The KOREJA Social Enterprise Cooperative Society is a Theater recognized by the Ministry of Culture as a CENTER FOR THEATER PRODUCTION OF EXPERIMENTATION AND THEATER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH, within which a group of artists and pedagogues operate who produce shows and create with more diverse social realities, training and laboratory activities in line with the high educational value of theatre.
The first nucleus of the Koreja Theater was established in 1985 in Aradeo (Le) under the direction of Salvatore Tramacere. In 1998 Koreja moved its headquarters to Lecce on the outskirts of the city, in the Borgo Pace district. Here he bought and renovated a former brick factory at his own expense, transforming it into a theater house: the Koreja Theater Building Sites. In 2003 Koreja was recognized by the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities as the “Stable Theater of Innovation” of Salento for research and experimentation, confirming its productive vocation and strong roots in the territory.
In 2015 the Koreja Theater Sites were recognized by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage as a “Theatrical Production Centre”.
The Koreja Theater is a particular space: an area of 3000 m2, a former brick factory, redesigned for Culture and Entertainment. A composite place, equipped with outdoor and indoor spaces intended for theatre, dance, music, cinema, video, figurative arts, new communication technologies, training. The interaction between the different moments of production, programming, training, reception and integration, the identification of a context of spectators/beneficiaries, the choice of the field of contemporaneity as research on the “new”, hospitality and multifunctionality, represent the cornerstones of Koreja’s design model. Koreja’s artistic project is made up of works, actions and stories but, above all, of the profound need to build a “residence of theater and culture” open to innovations, to comparison between different generations. For this reason, Koreja has always organized artistic and cultural activities and carried out socio-cultural intervention projects aimed at minors at risk, disabled people, prisoners, migrants and the elderly.
In 2018, thanks to the project co-financed by the European Union POR FESR Puglia 2014-2020, the Koreja Shipyards are enriched with a guesthouse, an innovative structure in eco-friendly wood consisting of 4 apartments.
Since 2019 the Soc. Coop. Koreja has become a Social Enterprise.
ARCHIVE
In 2007 the Archival Superintendence for Puglia declared, pursuant to law 42/2004, the Koreja archive of “particularly important historical interest”. The archive consists of founding documents, correspondence, theater scripts, posters, rehearsal and stage photos, audio, videotapes and press reviews from 1977 to today.
The inventory of the historical archive of Koreja can be consulted on SIUSA, the Unified Information System for Archival Superintendencies.
WHAT DO WE DO
The main activities concern production, promotion, research and theatrical pedagogy through shows, tours, workshops and internships aimed at young people and adults in close relationship with the territory.
Currently Koreja’s activity is based on: artistic production and circulation; on the improvement of the artistic-cultural offer with particular attention to disadvantaged peripheral areas and minors with disabilities; on the valorisation and increase of the activity of museum centers through theatrical itineraries; on reading education for children and adolescents or disadvantaged groups; on raising young people’s awareness of the world of music, especially lesser-known and classical genres; on the diffusion of theatrical artistic culture in the area with particular attention to young people’s productions; on education and awareness of energy efficiency and saving by encouraging the culture of recycling and reuse; on urban regeneration for the recovery of the territory and valorisation of areas of historical archaeological interest.
SHOWS
The company has produced almost 70 shows dedicated to different audiences, of which 20 are currently in repertoire.
INTERNATIONAL TOURS
The international touring activity has seen Koreja visit almost 50 different countries around the world, launching, on an innovative basis, internationalization processes and integrated actions of exchanges and collaborations between artists and professionals from different geographical areas.
SOCIAL ACTIVITY
Koreja is not only a place that the public appreciates for its cultural qualities, but also as an agent of social transformation and an instrument of growth for the community, which puts its resources at the service of people, even those who suffer from a condition of “Cultural Divides” (educational poverty, foreigners, disabled people, etc.).
ACCESSIBILITY
At the Koreja Theater all the places intended for welcoming the public are accessible and without architectural barriers: there are no steps, stairs or narrow passages that prevent the transit of wheelchairs or walking aids, guaranteeing the full autonomy and dignity of people in difficulty . Furthermore, Koreja is an open and family friendly place, the first in Puglia to have obtained the “Puglia Loves Family” recognition: it has a changing area equipped with all comforts and spaces dedicated to parking strollers.
Koreja has embraced a mission based on sustainability and a more eco-conscious perspective: it promotes the use of bicycles through incentives, green routes and the presence of internal parking areas.
pic by Eduardo De Matteis
