About us

Curious about ARTUS? Sit back and let us tell you all about it!

It all started in 1963 when Théâtre Universitaire de Strasbourg (“Strasbourg University Theater”) was founded! And what’s that, you ask? Well, it’s a drama society for all current and former students at the University of Strasbourg, as well as anyone who’d like to put on their own show or get involved with one of our many ongoing projects.

Whose clever idea was this?

We can credit former University President Joseph-François Angelloz with our creation as “TUS”, Théâtre Universitaire de Strasbourg. His successor, Maurice Bayen, was a lover of theater and quite the dynamic person. He appointed Jean Hurstel as Secretary General, who collaborated with a dream team on a number of initiatives which allowed Strasbourg’s university theater to take on an experimental flare until 1968.

So… When did it become ARTUS?

TUS became “ARTUS” in 1977 under the direction of Colette Weil, who served as president until her passing in 2008. She left her mark on ARTUS through her many cultural exchanges and productions both in France and abroad. Under Weil, ARTUS prioritized theatrical production for students and amateurs.

In 2013, we celebrated our 50th anniversary, with over 280 projects under our belt and more than a hundred experimental evenings and “open stage” events. In total, we’ve had more than 2,000 performances with participation from many generations of students!

ARTUS today

ARTUS is France’s oldest running university theater! At our 30th anniversary party in 1993, Colette Weil herself declared, “Without a doubt, (ARTUS) owes this longevity to the strength of its executive team and the dedication and passion of its members, but above all to its unwavering commitment to faithfulness.”

We offer around five to seven shows a year, but that’s not all! We also have training workshops led by professionals in make-up, stagecraft, and much more. ARTUS also takes part in campus life by putting on a variety of events each year.

In 2023, ARTUS celebrated its 60th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we came back to campus and performed three shows at La Pokop, a new venue run by the University of Strasbourg and CROUS, the French student welfare organization. Before this, we had spent several years away from campus due to a lack of available venues, with the notable exception of June 2022, when ARTUS braved COVID and put on Gaëlle Hubert’s play Nos Ruines (“Our Ruins”) in this theater, garnering rave reviews. Of course, this new venue doesn’t mean our adventure with the Théâtre du Cube Noir and the amateur theater collective Trois.14 has to end!

For the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year—October 3rd, more precisely—ARTUS organized a party that was part-theater, part-memory at La Pokop to celebrate its 60-year anniversary. Don’t blink—our 65th will be here before you know it!

Convinced yet? Go ahead, join us!