http://www.kopergietery.be

KOPERGIETERY emerged from Speeltheater Gent, the company founded by Eva Bal in 1978. The then Ministry of Culture had asked her to give youth theatre a new elan. This led to Speeltheater Gent, a place where theatre for and by young people was the central feature. Speeltheater Gent only found its own permanent location in 1993: a former factory premises where copper was once founded was given a new use and hence KOPERGIETERY (‘copper foundry’) was born.

KOPERGIETERY is a house which creates productions for children and youngsters. It also frequently plays host to companies from the domestic and international youth theatre circuit who are regularly invited to perform. KOPERGIETERY also has a broad international presence itself (Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Luxembourg, Great Britain) and holds weekly theatre workshops for young people in order to encourage their cultural development.

KOPERGIETERY is a house with many rooms, a breeding ground, a laboratory for talent, rather than a theatre factory which brings its products onto the market when appropriate and buys those of fellow companies. It is a place to which new generations of theatre-makers, directors, actors, composers, filmmakers, choreographers, visual artists and set designers have access as well as established names, a place where they can obtain advice, support and feedback on an artistic and production level and where they can set out on a path which will eventually lead to independence. The permanent artists within KOPERGIETERY are founder/theatre-maker Eva Bal, current artistic director Johan De Smet and choreographer Ives Thuwis.

September 2009 signalled a new milestone in the activities of KOPERGIETERY as it began work on a new urban regeneration project called 'Bruggen naar Rabot'. Following a request from the City of Ghent, KOPERGIETERY is involving the young residents of this Ghent district in its theatre activities. The building complex in which the parish activities for the Rabot area and the Mandala Freinet school are based were equipped with a brand-new auditorium in the form of the ‘Toreken’ which will serve as a ‘drop-in’ centre for children from the local neighbourhood and as a ‘centre of operations’ for cultural initiatives in the district.

Some of KOPERGIETERY’s recent productions include Rennen, De legende van Woesterdam (in co-production with Studio Orka), Pubers bestaan niet (coproduced by Ontroerend Goed), Eerste Sneeuw/Première Neige (coproduced by Vélo Théâtre) and Het verdriet aan de overkant.