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Hunter Heartbeat Courses | 2025

Performers and participants at the Teatrul Gong in Sibiu in 2023 engaging in a collaborative movement workshop. They are gathered on a colourful circular stage, with some standing, crouching, and lying on the floor, creating an expressive and dynamic group formation

Romania

Flute Theatre has performed at major festivals and theatres in Romania, creating inclusive productions that welcome new audiences. Their work continues to build lasting connections through Shakespeare and sensory theatre experiences.

Since 2016 we had been performing our mainstage productions of Shakespeare at the International Shakespeare festival in Craiova, Romania. After the pandemic, we were invited to return in 2022 with our new production of Pericles. I suggested to the festival that we also bring our specialised production for autistic people and that we would additionally perform that on stage, thereby opening the festival’s doors to an audience who had never set foot in the theatre before. They agreed and found ANCAAR, a local group in Craiova for autistic adults run by the extraordinary Luminita Sandu who quite literally greeted us with open arms, as well as freshly baked warm bread, sea salt and vodkas on our first visit to her centre. Our warm collaboration with ANCAAR has become one of the beating hearts of our company. Between 2022 and 2024 we have premiered three Double Shakespeare programmes at the Craiova International Shakespeare Festival, each time performing onstage with the autistic people of ANCAAR, transforming all of our lives.

Since 2018, we have also performed regularly at Teatrul Gong, Sibiu, performing in Romanian with their community of young autistic children.

A group of children and adults holding hands in a circle during a theatre workshop, jumping together on a colorful stage floor.
A large group of participants, including autistic individuals, families, and performers, smiling and posing together in a bright indoor space.
A theatre session with autistic adults and performers interacting on stage, using music and movement to engage the group.

"Thank you for your heartwarming work, for your kind presence and for your all your efforts to make MAGIC happen. We are grateful that you were with us sharing love, acceptance, inclusion"

– Luminita Sandu ANCAAR

May 2023

Black-and-white photo of a group of autistic participants, families, and Flute Theatre actors sitting in a circle during an interactive session at the Craiova Shakespeare Festival in Romania (2023).