Starting with the 2025/26 season, we have implemented so-called trigger warnings – content warnings regarding themes present in our shows. These have been developed by specialists from Centrum Terapii Dialog.
“At the Syrena Theatre, we follow trends that define modern cultural institutions and strive to meet the expectations of our audience,” says the theatre’s director, Monika Walecka. “For this reason, at the beginning of this theatre season, we introduced content warnings for every individual production in our repertoire. We want to help our audience make informed and comfortable decisions about which shows they wish to attend”.
The warning system for the Syrena Theatre was developed by specialists from the renowned psychiatric and psychological clinic Centrum Terapii Dialog in Warsaw. They identified which elements in individual shows might cause discomfort or evoke difficult memories for some audience members. These include themes such as discrimination, illness, scenes depicting violence or sex, audience interaction, or the use of vulgar language on stage.
“Theatre and art exist, among other things, to evoke emotions, provoke reflection, and push boundaries. But every viewer comes to the theatre with their own story and has the right to decide which topics they want to engage with – and which they prefer to avoid,” explains Zuzanna Żmijewska from Centrum Terapii Dialog, one of the co-creators of the warnings system. “For every production in Syrena’s repertoire, we have indicated which themes are present in the show. Similar labels are commonly used for films, TV series, books, and other works of culture. In English, they are known as „trigger warnings”.
The warnings are available on the theatre’s website in both Polish and English. We include links to them in the descriptions of all our shows, and the system will be updated with each new premiere at the Syrena Theatre.
“The trigger warning system is yet another stage of our successful collaboration with Centrum Terapii Dialog,” emphasizes Syrena’s director, Monika Walecka. “Previously, they served as a substantive partner for our production “On Drugs”, which addresses the problem of the opioid epidemic in the United States. Specialists from the clinic acted as expert consultants for the scriptwriters, cast, and entire production team”.
Project partner
For 20 years, Centrum Terapii Dialog has been caring for the mental health of Warsaw’s residents. The psychiatrists and psychologists at Dialog are experienced and verified specialists in areas such as sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, neuroses, mood disorders, and many others.
If you need support, don’t hesitate to contact Dialog: www.psychiatrzy.warszawa.pl