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Visit the ATI

Research and Reading Rooms

Explore Czech theatre across time and space. Travel through the texts, images and sounds that can be found in the Arts and Theatre Institute’s reference collections.

Library

Become a reader at one of the largest European libraries devoted to theatre.

Send Us a Question

Our expert staff can answer your questions online. Just fill in the simple form.

Collections

We’re building the memory of Czech theatre. Have a look at all our collections in one place.

Information for Professionals in Culture

News and Information

Our web portals provide information about the various branches of the arts that artists, students, and professionals can use.

Professional Growth

We offer educational programmes and events for people working in the culture sector, artists, and cultural organisations.

Mobility and Residencies

We help your deal with the practical issues of engaging in international cooperation, offer artistic residencies, and provide financial assistance for travel abroad.

International NGOs and Networks

We stay in touch with what’s going on in the world of the performing arts through membership and active participation in international non-governmental theatre organisations and professional networks.

International Professionals in Czech Projects

We support the participation of international professionals in Czech festivals and events that seek to showcase and advance the contemporary Czech performing arts and music scenes.

International Fairs

We regularly organise calls for applications and support individuals traveling to participate in major theatre, dance, and music fairs around the world.

Creative Europe Desk Czech Republic – Culture Office

The Czech Creative Europe Desk provides consultation and information on the European Union’s Creative Europe Programme, which is designed to support the cultural and creative industries.

Projects Supported by EU Programmes

This year, IDU is involved in the following projects supported by EU programmes.

Databases

Audio Library

The Audio Library contains audio recordings of the spoken word, operas, operettas, melodramas, and stage and ballet music. Information about whether a particular recording can be borrowed or whether it must be listened to on the premises can be obtained directly from the Audio Library.

Bibliography

Records of articles published in periodicals or other collections of work focusing primarily on Czech theatre published since 1990.

Czech Theatre Encyclopaedia

An encyclopaedic history of theatre on the territory of the Czech Republic (theatre in Czech and other languages) from the 19th century up to 1989. The online theatre encyclopaedia contains entries from the print versions of the encyclopaedic dictionaries and new entries.

Directory of Theatres

The directory contains the contact information (website, e-mails, telephone numbers, online map location) for theatres and related festivals, periodicals, professional institutions, and theatre schools.

European Theatre Architecture

Three thousand European theatres: history, photographs, plans, maps, people, and events. Entries are accompanied by a rich selection of photographs and basic technical information is also provided for every theatre in the database.

Historical Bibliography

Index card files with entries on articles published in the Czech press between 1851 and 1990.

Library Catalogue

The catalogue includes all plays, books, and periodicals in the library. It also indicates whether a particular item can borrowed or must be used on the premises of the ATI (in the reading room) and whether the item is available or is currently on loan.

Oral History

Interviews with important figures in Czech theatre. Dozens of audio recordings accompanied by photographs and a text record.

Productions

This systematically developed database contains entries on Czech theatre productions since 1945. The database also serves as a catalogue for the Materials Collection, which collects invitations, promotional materials, programmes, newspaper cuttings of reviews, and news.

Scenography

More than a thousand theatre posters and more than 40,000 scenographic artefacts: scenic and costume designs, set models, puppet designs, sketches, and other items dating from the 1920s up to the present day. Part of the ATI’s Collection of Scenographic Documents.

Theatre Events

This database contains basic information on theatre festivals, theatre tours and trips abroad, guest performances of foreign theatre companies in the Czech Republic, and information on exhibitions and permanent exhibits that deal with theatre as a subject, as well as information on theatre awards and other theatre events.

Theatre Festivals

This database of upcoming theatre festivals is compiled from information provided by theatres and from information the ATI searches for itself.

Theatre Photography

The collection contains more than 300,000 photographs of Czech theatre productions since 1945: positives, negatives, diapositives, digital photographs. Information on individual people and casting is also gradually being added. In conformity with the Copyright Act consent from the copyright owners (the authors of the photographs or the authors’ heirs) has been obtained for the photographs to be published.

Theatre Premieres

This database of upcoming premieres of productions is created from information that is provided by theatres and from information the ATI searches for itself.

Video Library

The Video Library contains audiovisual recordings of productions of plays, operas, ballets, and alternative works, as well as programmes profiling theatre figures and documentaries on the theatre. Materials are available for use on the library premises.

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