ASSITEJ MONGOLIA
18 September - 2 October 2026
WANDERLUST
International Performing Arts Festival for Children and Young People
Zavkhan Province will host Mongolia’s first international performing arts festival for children and young audiences. Wanderlust will showcase 7–8 national and international theatre companies, reaching over 6,000 children across 24 soums, with performances from Denmark, Nepal, Indonesia, and Mongolia.
Mission
The Wanderlust Festival aims to bring high-quality, accessible theatre to children and young audiences across Mongolia, fostering creativity, imagination, and cultural exchange. The festival seeks to:
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Provide children in urban and rural areas with opportunities to experience international and national theatre.
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Support professional development and international exposure for Mongolian artists.
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Promote cultural understanding through collaboration between local and international theatre companies.
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Encourage child participation in creative processes and storytelling.
How the Festival Will Go:
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Performances: 7–8 theatre companies from Mongolia, Denmark, Nepal, and Indonesia will present shows tailored to children and young audiences.
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Audience Reach: Over 6,000 children will attend performances, ensuring access to theatre beyond urban centers.
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Additional Activities:
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Workshops and interactive sessions for children.
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Professional exchange and networking for participating artists.
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Engagement with local schools to integrate theatre into education.
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Collaborations: Local theatres, schools, and cultural organisations will partner with ASSITEJ Mongolia to ensure inclusive and high-quality programming.
Project Expansion
As Wanderlust continues to grow, the project is expanding its geographical reach to engage a larger number of children and young people. The festival will now take place across Orkhon and Bulgan provinces, traveling for 10 days and reaching 18 soums (districts). Through this expansion, the project aims to engage over 50,000 children and adolescents.
This edition of the festival presents 12 selected productions, including 8 works from 6 international countries and 4 productions from 4 Mongolian theatres. Nearly 100 artists and creative professionals will take part in delivering these performances to young audiences. We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who continues to support and believe in this initiative.
Festival Scope and Vision
Wanderlust is a selected project under ASSITEJ International’s Regional Cooperation Programme and is co-funded by the European Union.
The core objective of the festival is to bring high-quality performing arts to children living in remote and underserved regions, where access to theatre education and professional performances is extremely limited. During this edition, the festival will travel to all 24 soums of Zavkhan province, reaching more than 21,000 children by delivering performances from 10–12 Mongolian and international theatre companies directly in each soum.
Alongside performances, artists and theatre professionals from France, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Indonesia, Nepal, and other countries will take part in meetings and workshops under the theme:
“The Role of Theatre for Children in Addressing Climate Change.”