Teatro dell'Argine

ph. Lucio Summa

In 1994, twenty young theatre artists decided to get together to develop a special idea of theatre.

A theatre meant as an open and inclusive space and action.

A theatre which regains its ancient social and political feature, together with its artistic and cultural value.

A theatre that can metaphorically become the centre of our cities and societies again, an agora, a place of encounter not only for spectators, but for people of any age, gender, culture, experience, background, status.

A theatre whose function is not limited to what happens on stage, with artists and performances, but also includes what happens in the audience, what are the needs and desires of spectators; a theatre which takes care of the relationships between people through artistic practices on the border between art, culture, education, social. And those practices are occasions and tools for exchange, enrichment, wellbeing, intergenerational and intercultural dialogue, and active citizenship.

Since almost 27 years, these are the keywords of Teatro dell’Argine’s mission: with the same philosophy, the company produces shows, hosts national and international artists, organizes workshops with professionals and non-professionals of all ages and origins, builds networks and fosters exchanges with local organizations, invents activities of audience engagement and training, creates a theatre which is strongly rooted in its local area, while at the same time creating projects and actions in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Centre and South America.

This ability of intending theatre practice as a 360-degrees action has made the Teatro dell’Argine a reference point on the national and international level not only in the artistic field (Italian Critics’ Award 2006, Hystrio Award for Dramaturgy 2009, Special Ubu Award 2011, Camillo Grandi Award 2012, Italian Critics’ Award 2015, Nico Garrone Award 2015, Ubu Award 2015, Italian Critics’ Award 2017, Eolo Awards 2018) but also in the creation and implementation of special projects in the intercultural, social and educational fields.

The company is based in San Lazzaro di Savena, near Bologna, and has the artistic direction of the municipal theatre ITC Teatro. Other venues connected to the theatre are ITC Studio (the place for workshops and rehearsals), ITC Lab (a circus tent) and Teatrobus (a small theatre built inside a former city bus).

Among the many projects:

  • Exoduses is a theatre project and workshop dedicated to teenagers and young coming from many different countries including Italy.
  • The Words and the City is an artistic and cultural project around the concept of the ideal city and the relationship between theatre and the community: workshops, meetings, and a huge participatory show involving artists, theatre students, members of associations and NGOs of the local area and citizens of the surrounding community.
  • Lampedusa Mirrors is an international project in the frame of the Tandem Shaml programme, in partnership with Eclosion d’Artistes (Tunisia), to talk with teens and young about migration far from the common narrative and using theatre tools, and to train young theatre professionals to work in difficult contexts.
  • Futuri Maestri is a project of participatory theatre, involving more than 1.000 kids and teens from 3 to 18 in interviews, multidisciplinary workshops, meetings, special events, an exhibition and a show about 5 keywords of our contemporary times: war, love, work, crisis, migration.
  • The Promised Land is an international project about the role of arts and culture in the inclusion of people with a migration or refugee background: training sessions and exchange of practices and methodologies between English, Italian, Turkish, German and French partners coming from different sectors.
  • Acting Together #WithRefugees (in partnership with UNHCR) is a project meant to involve and include people with a migration or refugee background through artistic workshops; to train social and educational workers to the use of theatre tools in intercultural contexts; and to create a local and a national network of organizations working in intercultural contexts, to facilitate the exchange of competences and the reciprocal training and assistance.
  • Politico Poetico is a project of active citizenship through theatre, about the issues of environmental, social and economic sustainability, involving 500 teenagers of the Bologna Metropolitan Area in workshops, theatre and advocacy events and a show in virtual reality about stories of disadvantaged teenagers.

Micaela Casalboni - Teatro dell'Argine


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