5-21 September 2025, Bell Square

Theatre is Freedom | Teatr to Wolność is a new outdoor theatre festival at Bell Square and part of the UK/Poland Season 2025.The festival runs from 5 – 21 September and features six Polish companies presenting UK premieres of their work and with three companies performing in the UK for the first time.

Theatre is Freedom | Teatr to Wolność opens on Friday 5 September 2025 with the UK premiere of Bal  (The Ball) by Teatr KTO, a performance in which dance tells more than words, its rhythm set by choreography moving from the swinging 1930s, through the passionate tangos of the 1950s to the present-day. It continues with Teatr Osmego Dnia performing the UK premiere of Lost Dream, a striking celebration of stories by Franz Kafka and Teatr Biuro Podróży performing the UK premiere of Tempest (working title) in a vibrant re-telling of Shakespeare’s classic play about magic, betrayal and love.

These companies, established in the 1960s-1990s, have toured widely and have developed London audiences at Bell Square over the last 10 years. The festival will bring a significant focus to the world-class quality of their work and provide the opportunity for audiences to witness the extraordinary and spectacular range of their distinctive productions.

Newer, emerging companies performing at Theatre is Freedom | Teatr to Wolność with their own UK premieres include:

Teatr Migro performing DROM ,a rich and fast-moving history of the Roma peoples; Teatr HOM performing the UK premiere of Monsieur Charlie a charming celebration of Charlie Chaplin and the golden age of Silent Cinema and Konin Dance Theatre’s poignant Sztetl  which tells the story of the Jewish community in the city of Konin, just  before the Second World War.

Watermans has developed Theatre is Freedom I Teatr to Wolność  in partnership with Teatr KTO who last visited Bell Square in 2023 with their show, Arcadia. Watch a trailer for Bal (The Ball)

Initiated by the British Council and realised in partnership with the Polish Cultural Institute in London and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Warsaw, the entire UK/Poland Season 2025 brings together a vibrant and dynamic programme of over 100 events in both countries. The season offers a unique opportunity to discover the work of the most exciting talent across both nations’ artistic scenes, from film, theatre, and visual arts to design and music.

Watermans is especially grateful to the Adam Mickiewicz Institute for their support for Theatre is Freedom | Teatr to Wolność.

Jan Lennox, Watermans’ Director commented:

“Watermans is delighted to be presenting a selection of some of the most remarkable contemporary Polish outdoor theatre at Bell Square as part of the UK/Poland Season 2025. Theatre is Freedom / Teatr to Wolność will present new work by established companies and introduce the work of some of the most acclaimed emerging companies. As usual. audiences will be able to enjoy the performances free of charge.”

Jerzy Zoń, Director of Teatr KTO adds:

“In these times of growing social and national divisions, the power of theatre should be recognised for its ability to show reality from the perspective of different audiences. Theatre productions showing the power of unity in diversity create a space in which many difficult topics can be discussed, leading to understanding and empathy. In this context, the Theatre is Freedom / Teatr to Wolność festival in London cannot be overestimated.”

Magdalena Grabianowska, Deputy Director of the Polish Cultural Institute in London, adds:

“Poland is a vibrant and dynamic force in the European cultural landscape, with a cutting-edge and progressive sector leading the way. Watermans’ festival offers an unparalleled opportunity to show audiences in the UK exactly what makes contemporary Polish theatre so remarkable.”

Watermans is grateful to Arts Council England, London Borough of Hounslow, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Polish Cultural Institute, London, Global Streets and the City of Krakow for supporting Theatre is Freedom | Teatr to Wolność.

Listings:

Theatre is Freedom / Teatr to Wolność

Bell Square

Friday 5 September – Saturday 6 September 2025, 8pm

Bal (The Ball)

Teatr KTO

Saturday 6 – Sunday 7 September (afternoon time tbc)

DROM (in the footsteps of the Roma)

Teatr Migro

Friday 12 – Saturday 13 September (evening time tbc)

Lost Dream

Teatr Osmego Dnia

Sunday 14 September (evening)

Monsieur Charlie

Teatr HOM

Friday 19 – Saturday 20 September (evening time tbc)

Tempest (working title)

Teatr Biuro Podróży

Sunday 21 September (afternoon time tbc)

Sztetl

Konin Dance Theatre     

The Festival launch/reception is on Friday 5 September at 18.00 hrs

About UK/Poland Season 2025:

The UK/Poland Season 2025 is more than a celebration of the creative, innovative and ongoing collaboration between two countries. It offers possibilities to individuals and organisations to be the catalyst of the things to come, forging our joint future based on long-term cultural partnerships and shared values. It will be exploring them through the four themes: dialogue; diversity; digital and diaspora.

https://www.britishcouncil.pl/en/programmes/uk-poland-season-2025

About Bell Square:

Bell Square is Hounslow’s permanent outdoor performance space. Between May and November each year, Bell Square presents a high-quality programme that is surprising and often challenging with audiences often coming back week after week to experience explosive acrobatics, powerful dance, beguiling theatre, highly skilled circus and mesmerising street performance by international as well as UK artists.

Bell Square is a powerful reminder of the way story-telling performance, visual installations designed for the streets can bring communities and audiences together like nothing else – and it is free for everyone to watch.

About Watermans

Watermans’ mission is to bring communities together through cultural practice and to enrich lives through the arts and creativity. It presents a programme of international outdoor performance at Bell Square London from May to November, including in 2025 the Theatre is Freedom / Teatr to Wolność festival as part of the UK/Poland Season and delivers an extensive programme of participative arts activities in the community, where it is also lead partner for Creative People and Places Hounslow – and in its own right. It is also a partner in the EU funded project Artcast4D, an innovative pan-European project that combines art and immersive technology to enable people to interact with culture.

Official Festival Webpage: Watermans Polish Theatre Festival Features Premieres