The new Teatro del Buratto in the Maciachini district has been inaugurated, designed by architect Italo Rota and dedicated to the youngest audiences in the city of Milan. The first of its kind in Lombardy.
Milan has a new theatre dedicated to childhood and adolescence, the Teatro del Buratto in the Maciachini district, named after Bruno Munari to represent the strong bond between this new hub for theatrical and cultural promotion and the creativity of the Milanese artist who has always directed much of his work towards the world of children. The new structure, designed by architect Italo Rota and built by Generali Real Estate, is located in the Dergano outskirts within the Maciachini business park and rises from the ashes of the pharmaceutical company Carlo Erba. For the first twelve years, it will be managed by Teatro del Buratto, a Milanese company that has been performing for 42 years with theatre shows for young audiences, which won the tender.
The theatre, highly original from an architectural standpoint, presents itself externally as a large yellow cuboid, covered in striking decorative graphics. It spans three floors with a total covered area of approximately 2,000 square metres and is characterised by generous spaces both inside and outside. "A building that lives in symbiosis with the outdoor space of the park that surrounds it," architect Rota explained.
The most innovative element of the new theatre is the auditorium, which can change its configuration according to production requirements: with 384 seats, it has a system of retractable and movable tiered stands to allow different arrangements. "In this way," Rota explains, "the stage can be placed either in front of or in the middle of the stalls, for a more immersive experience. By summer we will have completed the outdoor stalls, and in this way the theatre will be able to accommodate many more audience members and will become the largest open-air stage in Milan."
After the Muba, the Museo dei bambini di Milano, the Teatro del Buratto in Maciachini is the first hub for theatrical and cultural production and promotion dedicated to young people in the City of Milan and throughout Lombardy. The new structure welcomes children and their families at weekends with a rich programme of performances spanning all genres of theatre for young audiences. During the week it opens its doors to Milan's schools with morning matinées, while in the evenings it offers concerts for audiences of young people and adults, as well as events such as workshops, theatre courses, training sessions, international exchanges, community activities, events open to other cultural and creative forms (music, cinema, etc.).
"In questo progetto – ha commentato il sindaco Beppe Sala – c'è la cultura dell'attenzione ai cittadini più importanti, i bambini, che sono la Milano del futuro. C'è anche l'attenzione alle periferie e a quello che considero uno dei punti di forza della città cioè la partnership tra pubblico e privato che funziona".
The 2017–2018 season programme features no fewer than 28 titles dedicated to children and schools and a further 11 conceived for a broader audience. Of the latter, at least four will be new productions and collaborations designed to enrich and diversify the offering. In total, 143 performances are planned for children, schools and adults. The first show to be hosted in the new theatre is entitled Becco di Rame: a true story brought to the stage with great poetry, which sparked enthusiasm among the many children present in the auditorium. After several years in the making, an long-held ambition of the Teatro del Buratto company is thus realised: to create a city-theatre for children and young people, welcoming and inspiring young audiences within a space of great creativity.