In 1975 a group of theater enthusiasts formed the Alicante Independent Theater Association. Their aim was to build an active audience base, organize theater-related activities, award quality works, and run programs that would bridge the gap in the city’s cultural life. The effort drew around 3,000 members who answered the call, and more than 300 performances found their way to Alicante thanks to this diverse collective.
AITA ceased operations in June 1999, and 24 years later the Spanish Theater Exhibition of Contemporary Writers launched a project to reflect on theatrical practice and its audience by creating a spectator club. The core purpose is to evolve how performing arts are consumed, created, and presented, and to explore how this evolution shapes the audience. It serves as a meeting point for diverse groups of spectators.
Alicante collective La Cuarta Piel took on responsibility for this initiative. They engage in participatory processes and cultural mediation, and last year led a street-engagement proposal aimed at building a pool of potential audiences. They invite actor, playwright, and cultural manager Pedro Granero to join the project.
fresh meetings
The format centers on preserving tradition while giving new life to it. Fresh soup is a concept that captures gatherings where different audiences come together for reading clubs and shared experiences. The goal is to make theater a communal activity, a space where people attend, watch, and then discuss together, says Carlos Pastor, a member of La Cuarta Piel.
Both civic group members and the general public participate. The Virgen del Remedio women’s group joins the effort, and up to 30 participants may join the event. The aim is to revive the 1980s impulse when neighbors organized programs and attended theater together, recalls AITA.
The spectator club will meet on two evenings as part of the Writers’ Exhibition. On November 4 at 22:30 at Las Cigarreras and on November 11 at 21:30 at Plaza Ruperto Chapí, beside the Main Theatre. There, before an outdoor dinner, diverse audiences of all ages will gather to discuss the theater.
There will be dramaturgy, a mediation project, and performances in the streets. Pastor emphasizes that La Cuarta Piel will also design a venue for the initiative.
More than cultural consumption
Pedro Granero notes that his parents belonged to AITA and that this new project mirrors the idea of sparking discussion about theater from the audience’s perspective. It is a reflection on the role of public space in cultural life and how people engage with theater—beyond simply watching a show.
The audience club aims to explore how to make theater a shared, social experience that connects people with varying levels of familiarity with the art form. It is about fostering connections rather than delivering a passive cultural experience.
During the month, an informal gathering will bring together members of the Alicante Independent Theater Association to complete a memoir and include groups less involved in theater. The goal is to avoid a narrow focus on enthusiasts and to recognize theater as a community reality with broad social relevance.
The organizers acknowledge that the needs AITA once addressed are not the same as today’s demands. They do not intend to revive AITA or continue its past programs; instead they aim to create a welcoming meeting space—much like a reading club—that offers a social hub centered on theater and public life. The question remains whether this format will be engaging enough to sustain ongoing participation and growth in audience-led activities.
Granero emphasizes that the approach might shift from weekly meetings or traditional programs to more collaborative formats, such as a summer theater workshop at Las Cigarreras or a compact set of guidelines for the next year’s Exhibition, possibly accompanied by a WhatsApp group to share updates.
Pastor adds that the project could evolve into a more expansive, collaborative space where people exchange ideas about theater and social life. The emphasis is on practical, participatory experiences that empower audiences to contribute to the cultural dialogue rather than passively consuming performances.