Teatre Clavé

Teatre Clavé is the main performing-arts venue of Tordera, a town in the Maresme district of Catalonia, roughly 50 km northeast of Barcelona. Standing on Plaça de Miquel Martí i Pol in the town centre, it hosts a year-round programme of theatre, music and dance.

Where does the name come from?

The theatre is named after Josep Anselm Clavé (1824-1874), a Catalan composer, writer and politician who founded a movement of workers' choral societies known as the "cors de Clavé". These choirs played a major role in the 19th-century revival of popular musical culture in Catalonia, and several theatres across the region carry his name, including this one in Tordera.

How has the building changed over time?

The site's history goes back to around 1926, when local businessman Josep Albertí Ruscalleda opened a cinema-theatre here. By the late 1920s the venue was run by the Sindicat Cercle Agrícola de Tordera, a farmers' association, and for part of the early 1930s some of its rooms even doubled as a private school. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) the anarchist unions CNT and FAI took control of the building and renamed it Cinema Popular.

In 1983 the Tordera town council bought the property for 13 million pesetas, but the old structure was in such poor condition that it was torn down in April 1988. The council had already launched a design competition for a new municipal venue at the end of 1987.

Construction of the current theatre began in June 1991, shortly after Jordi Soler Tura, then Catalonia's minister of culture, symbolically laid the first stone. The building opened partially on 26 April 1998, an occasion attended by the poet Miquel Martí i Pol, after whom the adjoining square is named. A year later, on 25 April 1999, it was formally inaugurated together with a sculpture dedicated to the poet on the square outside.

What can visitors find inside?

The theatre is organised around several spaces: a main auditorium seating around 400 people, a smaller hall for about 100, a multipurpose room and an exhibition space. There is also a main lobby, a cafeteria for the public and a separate backstage area for performers.

Who runs the theatre and what does it stage?

The building belongs to the Tordera town council, but day-to-day management is handled by a private foundation. Its regular programme covers theatre, concerts and dance, and the venue also runs an artistic training centre offering classes and workshops for local residents.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Teatre Clavé located? On Plaça de Miquel Martí i Pol, in the centre of Tordera, a town in Catalonia's Maresme district.

Is the current building the original 1920s theatre? No. The original venue, dating from around 1926, was demolished in 1988 because of its poor condition. The present building was constructed from scratch between 1991 and 1999.

Why is the theatre named after Clavé? In honour of Josep Anselm Clavé, the 19th-century composer who founded Catalonia's workers' choral movement.

How many people does the main hall hold? The main hall seats around 400, while the smaller auditorium holds about 100.

Who organises the events held there? A foundation manages the venue on behalf of Tordera town council and sets the seasonal programme of performances and educational activities.