A press conference at midday on Wednesday 15 June will present the 2016-2017 theatre season at the Teatro Eliseo in Rome. Established and constructed 116 years ago, the Eliseo is Rome's youngest theatre. In November 2014, it underwent extensive extraordinary maintenance before reopening in September 2015 under the artistic direction of actor and director Luca Barbareschi.
This close relationship between Pirelli and the world of culture was formed long ago and has never faltered. Since its foundation in 1872, Pirelli has played a major role in the history of the Italian business culture and its commitment to research and good quality plus its prominent role in innovation and on the international platform have made Pirelli a prime point of reference for industry in Italy and worldwide, resulting in strong partnerships with cultural institutions and forays into art and design – as demonstrated by the advertising sketches produced and the design of the Pirelli Tower. Currently celebrating its 60th birthday, this building heralded a new functional style linked to modernity, symbolizing an Italy that was picking itself up after WWII and a stylistic model that spawned the Milan skyline as we know it today, increasingly similar to those of great metropolises around the world.
Pirelli has always been aware of the key relationship between the business and art worlds, engaging in activities and initiatives past and present aimed at moving the world of enterprise closer to that of art and the theatre.
Pirelli's sponsorship of the Teatro Eliseo is but one of numerous cultural initiatives, including its backing of the La Scala Foundation and the Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra, and a partnership with the Teatro Franco Parenti and the Piccolo Teatro in Milan.
Una tigre del Bengala allo zoo di Baghdad, Tempeste Solari, Ivanov, Viaggi di Ulisse, Sei personaggi in cerca di autore and Il grande dittatore, these and many more are scheduled for the 2016-2017 season at the Teatro Eliseo and the Piccolo Eliseo in Rome, a season that has attracted many celebrated actors including Sergio Rubini, Marco D'Amore, Asia Argento, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Umberto Orsini, Michele Placido and Luca Barbareschi himself who, as well as being the artistic director, will be present in the guise of both actor and director.
Nor does Pirelli's commitment to the world of culture end here, since 2007 it has sponsored the MITO SettembreMusica festival, promoted and organized this year by the Fondazione per la Cultura Torino and the Fondazione I Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano. Other partnerships forged by Pirelli over the years with prestigious art and cultural institutions include those with the Pinacoteca di Brera, FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano, Fondazione Isec – Istituto per la Storia dell'Età Contemporanea, Fondazione Cineteca Italiana and the Triennale di Milano for the 21st International Exhibition entitled “21st Century. Design after Design”.
A key role is played by the Pirelli Foundation, set up in 2009 to safeguard Pirelli's cultural, historical and contemporary heritage, of significance not only for the company but for its surrounding area and for society. Promoting and raising awareness of this great heritage are the primary aims of the Pirelli Foundation which, thanks to sponsorship and support, is a consolidated point of reference on the platform of Italy's business and art cultures.
With ever greater unison between business and art, the Teatro Eliseo is but the latest on a long list of cultural narratives linked to Pirelli, who realized a dedicated advertising for this event.
