Introduction: Festivalling with Shakespeare in Craiova 2024

Briefly charting the journey of the Craiova International Shakespeare Festival (CISF) from a post-communist venture, in 1994, to a leading global Shakespeare festival, this introduction examines its 30th anniversary edition, ‘Communities Build Festivals’, both in terms of continuity and innovation, focusing on new programming and community engagement initiatives. It explores the Festival's mission, as articulated by director Vlad Drăgulescu, and its emphasis on a ‘Shakespeare for everyone’ by fostering community building and challenging the traditional roles of audience and artists. Finally, it reflects on how festivals build communities and collaborations, highlighting the CISF's role as a cultural incubator, an international platform, a space for artistic expression and community support, particularly for artists from Ukraine and Moldova, and as a catalyst of new festival initiatives.