La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi
Founded in 1976 in Bologna, La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi has been working in the field of theatre for children and early years for the past 40 years.
The company’s productions are addressed exclusively to children and young people, and they are centred on actors theatre and on an original theatrical style.
Over the years, they have developed a poetics aimed at generating amazement, trying to pursue simplicity intended as essentiality, always paying special attention to the relationship with the audience.
To date, La Baracca has produced over 245 shows for children and young people, with more than 15.000 performances.
Every year, new productions for all age groups are realised, for children attending crèches to secondary school students, as well as for those attending primary schools and kindergarten children.
Since their first project “A place for kids”, which started in 1980, La Baracca has strengthened its relationship with the territory. In 1983, La Baracca started to administer the Sanleonardo Theatre, in agreement with the Municipality of Bologna. It was the first agreement between an Italian public body and a theatre company for children and young people.
Since 1995, the theatre has moved to the Teatro Testoni Ragazzi and it has become a Stable Theatre of Innovation for Children and Young People.
Since 2005 they are project leader ofthe “Small size“ project, funded by the European Commission – Culture 2000 programme (2005-2006 / 2006-2009 / 2009-2014).In May 2008, during the “16th World Congress of ASSITEJ International” in Adelaide – Australia, La Baracca wins the ASSITEJ Award for Artistic Excellence 2008.

In February 2010 La Baracca becomes a social cooperative.

In February 2011, “The Charter of children’s rights to art and culture” was awarded the Medal by the President of the Italian Republic.

In August 2014 starts “Small size, Performing Arts for Early Years”, funded by the European Commission – Creative Europe programme, for the period 2014-2018. The project involves 17 partners in 15 different countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, Slovenia, Sweden and United Kingdom.

Since 2014 the Testoni Ragazzi Theatre is home to Assitej International, the association that promotes the development of theater for children and youth in the world and has more than 90 national and international partner centers, and Assitej Italia, the Italian National Center.

In July 2018 the project “Mapping – A Map on the aesthetics of performing arts for early years” was selected and financed by the European Commission – Creative Europe programme, for the period December 2018 – November 2022. The project commits 18 partners from 17 countries.