VALBONA XIBRI

Born in Tirana, Albania, Valbona Xibri is a theatre director whose artistic path combines deep research in theatrical languages with a bold commitment to experimentation and innovation. A graduate in Theatre Direction from the Academy of Fine Arts of Tirana, she later enriched her education with international workshops, residencies, and collaborations with some of the most influential figures in contemporary theatre. Her training includes a postgraduate diploma in Animation and Training in Voluntarism and International Cooperation (University of the Sacred Heart, Brescia) and advanced specialization with renowned theatre practitioners such as Gabriele Vacis in Milan, and Maria Horne and César Brie at “Methodika” in Venice, a festival supported by ITI/UNESCO. Her artistic development has also been shaped by her participation in the Odin Teatret environment in Holstebro, Denmark, where she took part in workshops and symposia with Eugenio Barba, and Julia Varley, as well as international encounters like Transit Festival, PlayPerformLearnGrow (Thessaloniki, 2019), and projects at the Schaubühne in Berlin.What distinguishes Valbona Xibri’s career is not only the breath of her experience but also the originality with which she has been able to transform her encounters with diverse traditions, techniques, and communities into a personal language of theatre. Her work, while rooted in the discipline of direction, refuses to be confined to conventional theatrical forms. Instead, she consistently explores the intersections between performance, memory, and identity, creating works that push the boundaries of representation while inviting audiences into spaces of critical reflection and emotional resonance.