to hold cultural and artistic events with relative safety and without interruption. This creates an opportunity to ensure the stable operation and functioning of the National Theatre in the face of daily security challenges.

The project has been designed to guarantee maximum flexibility and transformation in response to creative needs and ideas. In accordance with the regional development strategy, the project simultaneously contributes to several strategic and operational objectives: human capital development; quality of life and comfortable living conditions for the population of the region; cultural and spiritual development; preservation of cultural heritage; and the development of creative industries.

At present, there is no professional safe performance venue in the city of Sumy. The Stage of Dreams will offer high-quality lighting, sound, and multimedia equipment for events on the −2 level. It should also be noted that the project opens up additional opportunities for educational and artistic initiatives, festivals, and creative competitions, while creating accessible conditions for people with disabilities to use the new stage.

Thanks to this space, the National Theatre’s inclusive projects will be able to scale up and expand their audience. In the near future, the project will make it possible to increase attendance figures by 90–120%, reaching, according to preliminary estimates, up to 100,000 spectators per year. Thanks to its location and modern design, the Stage of Dreams may also become an important image-building asset for international collaborations and the development of regional partnerships. It will be a space where ideas are transformed into quality, and the implementation of creative initiatives becomes safe art.

The architectural concept of the project consists of:

• A stage platform measuring 7,400 mm in width and 5,098 mm in depth.
• Three audience sections designed in an amphitheatre configuration.

To ensure optimal visibility, the space is planned to be divided into a main audience area with up to 80 seats, a left wing with a balcony accommodating up to 85 seats, and a comfort zone with up to 40 seats. The stage project also includes technical and engineering communications, a dedicated sound and lighting control area, a projection department, carefully planned fire exits, and a preliminary evacuation plan. The premises have 5 separate exits, as well as their own ventilation, heating, and electrical systems.

As part of the project, technical rooms are also planned for the storage of scenery and props, as well as the adaptation of the space for dressing rooms, creating the conditions for the venue to function fully and safely under relative security conditions.

At present, the theatre’s financial performance continues to grow steadily despite the crisis situation. In 2025, the institution’s revenue exceeded UAH 8 million, while the average income per event approached UAH 25,000.The New Stage will make it possible to almost double these figures. The theatre also actively cooperates with businesses that are interested in the development of the artistic institution and are partially prepared to participate in the implementation of this project.

This creates the prerequisites for the New Stage to be created through the theatre’s own efforts. At the same time, according to the project’s authors, it should be emphasized that the new stage has prospects that are much broader than the functionality of a conventional theatre venue. It can become a safe artistic hub for many talented people, artists, creative groups, delegations, and others.

Theatre is a mirror of social structures. As the genius of Ukrainian theatre, Les Kurbas, stated:

“Theatre should be what society should be tomorrow”.

We are guided by the challenges of our time. We are an institution that demonstrates the resilience and viability of the region, preserves and develops its cultural traditions, shapes the worldview and identity of almost thirty percent of the population, and establishes the image of the Sumy region on the artistic map of Ukraine and Europe.

Our idea is to create an opportunity for people to experience happiness and peace, and to maintain hope that life in the city continues. We are a territory of emotions, a space for dialogue, where everyone has the right to fulfill their own dreams. That is why we are building the Stage of Dreams — a multifunctional creative performance space, an artistic gem of the Sumy frontline region.