Martine Dennewald, born in Luxembourg in 1980, has built her career at the intersection of dramaturgy and cultural management. Her leadership roles span prominent European performing‑arts festivals, emphasising innovation, cross-cultural exchange, and inclusivity in the international theatre and dance landscape.
Training and Early International Foundations
Martine Dennewald, born in Luxembourg in 1980, studied dramaturgy at the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig and pursued arts management at City University in London. Following her studies, she worked as a dramaturg and curator across Europe, including positions at LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre), the Kortárs Drama Festival in Budapest, the Young Directors Project at the Salzburg Festival, and at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm in Frankfurt. These roles allowed her to develop a grounded understanding of both artistic programming and festival operations. Her multicultural and interdisciplinary training laid the groundwork for her future achievements in directing and shaping international performing‑arts festivals.
Artistic Direction at Festival Theaterformen
From 2015 to 2020, Dennewald served as Artistic Director of Festival Theaterformen, an eleven‑day international performing‑arts festival alternating between Hanover and Braunschweig, Germany. Under her direction, the festival prioritized diverse voices, presenting a wide range of avant‑garde performances, site‑specific works, installations, and participatory formats. She emphasized inclusive curatorial practices and developed a socially engaged approach, involving local participants and fostering dialogues on identity, colonial legacies, and structural inequalities. This period marked her as a forward‑thinking leader capable of blending artistic experimentation with community engagement.
“At its best, a festival allows a city to imagine itself differently.”
Co‑Artistic Leadership at Festival TransAmériques
In mid‑2021, Martine Dennewald became co‑Artistic Director of Festival TransAmériques in Montreal, Canada, alongside Jessie Mill. This international dance and theatre festival brings together artists from across the Americas, encouraging cross-border artistic exchange. With her linguistic skills and global experience, she seeks to facilitate dialogues among diverse cultural practices and foster transnational collaborations. Her leadership emphasises equity, open-mindedness, and inclusive representation, continuing her trajectory of combining curatorial innovation with intercultural connection.
