Kepler-452

On Monday, 8 June 2026, at 8:00 PM, the production Kepler-452: A Place of Safety – Journey into the Central Mediterranean will be presented in the Fran Žižek Hall of the SNG Maribor as part of the 61st Borštnik Theatre Festival. Produced by Emilia Romagna Teatro ERT / National Theatre, this multilingual performance unfolds in Italian, English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with Slovene and English surtitles. It was created at the intersection of documentary theatre, artistic research, and direct experience of the Mediterranean migration route.

The Italian theatre collective Kepler-452 embarked on the rescue vessel Sea-Watch 5 to travel through the central Mediterranean and witness firsthand what happens along one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world today. During nearly five weeks at sea, the crew rescued 156 people, who were later disembarked in the port of La Spezia, designated as a place of safety. From this journey emerged a performance that speaks not only about rescue operations at sea, but above all about Europe—its borders, its blind spots, and its moral contradictions.

The production is the result of field research that began with interviews, continued through an artistic residency on Lampedusa, and then moved onto the Mediterranean migration route itself. On stage, the theatre makers meet people who have chosen to dedicate part of their lives to civilian sea rescue. A Place of Safety is a powerful yet carefully considered theatrical reflection on what kind of Europe it wants to be, what it is not, and what it could become.

The production received the UBU Award for Best Italian Theatre Production of 2025, the Franco Enriquez Award for Dramaturgy 2025, and the Le Maschere del Teatro Award for Best New Italian Authors 2025.