Théâtre Ouvert

Formed during the 1971 Festival d’Avignon, the ambitious Théâtre Ouvert began exploring the relation between contemporary performance, set design and the audience through new forms of theatre. By 2011 in Paris, the group had become the National Centre for Contemporary Dramatics, the first establishment of its kind in France, coming a long way in 40 years. Once a travelling theatre group, they ended up taking root in the winter garden of the Cité Véron in the 18th arrondissement. The confrontation between text and performance remains at the core of their work, aiming to enhance the work of writers and theatre practitioners and the audience. Every year the team receives hundreds of manuscripts – some are published in one of their two collections, other are worked on and performed. Resolutely focused on contemporary theatre, the group puts on several original works annually.