Istitutions and regional production centre
Emilia Romagna Theatre (ERT), the permanent public theatre company in Emilia-Romagna, is one of the many bodies funded partly by public and partly by private money and promoted by the Region. . Since 1977 it has been active as the prose sector of ATER. In 1991 it was made into an autonomous organism by the Region and the City of Modena; in April, 2001 it became a Foundation. ERT above all is a prose theatre production centre. With some 78 shows produced to its credit, it works in two main directions: first, it interfaces with theatre directors, and second, it carries out research into alternative productions and performance spaces (alternative, that is, to the large scale auditorium), working to meet the demands of a complex and diversified audience. This is an audience that participates actively as a client to which a service must be provided by bringing to town the cream of the nation’s theatre groups, but is also a changing audience, susceptible to the stimulus of daring new departures. Among the numerous directors who have collaborated in the past few years with ERT we may cite Giancarlo Corbelli, Cesare Lievi, Pippo Delbono, Enrique Vargas, Eimuntas Nekrożius and Massimo Castri. ERT´s production centres are the Storchi Theatre (from 1991) and the Teatro delle Passioni (from 1999) in Modena and the Bonci Theatre in Cesena (from 2001). The recent programmes of the two Modena theatres proposed shows of different variety and epoch, maintaining throughout a high quality with the best of interpreters and directors, with valid subjects taken from the dramatic patrimony of many different cultures. The performances for the children´s and young people´s theatre introduce a progressive, enriching familiarity with the theatre from earliest childhood.
Besides the theatres of Modena and Cesena already mentioned, ERT manages the seasons and activities of 11 other theatres in the region: Bonci Theatre in Cesena, Regina Theatre in Cattolica, Testoni Theatre in Casalecchio di Reno, Petrella Theatre in Longiano, Dadà Theatre in Castelfranco Emilia, Nuovo Theatre in Mirandola, Mac Mazzieri Theatre in Pavullo, Nuovo Cinema Teatro Italia in Soliera, Asioli Theatre in Correggio, Auditorium Enzo Ferrari in Maranello and Barattoni Theatre in Ostellato.
In the year 2000 the Emilia-Romagna region asked ERT to collaborate in the reopening of the Mijeni Theatre in Scutari, Albania, both for the structure as well as organisation and artistic direction.
An important opportunity for closer ties with the international stage comes with the autumn season which takes place in various theatres in Emilia-Romagna and is entitled Le vie dei Festival.
The season plays host to some of the most interesting projects from Italian and foreign summer festivals and frequently features companies making their Italian debut, mixing styles and languages and offering major theatrical experiences. All this without neglecting our home-grown experimental theatre groups. Among the numerous guest performers of the past editions we must cite at least Lev Dodin, Alain Platel, Bob Wilson and Philip Glass, Carmelo Bene, Joseph Chaikin and Mathilde Monnier.
ERT’s other activities include theatre training and promotion abroad of artistic projects of international scope. In the year 2000, ERT was accredited by the Emilia-Romagna Region as a professional training facility. Close ties are kept with public school institutions through the organisation of refresher courses for teachers, meetings, conferences and lesson-performances in which more and more students also participate. ERT also plays a key role in stimulating interdisciplinary approaches to knowledge: in this field the series VivaVoce (in cooperation with the Fondazione San Carlo, Modena) is now a regular date and features public readings of non-drama texts for which the act of listening is reinstated as the primary source of knowledge. Mention should also be made of the cycles of readings organized in cooperation with the libraries and designed to deepen public awareness. With international partners and the contribution of the DGV of the European Commission, ERT has initiated and continues research on culture and on the economics of live theatre.
ERT - EMILIA-ROMAGNA TEATRO FONDAZIONE
Via Ganaceto 129 - 41100 Modena
Tel. 059.2136011
Fax 059.245332
www.emiliaromagnateatro.com
info@emiliaromagnateatro.com
