Left derelict for nearly 30 years, the former Teatro dell’Oriuolo in central Florence is now being brought back to life as a school for digital and visual arts managed by IED, Istituto Europeo di Design.
The private design school founded in 1966 by Francesco Morelli has been awarded with the tender to develop the former theatre by Florence city council following a lengthy restoration campaign. The surface area has been tripled, removing the old stalls and instead adding outdoor areas and greenery. Now that the building work has been completed, IED will set up an intercultural and interdisciplinary centre for digital and visual arts based on the school’s years of experience in the contemporary arts and design.
“A short distance from the Duomo, one of the most active post-war theatres is set to become an open and usable hub for Florence, integrating the British campus model, where study spaces and cultural production take place in the same place,” remarks Danilo Venturi, Director of IED Florence.
The new hub includes digital laboratories, project rooms and classrooms, plus two large spaces for exhibitions, events and workshops. Multimedia courses in graphic design, illustration, design for communication, content creation and publishing, will run alongside museum education, curatorial practice and arts management. Talks and round tables open to the public will take place on a monthly basis, featuring big names in the creative industry.
The school is expected to open in October 2024.
