Théâtre de la Tête Noire: 30th anniversary (Saran - Loiret)
The Théâtre de la Tête Noire will be 30 years old in early 2015.
In 1985, Patrice Douchet, director and artistic director, created the company Théâtre de la Tête Noire. The City of Saran provides the company with the old chapel of the Aydes. In 2000, as a company, the Théâtre de la Tête Noire became "Stage conventionnée pour les écritures contemporaines" in 2003.
The beginnings of the DRAC Centre/Théâtre de la Tête Noire partnership
The DRAC archives go back to 1989.
The Théâtre de la Tête Noire was then a young company, receiving support from the DRAC. That same year, the DRAC also subsidized the company for the establishment of a theatrical library and the creation of a show commemorating the Bicentenary of the French Revolution "Tonight we shorten" by Pierre Christin in sets by Annie Goetzinger (both working in the comic strip), a show taken up at the Avignon Festival.
Although a simple company, the Théâtre de la Tête Noire functions very early on as a permanent theatre venue with an original and regular programming based on research around contemporary theatre.
The DRAC supported the company from the outset for its creative activity, its work in favour of the public and its interventions in schools. In 2000, the company became a contract company.
At the same time, the State, together with the City and the Region, decides to undertake a complete renovation of the premises (construction, professional development, upgrading).
In 2002, it was renovated, with a theatre library and a 200-seat hall that reopened its doors.
Today, the Théâtre de la Tête Noire plays a fundamental role in the Centre region in welcoming young teams, through residencies of companies and authors, a reading committee and multidisciplinary programming focused on contemporary writing.
A cultural place of worship: the Old Chapel of the Aydes
The old chapel in which the Théâtre de la Tête Noire is housed has known several lives.
A first chapel is built in XIIe century then burned and demolished by the English, during the Hundred Years War. The second, built in XVe century on the same site, is a place of pilgrimage very frequented by the Orleans throughout the XVIe century. In turn, it suffered the ravages of religious wars.
The third chapel of the Aydes, the one we know today, was built by order of Henry III, under the direction of the governor of Orléans, from 1588 to 1590. Dedicated to Sainte-Anne, it was blessed on November 18, 1590, as indicated by the date still inscribed on its side door.
A side nave was added in 1636.
In 1850, the parishioners undertook major repairs, and a new spire was built at the west end of the church above the side door. However, it seems that at that time, worship in this chapel was only celebrated as a relief church.
The history of Notre-Dame-des-Aydes is associated with the fighting that raged on October 11, 1870. It served as a refuge for French soldiers, heroically resisting the Prussians. A commemorative plaque commemorates this historic event.
One hundred years later, in 1970, the City of Saran acquired this disused place of worship, before beginning, in 1980, major rehabilitation work and putting it, in 1981, at the disposal of a theatre company. The chapel was desecrated in 1993.
In 2000, after extensive renovation work, the chapel finally became a space dedicated to the creation and hosting of shows.
Topicality
In 2013, the Black Head Theatre Convention was renewed for a period of three years. Signed by the State (DRAC) and the Regional Council, it confirms the agreed scene in its missions of development and promotion of contemporary writings through creation, residencies, dissemination, awareness raising, support for authors, of European openness.
To find out more
We walked on the stage: the book of the ten years of the theatre of the Blackhead / Théâtre de la Tête noire. Saran: Théâtre de la Tête Noire, 1995. 49p.
A place of worship transformed into a theatre twenty-seven years ago. Orleans metropolis, 28/08/2012
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