A House on Avenue de l’Hippodrome

Right across from an ice cream shop stands a house. On the ground floor resides the CTEJ, the Chamber of Theaters for Children and Youth. I am welcomed by Jennifer, head of communications, accompanied by the cat Fafa. Three rooms in a row, a garden for sunny days, and the soft scent of coffee in the air. It’s a meeting with a warm and dedicated team.

Virginie, Magali, Claire, Jennifer, and Philippe form a dynamic quintet questioning, challenging, and championing the field of youth theater and dance.

Virginie Devaster, the director, sets the context:
“Founded in 1976, the CTEJ is an association that brings together 110 professional theater and dance companies dedicated to young audiences. We are a service organization for these companies. We offer sector-specific training, such as accounting or how to give feedback after a performance. We also have a promotional role, publishing a calendar of public performances available in all cultural institutions. In addition, we publish plays and illustrated books derived from performances accessible to the youngest audiences. We’re not a publishing house, but we wanted to provide beautiful objects to the companies and the public—lasting mementos to prolong at home the fleeting emotions experienced in the theater. That’s something precious.”

Claire Cagnat oversees artistic projects and is the driving force behind the “Festival Noël au Théâtre”, which during the end-of-year holidays offers around 30 performances at 12 different venues across Brussels.
“This festival is often the first introduction to theater and cultural spaces for children. It’s a warm, family-friendly festival with shows for everyone, from babies to teenagers. It’s wonderful to see the audience returning year after year, children growing up, parents becoming grandparents, and bringing their grandchildren. The audience is loyal, and the intergenerational connection—where each family member experiences the show in their own way and shares their feelings—remains deeply moving.”

This year, the team is taking on a new challenge.
“We want to raise awareness among social cohesion organizations and welcome people with disabilities to so-called ‘relaxed’ performances. We aim to be open to all audiences and to place inclusivity back at the heart of the creative process. For example, the company Les Mutants has created the play ‘Douce révolution,’ which will be performed in Molenbeek. The reception, seating arrangements, pacing of the performance, and conditions have been adapted to welcome everyone, including those who wouldn’t typically attend theater because speaking, moving, or leaving the room when needed is generally not accepted. We also provide a preparation phase before the show, so people who are more sensitive to surprises aren’t thrown off balance.”

The CTEJ also has a political mission: to advocate for the youth theater sector. Virginie explains:
“It’s essential that children, outside of school, have collective experiences in well-equipped cultural spaces. Equally, it’s vital to ensure the artistic freedom of the companies and to prevent culture from being instrumentalized for purely educational purposes.”

The work of youth theater companies is visible on the ground and recognized internationally.
“We have a uniquely Belgian style, with companies that are increasingly professional, combining various media (music, text, dance), and free from self-censorship. The shows tackle all subjects, even the most challenging ones… that artistic freedom is fundamental.”

Within the CTEJ team, respect, autonomy, responsibility, and collective intelligence are the guiding principles.
“We are a small team with an enormous workload. Sometimes it’s difficult to meet the many needs of the 110 companies. That can be frustrating, but the challenges are also motivating: we strive to increase the outreach of performances because there’s huge demand from schools and the public. In Ixelles, we’re well-connected to the local network and supported by the municipality.”

See you at “Noël au Théâtre,” taking place at venues such as Théâtre Mercelis and Rideau de Bruxelles, to experience thrilling adventures where children are the kings and queens.

More info: www.ctej.be