1994–2005
For over ten years, the custodian of the theatre premises was the Galeria na Prowincji Foundation, which bought the building from the State Treasury and attempted, in various ways, to return the Old Theatre to the city. Art and education initiatives, film screenings, concerts, and exhibitions were organised in the venue as part of the project “The Old Theatre in Lublin – An International Arts Centre. A contemporary cultural project in a historical site”. Several series of events – “Days of the Old Town”, “An Old Town Christmas Eve”, “The Old Theatre Open Days” – were held to involve artists and residents with the shared idea of reviving this unique venue.
The backdrop for these events was the pre-renovation interior of the Old Theatre – much-dilapidated and only minimally adapted. It can be seen in the atmospheric short film Théâtre optique (dir. Agnieszka Żuk, 1996).
