Sponsored by the School of Communication (SoC) and Performance Studies Professor Mary Zimmerman, the Prague Quadrennial Seminar gives students the opportunity to attend one of the greatest theatre design conferences in the world as well as engage with the unique theatrical history and culture of the Czech Republic. Students accepted into this program must register for the Prague Quadrennial Seminar class Performance of Prague (Theatre 310/Performance Studies 330) in Spring 2027. Upon completion of the seminar class, students will travel alongside SoC faculty and staff to Prague, Czech Republic.
The seminar will be co-taught, and the trip co-led, by Theatre Professor Ana Kuzmanic and Performance Studies Professor Natsu Onoda Power. Professor Zimmerman will help select participants and shape the syllabus, will travel with the group to Prague, and plans to join the class during the quarter as a guest artist and teacher.
Deadline: Thursday, November 19th at 11:59pm
Trip Information
Travel Dates: The group will travel to Prague between Friday, June 11 and Friday, June 18, 2027. Accepted students will work with EPICS to book travel within those dates.
Graduating students: Northwestern’s Graduation Weekend takes place June 11–14, 2027, which overlaps with the start of the trip. Graduating students who plan to attend Commencement and/or the SoC Convocation can work with EPICS to arrange a later arrival within the June 11–18 travel window. Questions? Email epics@northwestern.edu.
The School of Communication will cover:
- Roundtrip airfare (booked with EPICS, within the June 11 – 18 travel window)
- Hotel (shared room)
- GeoBlue: Northwestern’s international medical assistance and insurance (mandated by NU)
- Two Group meals
- Entrance into the Prague Quadrennial
- One group/tourist activity
Financial Aid
Participating students will be responsible for additional meals, relevant visa/passport fees (as applicable) and discretionary spending money if they are selected to participate. Students with demonstrated financial need may request additional funding to supplement the anticipated cost of meals and incidentals. To request support please email EPICS at epics@northwestern.edu.
How to Apply
Step 1: Confirm Eligibility
Undergraduate Theatre and Performance Studies majors, MFA students in Directing and Stage Design, and graduate students in Performance Studies are eligible to apply. Participants will be enrolled in Performance of Prague (Theatre 310/Performance Studies 330) during Spring Quarter 2027 and must be available to travel to Prague within the June 11–18, 2027 travel window. Graduating students may arrange a later arrival in order to attend graduation events.
Step 2: Confirm Your Ability to Travel to the Czech Republic
Accepted students must provide proof of travel eligibility. Passports must be valid through December 2027 or later. International students are responsible for researching any applicable visa requirements.
Travel dates: The group will travel to Prague between Friday, June 11 and Friday, June 18, 2027. Accepted students will work with EPICS to book travel within those dates.
Graduating students: Northwestern’s Graduation Weekend takes place June 11–14, 2027, which overlaps with the start
Step 3: Complete the Application
Submit responses to five short-answer questions about your experience with performance design and your interest in the seminar, plus one optional question.
What is the Prague Quadrennial (PQ)?
The Prague Quadrennial (PQ) is globally known as a two-week event taking place every four years since 1967 in Prague, Czech Republic. The PQ is the world’s largest exhibition of the best in theatre and performance design, technology, and architecture. Over seventy countries exhibit thousands of professional performance designs and artifacts – set models, costumes, sketches, videos, performance fragments in individually designed pavilions that are often interactive works of art or performances themselves. Pavilions from Ghana, South Africa, Germany, Iceland, Korea, the United States, Brazil, Japan, Israel, Denmark, Estonia, Sweden, Argentina, Peru, Spain, New Zealand, France, Kenya, the United Kingdom — to name just a few — sit side by side in a vast exhibition hall. There is an equally large student exhibition called Scenofest that includes booths displaying the design and performance work of hundreds of schools from all over the world. There is enormous variety in these booths, from conventional model displays to singular performance acts. Additionally, there are dozens of workshops, group performance acts, lectures, and theatrical performances. Thousands of performance and theatre students and professionals attend this once-every-four-years riot of design and performance.
Learn more about Prague Quadrennial 2027: https://pq.cz/