CSS – Teatro Stabile di Innovazione del Friuli Venezia Giulia

CSS, Udine was founded in 1978 and in 1984 it was awarded recognition by the Ministero per i Beni e Attività Culturali / Ministry of Culture and Heritage. In January 2000 it became the Teatro stabile di innovazione del Friuli Venezia Giulia, a cultural and occupational cooperative of significant importance. It has a total of 20 working members and employees. An additional team of over 200 people comprising actors, directors, stage designers, costume designers, contracted artists and technicians joins the company at every season.

CSS‘s work is funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture and Heritage, the Regional Council of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Provincial Council of Udine, Udine City Council and Fondazione Friuli.

Its activities take place at a regional, national and for some projects, at an international level through a variety of house productions, venue programming, theatre training and through hosting visiting productions.

At the core of CSS‘s activities is Teatro Contatto’s season of work, since 1982 it has been hosting Italian and international productions of contemporary theatre. Teatro Contatto doesn’t simply hosts visiting companies and artists but it also sets up and realises themed projects, Contatto Beckett, Pier Paolo Pasolini Un viaggio lungo un anno, Living Things-Harold Pinter, Mitico e Viva Pasolini!

Another activity CSS has been running by since 1997 is TIG season of work for the new generations. It consists of matinées specifically targeted at nurseries, primary, middle and secondary schools and involves nine municipalities, located in the southern part of the region and the province of Udine. As well as managing the TIG’s season of work, CSS takes part in the running of the theatre Teatro Pasolini (responsible for the theatre and dance season) in Cervignano, which re-opened 1997.

CSS is also involved in organising training activities, most importantly École des Maîtres, an itinerant international theatre training school with headquarters, for Italy, in Udine, realise, in Europe, together with the French, Belgian and Portuguese Ministries of Culture École des Maîtres won the Leone d’Oro 2007 of the International Theatre Festival – Biennale of Venice.

Since 2015, CSS has been the owner of the Dialoghi project – Residences of the performing arts in Villa Manin curated with ERPaC Regional Body for Cultural Heritage of the FVG, created with the contribution of the MiC Ministry of Culture, Regional Council of Friuli Venezia Giulia.