Europe is the cradle of culture: our heritage encompasses Greek dramas and Shakespeare’s deep understanding of human nature, Italian opera and French café-theatre.

European culture identifies itself very much with its own representation of human life: a representation which, as the Italian master Luigi Pirandello once clearly explained, can have thousands of nuances and faces.

In their diversity, European theatres also face problems and issues common to all: how can sustained financial support be ensured? What possibilities are there for common cooperation? What could the European dimension be to the work of theatres?

In order to answer these questions, last Friday the AER and the German ‘Theater an der Ruhr’ organised a meeting in the Brussels office of the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, which was attended by over 30 participants, representing AER member regions and regional theatres.

The newly established network will work on:
– a common internet platform, which will act as an exchange forum for regions and theatres;
– exchange projects among members, in order to widen their range of work experience;
– the organisation of meetings and schemes on specific thematic issues, plus the exchange of know-how.

The next meeting of the network will take place next autumn, in the framework of a regional theatre festival. Seminars and workshops on the issue of theatre funding and sponsorship will also take place during the event.

Regional theatres interested in joining the network or in hosting the upcoming meeting can contact the AER Secretariat.

For more information: [email protected]