Temporary – Macao Theatre Documents Exhibition 2024
臨時：澳門劇場文件展二〇二四
Nov, 2024
Macao Theatre Culture Institute

Temporary settings and fleeting relationships with audiences, curtains falling and seats left empty, everything returns to its original state as if this were the essence of theatre life. However, even in the most “temporary” nature of a venue or a production, it still provides a space and time for people to meet, leaving a non-temporary impression in personal or urban cultural memory.
Since its inauguration in 1951, the establishment located at 459 Avenida da Praia Grande in Macao had once served as the Government Offices Building and the Court of First Instance respectively. Following the Court of First Instance’s relocation in 2003, the building lay vacant until 2011 when the Cultural Affairs Bureau gradually opened and renovated parts of the building for exhibition and performance purposes. By the end of 2014, the second floor of the building officially became the Black Box Theatre for use by theatre groups. Alongside a well-equipped performance space, it also housed two rehearsal rooms.
In July 2023, the Old Court Building was returned to the management of the Financial Services Bureau, marking the official closure of the Black Box Theatre at the Old Court Building. The Black Box Theatre at the Old Court Building—a performance venue that always existed in a “temporary” nature—emerged at a critical juncture in Macao’s theatre scene, undergoing a comprehensive transformation period of professionalization. The venue became a vital cornerstone in the development of Macao’s theatre industry, nurturing many young theatre practitioners and local original works. The Macao Theatre Documents Exhibition 2024 focuses on the Black Box Theatre at the Old Court Building, aiming to provide a retrospective and contemplative look at its facilities and architecture, performance records, public events, and cultural policies.