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<\/p>\noriginally published: 05\/17\/2026<\/p>\n
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(JERSEY CITY, NJ) — Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC)<\/strong><\/a> presents its signature Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival from June 4-26, 2026 across multiple venues in Jersey City, and the Professional Voices Festival Conference on June 11 at White Eagle Hall.<\/p>\n Produced by Jersey City Theater Center, the Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival is a vibrant celebration of diverse global voices. Under this year\u2019s theme, Beyond the Frame, the festival brings together internationally renowned artists and local visionaries for an extraordinary lineup of multidisciplinary performances, conversations, music, dance, immersive installations, and family programming and networking events that invite audiences to experience stories from around the world and from our own communities here in Jersey City.<\/p>\n From acclaimed international artists such as Romeo Castellucci with the world premiere of Cantos to beloved local creators like Giselle Bellas, the festival creates space for everyone to participate, network, and share their story. From Jersey City native and Grammy-nominated poet Kevin Powell to the fearless truth-telling performances of Malik Work, Voices highlights artists who challenge, inspire, and connect audiences. The festival also features immersive installations and exhibitions at Mana Contemporary by award-winning innovators like Laia Cabrera and Isabelle Duverger, creating transformative visual experiences that push artistic boundaries.<\/p>\n International voices from across the globe bring compelling new perspectives to Jersey City, including writer Palesa Mazamisa and many other inspiring artists presenting works that illuminate identity, resilience, and the state of the world today.<\/p>\n Ticket prices range from free public events to $50 a ticket. Full festival passes are also available. To purchase and reserve tickets, and for more information visit\u00a0https:\/\/jctcenter.org<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Reach New Jersey’s largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Voices seeks to spark imagination, inspire creativity, and foster dialogue among diverse communities through bold artistic exploration. A special all-day Professional Voices Festival Conference on June 11 will bring together artists, presenters, producers, and cultural leaders for panels, conversations, and networking opportunities.<\/p>\n Voices invites audiences to explore Jersey City\u2019s thriving arts scene just a few PATH train stops from New York City. Festival events take place at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave), Mana Contemporary (888 Newark Ave), Nimbus Arts Center (329 Warren St), Grace Church Van Vorst (39 Erie St), Barrow Mansion (83 Wayne St), the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza (134-158 Newark Ave) and other venues throughout Jersey City.<\/p>\n JCTC Executive Producer Olga Levina says, \u201cOne City. Many Voices. One Global Conversation. As an immigrant born in Ukraine, shaped by a diverse family and a childhood marked by uncertainty, I learned early that safety and peace come from recognizing our shared humanity. In today\u2019s world, where the loudest voices often dominate, we must ask: what does that truly mean, and whose stories are being heard now? The Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival creates space here in Jersey City for cultural exchange. Through the arts, we build bridges across communities and cultures by elevating voices too often overlooked and transforming our differences into a powerful global dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond the Frame explores going beyond the borders we create, not only between countries, but also between communities, cultures, and people questioning what separates us at a time of growing division. For the Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival, the theme also means moving beyond the traditional confines of theatre itself, creating spaces where artists and audiences from around the world come together through stories, dialogue, and shared experiences that challenge perspectives, on Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza, at a church and beyond.<\/p>\n The festival is supported by funding through the NJEDA\u2019s A.R.T. Phase II Grant Program and the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism (VisitNJ).<\/p>\n 2026 VOICES INTERNATIONAL THEATRE AND ARTS FESTIVAL FULL SCHEDULE<\/strong><\/p>\n OPENING NIGHT: GLOBAL MUSIC – INDIA, INDONESIA, SLOVENIA\/PUERTO RICO |<\/strong>\u00a0Thursday, June 4 at 7:00pm at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave). All ages welcome.\u00a0Opening night celebration featuring music artists from India (Surati), Indonesia (Riau Rhythm), and Slovenia and Puerto Rico (Slavo Rican Assembly) \u2014 a global kickoff to the 2026 Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival that sets the international scope of the Beyond the Frame season.<\/p>\n Performers include Surati: Pritha Majumder, Rajesh Roy, Sumit Roy; Slavo Rican Assembly: Jan Kus – saxophone, Gabriel Vic\u00e9ns – guitar, Ahmed Alom – piano\/keys, Dan Mart\u00ednez – el. bass, Victor Pablo – percussion, \u017dan Teti\u010dkovi\u010d aka Jean John – drums; Riau Rhythm: Rino Deza Pati, Hendri Faizal, Violano Rupiyanto, Refi Lesta Hakim and Viogy Rupiyanto.<\/p>\n LAIA CABRERA & ISABELLE DUVERGER – QUALIA & PERENNIAL LAND \/ THE DATA FOREST |<\/strong>\u00a0Ongoing Showings June 6 – 26 at Mana Contemporary (888 Newark Ave). Opening June 6 from 1-4pm and June 7 from 5:00pm-8:00pm. Ages 12 and up.<\/p>\n An ongoing immersive installation and live performance work by Laia Cabrera (Spain\/Catalonia) and Isabelle Duverger (France) presented across two galleries at Mana Contemporary. Qualia and Perennial Land \/ The Data Forest transform space through projection mapping, light, and data-driven storytelling, inviting audiences into a sensory exploration of perception, memory, and the relationship between nature and technology.<\/p>\n Artist Talks on June 12 at 11:00am (Conference Talk) and June 13 at 3:00pm (Public Talk).<\/p>\n BILL BOWERS – IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING |\u00a0<\/strong>New Jersey Premiere on Saturday, June 6 at 3:00pm at Mana Contemporary (888 Newark Ave).\u00a0A solo performance by celebrated mime and physical theater artist Bill Bowers, known for work that explores identity and the LGBTQ+ experience through movement and storytelling. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING is a uniquely crafted autobiographical tour-de-force in which Bill shares funny, heartbreaking, and unbelievable true stories from his career as an actor and mime, and his life-long exploration of the role silence plays in all our lives.\u00a0\u201cZestful and endearing\u2026 full of life.\u201d – The New York Times. Run time is 75 minutes. Ages 16 and up.<\/p>\n GISELLE<\/strong> |\u00a0Sunday, June 7 at 7:00pm at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave).\u00a0A Latin-infused reimagining of the classic Giselle, blending world music with the timeless romantic ballet narrative.\u00a0Ages 8 and up.<\/p>\n READING OF WAAFRICA 123 by Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko |\u00a0<\/strong>New Jersey Premiere on Sunday, June 7 at 4:00pm at Mana Contemporary (888 Newark Ave).\u00a0Directed by Ghana-based artist Kobina Hagan, Waafrica 123 is a bold theatrical work examining queerness and identity through an African lens. Community partner is National Queer Theater. Performed by T\u1eb9m\u00edday\u1ecd Amay, Amari Flynn, Bernadette Mira Hagen, Le\u2019Asha Julius, Shiro Kihagi and Christopher Tucker.\u00a0Run time is 1:45. Ages 18 and up.<\/p>\n SYRIAN SOAP<\/strong> |\u00a0New Jersey Premiere on Sunday, June 7 at 7:00pm at Mana Contemporary (888 Newark Ave). Written by E. Zaalan, original direction by Natasha Mercado, and performed by Edib Farhan. Award-winning standup and clown Edib Farhan presents Syrian Soap, a 60-minute absurd ancestral intervention inspired by Syrian soap operas and set in an intergalactic bathhouse. Community partner is National Queer Theater.\u00a0Run time is 60 minutes. Ages 18 and up.<\/p>\n TIZIANO CRUZ – Three Ways to Sing to a Mountain |\u00a0<\/strong>New Jersey Premiere on Tuesday, June 9 at 7:00pm and Thursday, June 11 at 7:00pm at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave).\u00a0Tiziano Cruz is an artist from the periphery of Argentina. From a selection of autobiographical marks, he composes scenic narratives, invoking the memory of the body and the power of his Andean ancestors, in a desperate attempt, not only to silence the mourning of his dead sister, but also, as a possibility to reconcile with the world. This conference is the result of six years of unbridled research and writing about grief, loss, social, economic and cultural injustice in some lost villages in the periphery of Argentina.\u00a0\u201cTiziano Cruz weaves the intimate and the political with unstoppable force. We haven\u2019t recovered.\u201d – Les Inrocks (France)\u00a0Run time is 50 minutes. Ages 16 and up.<\/p>\n