From June 30 to July 20, 2025, for the sixth time sessions of Innopraktika School, the international educational project, will start in St. Petersburg. This project supports young artists interested in world and Russian culture. For the first time in the history of the School, Art and Choreography sessions will be held simultaneously, bringing together more than 30 students from 19 countries in a single educational and creative program.

The project was created on the initiative of the Innopraktika company and is being implemented with the participation of leading cultural institutions of Russia. The Choreography session will be held at the Boris Eifman Dance Academy under the artistic direction of the maestro, and the participants of the Art session will study in the workshops of St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts. The project program covers academic training, development of critical artistic thinking and practical implementation of creative ideas.

Study, inspiration and the final result

For three weeks, students from Asia, Africa, America and Europe will study under the guidance of teachers from leading Russian creative universities. The educational program will result in two exciting events: an exhibition of works by students of the Art session in the Italian Hall of the Academy of Fine Arts and the Festival of Innopraktika School Global Values with the participation of Choreography session graduates and students of the Boris Eifman Dance Academy.

Russian choreographers Uliana Marchuk, Galina Gorbunova, as well as participants of the School of previous years, now graduates of the Dance Academy, Igor Klinskii and Artem Meltishinov will work with foreign dancers.

The key theme for 2025 is “Creativity Unites”. Participants of the sessions will try to express in their works what truly unites people – universal human values, encrypted in the cultural codes of different countries.

"We live in a world where art is becoming a unique form of dialogue between cultures, capable of overcoming borders. Innopraktika School project is not just a platform for exchanging experiences, but a tool for forming a new global community of young artists and dancers who feel part of a single cultural space," notes Natalia Popova, First Deputy General Director of the Innopraktika Company.

Participants, geography and selection of the best

This year, the project broke several records in terms of the number of applications. The Art session received 447 applications from 45 countries, and following the results of the competitive selection, 16 participants (14 artists and 2 sculptors) from 12 countries were selected: Brazil, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, India, Finland, Italy, South Korea, Colombia, Niger, Uganda and China.

The choreographic session received 394 applications from 55 countries. The Expert Council formed a shortlist of 19 finalists, from which 15 participants (12 dancers and 3 choreographers) from 10 countries were selected: Italy, India, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, China, the USA, Bulgaria, the UK, Malaysia and the Philippines.

"For the first time in the history of the project, we are holding Art and Choreography sessions simultaneously. This decision has allowed us not only to expand educational and cultural opportunities for students, but also to create a new common environment where artists and dancers, working in different formats, can inspire each other. We see how new ideas are born, how interdisciplinary connections are formed. In 2025, 31 students from 19 countries will take part in the School, and we are confident that their exchange will be very productive," comments Aleksey Lebedev, curator of Innopraktika School.

The cultural code of Russia is at the heart of the program

An important part of the project is an extensive cultural program: participants will visit iconic places in St. Petersburg, including the State Hermitage Museum, the Russian Museum, the Mariinsky and Mikhailovsky theaters, and the Peterhof palaces.

Innopraktika School continues its path as a unique platform connecting generations, countries, and cultures through art, creating a space for professional development and humanitarian rapprochement for young creators from all over the world. In 2025, session participants will not only gain valuable experience working in the international community, but will also become part of a large team where creativity truly unites — not only in words, but also in deeds.