New artistic director at brut Vienna: Tomasz Kireńczuk takes over!

New artistic director at brut Vienna: Tomasz Kireńczuk takes over!

On June 2, 2025, an exciting change is in prospect for the independent production house brut Vienna. Vienna City Councilor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler announced that Tomasz Kireńczuk will be appointed the new artistic director. He will take up his position in summer 2026, succeeding Kira Kirsch, who previously headed the house and is known for her bridging function between local thinking and international impulses. nachtkritik.de reports on Kireńczuk's upcoming office start, which is, however, somewhat unconventional: in the first year of his artistic direction he will work without a permanent home, as the move to the new location in St. Marx will not take place until autumn 2027.

Kaup-Hasler praised the international experience and curatorial practice of Kireńczuk, who was born in Kraków in 1983. He brings in-depth knowledge from his previous career, including his current role as director of the Santarcangelo Festival in Italy. He did an excellent job there as curator of the International Theater Festival Dialog – Wrocław from 2011 to 2019. His creative career begins with a degree at the Jagiellonian University, which opened many doors for him, as evidenced by scholarships from the Italian government and Fundacja na Rzecz Nauki Polskiej. The press highlights that, in addition to his leadership experience, Kireńczuk is also active as a dramaturgical critic and theorist in contemporary performing arts.

Behind the scenes of the appointment

The selection process for the new artistic director of brut Vienna was anything but easy. There were a total of 39 applications, including 30 complete applications. The jury consisted of well-known personalities such as Kolja Burg Schuld and Hannah Crepaz. After a two-stage selection, eight candidates were invited to present their concepts; This resulted in four invitations to the hearing. Kireńczuk's expertise was particularly highlighted, which is why he recently won the election.

In his future plans for brut Vienna, Kireńczuk will focus on the further development of the co-production house, which is important for the independent theater, choreography and performance scene. He emphasizes the importance of international exchange with artists and makes people sit up and take notice - the local art scene could experience a breath of fresh air as soon as he takes over the helm.

A look into the future

The innovative vision that Kireńczuk brings could also be of interest to students in the field of culture and media management. This master's degree program at the FU Berlin combines art and cultural studies research with practical application and promotes the development of digital skills in cultural production. The connection between theory and practice not only offers new perspectives for the students, but could also be inspiring for his artistic direction of brut. The FU Berlin emphasizes that the focus is on the mutual exchange between studies and art practice.

So Tomasz Kireńczuk has big plans for brut Vienna, which is not only a central venue for art productions, but also a platform for creative exchange. It will be interesting to see how the artistic landscape will develop under his leadership!