Theatre Barbaros
theatre@barbaros.fr
Theatre Barbaros - about us
please note: the information on this page is shared exclusively in the context of our start-up fundraising efforts. For publicly available information about Theatre Barbaros, please visit the main page of our website: barbaros.fr
To get in contact, please write to Paul at paul@barbaros.fr
For more information about our fundraising campaign, and how you can join us, please click the "support us" button at the top of this page.
Our Mission: in search of the true theatre
Theatre Barbaros starts from a conviction: that the true theatre, when realised, enriches the lives of those who touch it.
2500 years ago in Athens, the first theatre was a vital social institution, esteemed and funded alongside healthcare, education, and defence. All the citizens attended. This was the true theatre: an invigorating arena, secular but sacred, in which a community confronts itself.
Our mission is to search for a contemporary equivalent. In increasingly fractured and divided times, this seems to us a meaningful contribution to the present human project.
Our Method: a resident theatre ensemble
Theatre Barbaros is set to open in spring 2022. We have bought an old farm in Creuse, central France, which will become the permanent home of our resident theatre ensemble, and a public meeting place for artists, audiences, and visitors.
Living rurally, we are able to rehearse long and slow. We will create a repertoire of theatre productions that are the product of patient, rigorous, and critical collaboration. These productions will be performed on tour across Europe and for intimate audiences who visit our home.
Our Impact: a vibrant public project
Theatre is a local art form.
Our theatre is not a retreat. We deliberately situate our ensemble practice at the heart of a vibrant public project.
The downstairs of the house will be converted into a café, library, and music room. The first floor houses a three-bedroom B&B, and the top level contains a six-bed dormitory for visiting artists and volunteers. Throughout the year we will organise workshops, residencies, community dinners, and small performances.
We design many routes into and through Theatre Barbaros, bringing our work into contact with an unusually diverse public.
Links to more detailed information
Theatre as Method and Meeting Place - an extended mission statement, written for artists and collaborators
Timeline - an overview of our development work of the last few years, and plans for our first eighteen months of activity
We are looking for a small group of individuals to join us as Founding Supporters of Theatre Barbaros.
We are asking for donations of £1000, £5000, or £10000: generous gestures of trust at the very beginning of our journey that will make possible all that follows.
For each supporter, we will find the best possible way to welcome you into the Theatre Barbaros community. We can offer holidays at our b&b, tickets to our performances for you and your friends, the chance to participate on our residential workshops, and much more.
To begin a discussion, please contact Paul at paul@barbaros.fr
How much do you still need to raise?
As of October 2021, we need to raise a further 60 000 € (approx £51,000) to fund the start up phase of Theatre Barbaros: Jan 2022 - June 2023.
What will the money be used for?
This money will fund the creation of our site: we'll transform the large barn into a magnificent theatre studio, build living quarters for our resident ensemble, and furnish the public areas of the project like the b&b, library, cafe, and music room.
What will you have accomplished by the end of the start-up phase?
By the end of this period we will have completed the renovation and construction work of our site, consolidated our resident ensemble and created our first theatre production, and established our main revenue streams (the B&B and café).
How will you continue to fund Theatre Barbaros after this period?
Looking further forward, we are confident that the B&B and cafe income, supplemented by hosting occasional workshops and performances, bookings of our performances by theatre festivals, and EU funding for specific arts and community projects, can sustain the running costs of our site and theatre work.
How can you receive donations?
Donations can be made either in Sterling to our registered UK charity Barbaros Ensemble, or in Euros to our registered French association Theatre Barbaros. Donations made to the UK charity are eligible for Gift Aid.
| Start-up Expenditure, Jan 2022 - June 2023 | € |
|---|---|
| Renovation and construction | 125 000 |
| Set up equipment, furniture | 20 000 |
| Tax, insurance, administration | 10 000 |
| Running cost: food, utilities, fuel | 40 000 |
| Theatre practice: stipends, travel, equipment | 25 000 |
| total expenditure | 220 000 |
| Income | € |
|---|---|
| Funding already secured (after completing property purchase) | 50 000 |
| French government grants (secured) | 45 000 |
| Income from cafe and b&b (expected) | 25 000 |
| EU funding (low estimate, expected from October 2022) | 40 000 |
| Ongoing fundraising campaign | 60 000 |
| total income | 220 000 |