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| Kaaitheater | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kaaitheater |
| Caption | Kaaitheater exterior |
| Address | 3, Rue de la Petite Oie |
| City | Brussels |
| Country | Belgium |
| Opened | 1978 |
| Capacity | 500 |
| Type | Performing arts centre |
Kaaitheater
Kaaitheater is a contemporary performing arts venue in Brussels, Belgium, known for interdisciplinary programming that spans theatre, dance, performance art, and festivals. Founded in the late 20th century, it has hosted international artists and companies from Europe and beyond, collaborating with institutions across Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, London, Berlin, and New York. The venue functions as a cultural hub linking local initiatives with major festivals and institutions such as Festival d'Avignon, Venice Biennale, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Schauspielhaus Zürich, and Festival d'Automne.
The institution emerged amid cultural renewal in Brussels alongside organizations like Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, BOZAR, La Bellone, Kunstenfestivaldesarts, and Ancienne Belgique. Early decades connected the venue with figures from the European avant-garde, including exchanges with Pina Bausch, Jan Fabre, Heiner Müller, Robert Wilson, and Ellen Stewart of La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. During the 1980s and 1990s it forged partnerships with companies such as TG Stan, Wim Vandekeybus' Ultima Vez, Jan Ritsema, Les Arts Florissants, and Compagnie Marie Chouinard, while collaborating with curators from MACBA, Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, Kunsthal Rotterdam, and Kunstmuseum Basel. The venue adapted programming after policy shifts involving Flemish Government, Brussels-Capital Region, European Commission, and funding bodies like Mondriaan Fund and Fonds voor Podiumkunsten. Key historical moments included seasons coinciding with events at Expo 58, Brussels 2000 Cultural Year, and the European Capital of Culture initiatives.
Situated in a former industrial zone near landmarks such as Place Sainte-Catherine, Mont des Arts, Grand-Place of Brussels, and Place de la Bourse, the building reflects adaptive reuse trends seen at Turbinenhalle, Gasometer Oberhausen, and Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex. The complex contains a main auditorium, studio spaces, rehearsal rooms, and a café-bar used for talks and residencies; these facilities mirror setups at Sadler's Wells, Théâtre National de Chaillot, KVS (Brussels), and Berliner Festspiele. Technical capabilities support scenography influenced by practitioners from Heiner Goebbels, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Robert Lepage, and companies such as Complicité and Cirque du Soleil. Renovations over time engaged architects and firms associated with projects like OMA, RCR Arquitectes, Toyo Ito, and Henning Larsen Architects.
Artistic direction has prioritized experimentation, commissioning, and international co-productions, aligning with curatorial strategies from Festival Internacional de Teatro, Biennale di Venezia, ImPulsTanz Vienna International Dance Festival, and Performa (New York). The programming mixes local creators—affiliates of Brussels Arts Council, Flamish Theatre, and Flemish Opera—with visiting ensembles such as Compagnie Käfig, Gob Squad, Forced Entertainment, and Les Ballets C de la B. Long-term projects have linked to research networks like EU Culture Programme, Creative Europe, TransArtists, and European Dancehouse Network. The venue has hosted themed seasons echoing initiatives by Metropolitan Museum of Art and Hay Festival and curated series with partners including Concertgebouw Brugge, Royal Opera House, Coliseum Barcelona, and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
Notable performances have included works by choreographers and directors associated with Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Wim Vandekeybus, Jan Fabre, Jan Ritsema, Romeo Castellucci, Helmut Lachenmann, and Robert Wilson. International artists presented include Emanuel Gat, Akram Khan, Omar Porras, Krzysztof Warlikowski, Thomas Ostermeier, Claudio Monteverdi ensembles, and companies like Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's Eastman, Compagnie Marie Chouinard, Big Dance Theater, and Ballets C de la B. Co-productions have linked to festivals and theatres such as Avignon Festival, Venice Biennale, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Théâtre de la Ville, and Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz.
The institution runs outreach and education programs collaborating with schools, conservatories, and universities including Royal Conservatory of Brussels, Université libre de Bruxelles, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Workshops, masterclasses, and residency schemes have connected emerging artists to mentors from SITI Company, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker's Rosas, Dorkypark, Nederlands Dans Theater, and Les Ballets de Monte Carlo. Community initiatives partner with cultural centers like Muntpunt, Tour & Taxis, Cultural Center Strombeek-Bever, and NGOs such as Emmaüs, Caritas International, and Sustainable Development Commission Brussels-linked programs. Public debates and symposiums often feature speakers from European Cultural Foundation, Acción Cultural Española, British Council, and Goethe-Institut.
The venue and its artists have received awards and nominations linked to institutions such as Laurence Olivier Awards, Molière Awards, Cannes Film Festival juries for performance cinema projects, Bessie Awards, Golden Lion, and Flemish recognitions like Flemish Culture Prize and Prize of the Vlaamse Gemeenschap. Productions presented here have been shortlisted for prizes from Elsevier Prize, European Theatre Prize, Premio Ubu, and Critics' Circle National Dance Awards. Collaborating artists have been laureates of Prémio Autores, Princess Margriet Award, Caro Emerald Prize, and fellowships from Guggenheim Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and Nadia Boulanger Institute.
Category:Theatres in Brussels