1976
Inspired by the Italian tradition of puppet theatre, a group of young students creates a theatre collective named La Baracca.
Inspired by the Italian tradition of puppet theatre, a group of young students creates a theatre collective named La Baracca.
1979
The company becomes a cooperative.
La Baracca receive the acknowledgement of the Ministry of Culture.
1982
La Baracca and the Municipality of Bologna enter into an agreement that allows La Baracca to run and administer a theatre for children and families only.
It is the first agreement in Italy between a public body and a TYA company, Teatro Sanleonardo becomes the first TYA Centre in Italy.
The company receives the acknowledgement of the Emilia- Romagna Region.
1986
In collaboration with educators and pedagogues of the Municipalityof Bologna, La Baracca launches the research project Il nido e il teatro (The Theatre and The Crèche), to investigate the relationship between theatre and early years.
1995
The agreement with the Municipality of Bologna continues to be renewed, and La Baracca is offered a new working space, Teatro Testoni, where the company can develop new projects.
2002
As a result of a longstanding collaboration which started in 1983 with theatre workshops in middle schools and as an extra-curricular activity for teenagers, the Municipality of Medicina and La Baracca enter into an agreement that allows La Baracca to run and administer the theatre hall at Magazzino Verde, located in the town’s park.
The agreement has been constantly renewed, ultimately leading to the creation of the project MedicinaTeatro.
2004
First edition of the international festival of art and culture for early years Visioni di futuro, visioni di teatro… at Testoni Ragazzi Theatre.
2005
The Small size project is launched, the first of five projects supported by the European Union, thanks to the Culture Programme first, and later to Creative Europe, in the form of a partnership promoting the diffusion of performing arts for early years.
2014
The Testoni Ragazzi Theatre becomes home to Assitej International, the association that promotes the development of theatre for young audiences in the world with over 80 national and international partner centres, and to ASSITEJ Italia, the Italian national centre.
2017
La Baracca and the Municipality of Bologna subscribe ZeroThreeSix… Theatre Protocol, a project with a special focus on performing activities for children from 0 to 6 to dedicated to crèche and kindergarten audiences as well as families.
2018
Mapping – A Map on the aesthetics of performing arts for early years is selected by the European Commission and supported by the Creative Europe programme until 2023. The project involves 18 partners from 17 Countries, including La Baracca as its project leader.
2024
After two years of works of redevelopment in which La Baracca programmes in other theatre spaces, the Testoni Ragazzi Theatre reopens with a renovated space that goes in the direction of a Cultural Centre for Children and Teenagers.
