OPART - Artistic Production Organisation, P.E.E. (OPART) is the public enterprise entity responsible for the management of the São Carlos National Theatre (TNSC), the National Company of Portugal (CNB) and the Victor Córdon Studios (EVC). Its mission is to provide a public service in the field of music and theatre culture on a national level, including music, opera and ballet. By creating and presenting productions of high artistic and technical quality, OPART aims to promote the dissemination of music and dance heritage, cultural enjoyment and public access to reference works.
Aware of its statutory mission and the obligations that arise from it, OPART's activities are based on a short and medium-term strategy, guided by key principles that shape its practice and management. Culture, artistic creation and production, and cultural democratisation are identified as drivers of development and territorial cohesion for the full exercise of cultural citizenship. These objectives confirm our existence as a national project that belongs to and benefits everyone.
This strategic positioning aims to ensure that OPART effectively fulfils its mission of contributing to national cultural development and promoting excellence in the performing arts, particularly in the fields of music, opera, classical ballet and contemporary dance, through the coordination and programming of the structures and artistic bodies it manages.
Our work is based on a number of strategic pillars that are interwoven in a transformative way throughout the institution and the artistic structures under its management.
Access and participation
Promoting excellence in music, opera, dance and ballet as a central pillar of our public service mission means addressing participation, access and the democratisation of culture in two dimensions: artists and audiences. Bringing audiences closer to artists and their practices is essential to enhance the value of the cultural and artistic sector, to ensure the necessary conditions for access to and active participation in culture, and to promote cultural diversity, both in the creative process and in the enjoyment and transmission of culture.
Heritage conservation and valorisation
Heritage and collections play a key role in OPART's activities. The conservation, restoration and safeguarding of this unique heritage is crucial to preserving memory and fulfilling our public service mission. It is therefore important to create all the conditions necessary for its valorisation and promotion, allowing access, research and the most diverse readings of this heritage.
Management
Making management more agile, efficient and transparent is crucial to OPART's public service mission and to the realisation of the projects it has set itself for the three-year period 2024-2026. Robust and dynamic management capable of adapting and responding to the realities of the cultural sector and the demands of the period of intervention in theatres under the PRR - Recovery and Resilience Plan. Strengthening OPART's organisational culture and the values that have always guided our actions is essential in a challenging and changing environment.
Sustainability
Reducing environmental impact and promoting sustainable practices in the performing arts by providing structures with the necessary skills and resources to access knowledge about sustainability practices and to integrate this dimension into our actions. The sustainability dimension is transversal to the whole institution, making it fundamental for change and global awareness of its urgency.
Innovation and modernisation
The modernisation of administration and equipment is one of the strategic objectives of OPART, resulting from the interventions within the PRR - Recovery and Resilience Plan. It will be reflected in the innovation of internal systems aimed at the digitalisation of processes, increased operational efficiency, cost reduction, flexibility and agility, sustainability, security, well-being and improvement of the audience experience.
Territory and cooperation
To deepen the dialogue with different regions by strengthening cooperation and establishing partnerships and networks with national and international bodies. As well as ensuring the dissemination of our activities throughout the country, it is crucial to provide the conditions for active cultural participation and enjoyment, bringing the performing arts closer to communities and fostering local territorial development in the field of culture. This, in turn, contributes to the fulfilment of the guidelines set forth by the government sectors of culture and education.
As part of its mission of undeniable cultural public interest, OPART, the managing entity of São Carlos National Theatre, the National Company of Portugal and the Victor Córdon Studios, is a public enterprise entity that pursues goals of public interest. Its purpose is to provide public service in the field of musical theatre culture, including music, opera, and ballet, in accordance with its Statutes, approved as an annex to Decree-Law No. 160/2007, of April 27.
In fulfilling its public service mission, OPART is committed to the principles of responsibility, collaboration, professionalism and innovation. It also brings together three resident artistic bodies: the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra (OSP), the São Carlos National Theatre Chorus and the National Company of Portugal, all of which contribute to fulfilling its mission and making the best use of its resources.
As a management entity, OPART aims to create the conditions for the full realisation of its public service mission by bringing together in a single entity the management of the artistic, technical and administrative teams, as well as the buildings under its care - the São Carlos National Theatre (a National Monument), the Camões Theatre and the Victor Córdon Studios. With the aim of increasing efficiency and sustainability, OPART integrates and enhances government cultural policies and is committed to managing, coordinating, maintaining and promoting the activities of its artistic entities. In this way, it ensures the fulfilment of public interest objectives and guarantees the coherence and excellence of the artistic activity of the São Carlos National Theatre, the National Company of Portugal and the Victor Córdon Studios, as well as the national and international reputation they project.
OPART is governed by their specific legislation, by the respective Statutes and Regulations, and, subsidiarily, by the Legal Regime of the Public Enterprise Sector and other legislation applicable to public enterprises, and, failing that, by the rules of private law. It is subject to the supervision and control of the members of the Government responsible for the areas of Culture and Finance. The Board of Directors is the supreme body of the OPART and is composed of a President (Conceição Amaral) and two other members (Rui Morais and Sofia Meneses).
OPART holds a heritage of buildings and collections that are essential to the fulfilment of its public service mission and the promotion of the performing arts in Portugal.
In terms of built heritage, the key buildings are the São Carlos National Theatre, the Camões Theatre, and the Victor Córdon Studios.
OPART also encompasses an extensive collection of unique heritage assets, including opera sets and backdrops, props and costumes, as well as a collection of musical instruments and technical equipment, the result of over two centuries of activity.
OPART's collections also include a library, a music archive, and a historical archive, which contains scores, librettos, manuscripts, and other historical and administrative documents, fundamental to preserving history. As the custodian of a unique heritage of national and international significance, OPART is responsible for the management, conservation, and enhancement of all these assets, ensuring their accessibility and transmission to future generations
Designed by architect José da Costa e Silva, the Theatre was built between 1792 and 1793 and inaugurated on 30 June 1793 with a programme that included the opera La Ballerina Amante by Domenico Cimarosa, followed by the ballet A Felicidade Lusitana by Caetano Gioia, and featured a sung tribute, composed by António Leal Moreira, as part of the celebrations marking Princess Carlota Joaquina’s pregnancy, to whom the São Carlos Theatre was dedicated.
Declared a National Monument in 1996, it is a neoclassical building with Italian influences, one of the oldest theatres in Europe, and the only opera house in Portugal. Located in Lisbon’s historic centre, in the Chiado district, it is surrounded by 19th-century buildings and has other listed properties nearby.
The São Carlos National Theatre is an architectural complex made up of three buildings: the main body of the Theatre, built between 1792 and 1793 and classified as a National Monument, the Duques de Bragança annex, incorporated in 1888, and the Serpa Pinto annex, added in 1933 (the annexes are named according to the toponymy of the streets where they are located). A longitudinal section of the Theatre clearly shows the three interlinked volumes and their distinct roofing. The interior includes spaces such as the Foyer, the Noble Hall, the Main Hall, an elliptical auditorium with five tiers of boxes, in the Italian style, the stage tower, technical areas, dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, and administrative offices.
The Theatre presents a regular programme of music in its three halls: the Main Hall, the Noble Hall, and the Foyer. The Main Hall hosts large-scale opera productions, as well as symphonic and choral-symphonic concerts, and ballets. The Noble Hall, which opens onto the balcony of the façade, stages recitals and concerts by different instrumental ensembles, opera readings, and more intimate performances. The Foyer is a prime venue for chamber music concerts and short recitals with free admission, providing an informal gathering space. It also hosts meetings, conferences, masterclasses, courses, school and family concerts, and a broad array of cultural events.
Currently, the Theatre is home to two resident artistic ensembles: the São Carlos National Theatre Choir, founded in 1943, which performs major operatic and choral-symphonic repertoire and remains the only professional choir in Portugal; and the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, which dates back to 1993.
In addition to musicians, choristers, and soloists, operatic productions rely on the artistry and dedication of directors, set designers, lighting designers, prop makers, costume designers, make-up artists, stagehands, electricians, stage managers, and sound and video technicians. The memory of the operas performed at São Carlos, brought to life by all these artists and technicians, is preserved and promoted by the Theatre’s Historical Centre, through exhibitions of movable heritage, costumes, sets, as well as musical, photographic, and documentary archives.
The goal of sharing the history of opera, the great composers, and the São Carlos Theatre with the public is also pursued through the Educational Project, which offers guided tours of the Theatre, as well as a range of entertaining and educational activities for children, young people, families, teachers, and the general public, all aimed at bringing the Theatre closer to the community.
The extraordinary value and architectural beauty of the building, combined with the exceptional musical quality that has characterised its long history, make the Theatre a landmark of Portugal’s artistic and cultural scene. But much more than a mere heir to this historical dimension, the São Carlos National Theatre is today a living house of music and culture, always with open doors, offering a diverse programme that caters to the most demanding music lovers while also captivating less frequent audiences.
Opera and dance have always been part of the seasons at the Theatre, where Diaghilev's Ballets Russes were performed in 1918 and where Margarida de Abreu's Centre for Ballet Studies was born in 1956. When the National Company of Portugal was founded in 1977, the Theatre was its first home.
Construction
1792
Inauguration
30 June 1793
Renovations
consult here
PRR - Recovery and Resilience Plan
2024
Seating
725
Resident artistic bodies
São Carlos National Theatre Choir
Portuguese Symphony Orchestra
The Camões Theatre was built between 1997 and 1998 as part of the Lisbon World Expo 1998. Its architectural design is simple and blends seamlessly with the surrounding public space, which can be seen in the exterior landscaping along the riverside promenade. Designed by the Risco Architecture Office, under the direction of architect Manuel Salgado, the building has a strong and symbolic presence in this area of the city, dedicated to leisure and the enjoyment of green spaces. Overlooking the Tagus River, the Theatre boasts a stunning view along Neptune Promenade and is complemented by the nearby Water Garden. The Camões Theatre features a technical ceiling that spans the entire auditorium, allowing for creative uses of the space.
In 1999, following Expo '98, the Camões Theatre became part of the now-defunct Portuguese Institute for the Performing Arts as an artistic extension unit, and the building underwent an expansion project to make it suitable for housing the headquarters of the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, based at the São Carlos National Theatre.
Later, while the OSP remained at the São Carlos National Theatre, the National Company of Portugal took over the programming of the Camões Theatre, which became its headquarters in 2003.
In September 2023, the Camões Theatre closed to the public for renovation and modernization works under the PRR - Recovery and Resilience Plan, with its reopening scheduled for October 2024.
Construction
1997 - 1998
Inauguration
1998
Rehabilitation
1999
PRR - Recovery and Resilience Plan
2023
Seating
936
Resident Artistic Staff
National Company of Portugal
In the heart of Chiado, at number 20 on the street that shares its name, stands the building designed by architect José Luís Monteiro (1848-1942), owned by the Lisbon City Council. Originally intended to house the Ginásio Clube Português, which remained there until 1973, the building later became the headquarters of the National Company of Portugal.
In 2003, the National Company of Portugal took over the management of the Camões Theatre while maintaining this building as the base for its activities. Since September 2016, this space has permanently housed the Victor Córdon Studios, which develop educational, community, and creative projects for the National Company of Company and the São Carlos National Theatre, aimed at young audiences, bringing together movement, music, and visual arts.
In 2022, the Victor Córdon Studios established themselves as a creative platform supporting the independent artistic community, with their mission officially recognized in October 2023. Today, the Victor Córdon Studios serve as a physical and artistic space for creation, experimentation, dialogue, and critical thinking in the performing arts in Portugal.
With a long history not only linked to sports but also to the arts, these studios have been home to renowned figures in dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts.
Construction
1884
Inauguration
1884
Rehabilitation
1982
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OPART - Organismo de Produção Artística, E.P.E.
Address
Rua Serpa Pinto, n.º 9
1200 – 442 Lisboa
© 2024 OPART, E.P.E.
Design Macedo Cannatà / Development Bondhabits
