Theatre in the City’s Hidden Folds

Historically, theatres roamed the city, pioneers of urban development, civilising the areas where they set up. In the case of Barcelona, from Las Ramblas to Passeig de Gràcia, and from there to Paral·lel, theatres have played a crucial role in shaping the city. But once the urban fabric is established, the same dynamics that attract the theatres then cast them out to more peripheral, and even deprived, areas.

The first part of this lecture aimed to map the theatres in the city of Barcelona over several historical periods, summarising the main episodes in the urban spread of theatres from the 15th century to the 20th. The second part of the presentation was focused on theatres from the late 20th century through to the present day that have found their place in the city in what we call "other spaces". Through various strategies, such spaces have found a place in the city by seeking out areas under transformation, unique spaces with affordable rents in the city’s hidden folds, in receptive social and cultural contexts, where they have forged ties with the surrounding environment. Interestingly, these "other spaces" for theatres can often be found in the shadow of major cultural venues.

This lecture looked at some buildings of Barcelona that have been renovated, recycled, transformed and adapted for the stage. From associations and cooperatives that gave refuge to avant-garde proposals in the 1970s to micro-spaces that host small companies in recycled spaces. These historical spaces adapt and open up to the public to put on live art as the city’s peripheral and marginalised areas are conquered by the theatre, either ephemerally or permanently. The city’s relationship with all of these spaces is the reflex (both product and promoter) of cyclical dynamics that, depending on the circumstances, may fit with what Sanchis Sinisterra defined as the "Argentinisation of the theatre".

The ideas and strategies used by Peter Brook, Jean-Guy Lecat and Antoine Vitez in existing space have also been very present, either explicitly or implicitly, in these "other spaces", including the Saló Diana, the first Teatre Lliure at the headquarters of the Cooperativa La Lleialtat de la Vila de Gràcia, the Antic Teatre in the premises of an old Catholic Workers’ Association, La Poderosa in a house-factory in the Raval, La Caldera in an old belt factory in Gràcia, and the installation of La Perla 29 in one of the buildings at the old Hospital de la Santa Creu de Barcelona. This network of spaces showcases Barcelona’s most creative and least known side far away from the razzle-dazzle of the bright billboards.

Ivan Alcázar Serrat

docus24@gmail.com

Ivan Alcázar (Barcelona, 1974) is an architect from Barcelona, Spain. (ETSAB- UPC: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya). He has a Master's degree in Architectural Theory and History and is currently preparing his Doctorate Thesis (PHD) on the links between recycled and new scenic venues in their urban context. Since 2000, he has written and published reviews on architecture and urbanism (ABC/Catalunya, Pasajes de arquitectura y urbanismo, L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui, Benzina, among many others). He also writes on live art, performance and theatre (Nuvol.com, Telondefondo.org, El Triangle, Cabaret electric-Icat FM, etc.). He is editor-in-chief at LiquidDocs magazine and a member of TheatresAtRisk/OEE-Observatory of Scenic Spaces. As a journalist and researcher on the links and interfaces between architecture, urbanism, art and performance art, some of his recent projects can be found on the internet at:

www.dddarq.cat
www.barcelonaespaisescenics.blogspot.com

Antoni Ramon Graells

Antoni Ramon Graells (Barcelona, 1957). Architect, 1983. Born in the Vila de Gràcia he is a teacher of Architecture theory at Barcelona School of Architecture. UPC, Doctorate in architecture in 1989 with the thesis Del simbol a l’espectacle. Idea i forma en els teatres de la I·llustració a l’eclecticisme. He takes part in the University Master’s Degree in Theatre Studies, and in this area of the study of stage spaces, he wrote the Special Plan for the Protection and Improvement of Theatres in Barcelona, 1991; Head Researcher of the projects "Protección y Modernización de teatros", 1992-95, and “Observatorio de espacios escénicos: pautas de elaboración de planes funcionales”, 2012-2014. He is part of the award of the Observatori d’Espais Escènics-Observatori de Teatres en Risc [www.espaciosescenicos.org] of the Prague Quadrennial of Theatre Architecture and Scenography, 2007.

Some publications around the theatre architecture:

2011 “Quadern central. El Teatre a la ciutat” editor, Barcelona Metropololis, no. 83, p. 44-89.

2009 “A l’aurora del segle vint-i-ú: teatre, teatres en risc”, DC. Revista de crítica arquitectónica, no. 17-18, p. 281-292.

2008 “Salvemos las violetas”, ADE teatro, n. 123, December 2008, p. 90-96

2007 With Guillem Aloy, Miquel Andreu, Ekain Olaizola, “Spain. Architecture and technology: Theatres at risk”, Prague Quadrenniale 07, 11th International competitive exhibition of scenography and theatre architecture, June 2007, p. 224

2007. “Teatre per aprendre arquitectura”, Visions, no. 6, April 2007, p. 102-105

Projects:

The Teatre Apol·lo in Vilanova i la Geltrú. Report (in collaboration with Jean Guy Lecat)

2008 Project to turn the Mercat de les Flors into the Centre de les Arts de Moviment (under way, in collaboration with Dino Ibáñez i Associats s. l. and Jean Guy Lecat, stage consultants; Guillem Aloy and Ekain Olaizola, architects, and others)

2010 Basic project of the new “El Centre” headquarters, Llorenç del Penedés (in collaboration with Guillem Aloy and Ekain Olaizola, architects and Dino Ibáñez i Associats s. l. Stage consultants).