The foundation and the mission

Establishment of the Fondazione Dimitri: 1991

It was the will of the founder Clown Dimitri to further and support the world he had created. Therefore, in 1981, he founded the Fondazione Dimitri with the donation of his theater and the associated properties. This strives to provide the means to cover the costs of the cultural center.

It is the responsibility of the foundation to manage the Teatro Dimitri operationally and cover the operating costs. This requires extraordinary solutions.

The Board of Trustees

Currently, the Board of Trustees is composed of members of the Dimitri family, as well as personalities and friends with an affinity for the Dimitri world. All members of the Board of Trustees are volunteer. This also applies to David Dimitri, President of the Fondazione Dimitri.

Properties

The foundation's assets include several properties in the municipality of Verscio. Some are used for school and theater operations. The others contain the administration, restaurant, artist apartments or the premises of the museum. Its own park offers space for contemporary circus.

Legal form

The Fondazione Dimitri is a non-profit cultural foundation and is subject to the Swiss Federal Foundation Supervisory Authority.

Statutes

Art. 2 Purpose

The purpose of the foundation is, in accordance with the founder Dimitri's will, to manage the Teatro Dimitri, the Accademia Teatro Dimitri, the Museo Comico directly or through financial support and providing of premises as well as the Casa del Clown and the exhibition and congress activities in connection with the Dimitri Cultural Center.

Art. 3 Guiding Principle

The Teatro Dimitri creates movement theater in the broadest sense of the word and in all its possible forms with a purely burlesque and comic style that encompasses all artistic trends (music and singing, dancing, pantomime, clownish performances, circus art, poetry, comedy, theater, Commedia dell'arte) and organizes extraordinary performances, own productions, festivals, themed evenings. The Dimitri Theater deals with comic theater, Théatre Burlesque, Grand Guignol, Comedy, Dance Theater and the Silent Theater. Language plays a secondary role. The Teatro Dimitri cultivates the style of its founder Dimitri. At the same time, the Teatro Dimitri is also the resource center of the Accademia Teatro Dimitri. The Dimitri Theater is aimed at the Tessin, the Swiss and an international audience.

The Accademia Teatro Dimitri shapes the supply of this type of art. The school combines different traditional and new theater forms and tries to encourage the talent of each student and comedian, with their personality always in the foreground. The Accademia Teatro Dimitri presents its final and diploma thesis and variety in the form of public appearances at the Teatro Dimitri.

The Museo Comico deals with comic theater in all its facets. It must remain open to students and the public. Entry fees for external visitors have been set to cover costs.

Art. 4. Legacy

The foundation's assets consist primarily of properties in Verscio (Canton Ticino), which belong to the foundation. These assets are made available for the activities of the Dimitri Cultural Center. The Board of Trustees is committed to enriching the legacy through private and public donations. The foundation's assets must be managed according to accepted commercial principles.