The Polish RESTORE partner celebrated a grand opening of the THEATRE OF INTEGRATION in their premises in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, in June 2022. After many years of struggles to secure funds for the renovation of a ruined post-industrial building, the acquisition of a grant from the European Regional Development Fund allowed for the completion of the revitalization project. What is this INTEGRATION THEATRE? It covers many different forms, conventions and themes. It is a space where a grandmother can play with her granddaughters, a blind person meets on stage with someone who has a sharp vision, deaf people act together with those who can hear and persons with learning difficulties even with the professor himself. Amateur actors of various ages, often struggling with illness, disability, a lack of sense of meaning and hope for a change in their life, together with theater practitioners, create stage performances and present them to the audience. The key words that perhaps best reflect the essence of this particular phenomenon on the border of art and social activities are: OPENNESS, ACCESSIBILITY, INCLUSION and COMMUNITY. During the opening celebration also the RESTORE Multiplier Event took place. It gathered, among the others art instructors (in particular theatre practitioners), artists, NGO staff, local government employees, management staff of cultural, educational and care institutions. Also, the representatives of four RESTORE partner organizations from Italy, Ireland, and Slovenia were present (Oltre le Parole, San Patrignano, ProSoc and Smashing Times). The core part of the project dissemination activities during the event was the panel discussion on the role and mission of the Social Theatre Operators. Moreover, a workshop for art instructors led by two Italian trainers – Pascal La Delfa and Monica Gocilli, specialists in the field of socially engaged theater was successfully conducted.At the end of the event four performances created by amateur theater groups were presented. All of them are good examples of engaging socially vulnerable people in artistic actions. Although the new artistic centre was officially opened, it is only the beginning of a long way of developing its program and mode of action. It is planned to systematically conduct workshop classes in the restored building, as well as to organize weekends with the Integration Theater, at least once a quarter. Like any long-term project oriented towards social goals, also the mission of this new institution has many challenges ahead…
