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Once the industrial heart of the La Ciotat shipyards, the Chaudronnerie (Boiler Works) now embodies an exemplary transformation where the workers' history engages in a dialogue with contemporary artistic creation. Built in the 19th century, this vast metal hall was once dedicated to the manufacture of essential ship parts: boilers, structures, and mechanical components crafted by generations of skilled workers. The building shaped the economic and social life of the town before falling into disuse with the decline of the shipbuilding industry.
Long neglected, the Chaudronnerie has been given a new lease on life thanks to an ambitious rehabilitation project. Faithful to its industrial character—generous volumes, raw materials, clean lines—the site has been transformed into a modern cultural facility open to all. Inaugurated in 2017, the theater is now a major player in La Ciotat's cultural life, hosting shows, concerts, dance, circus performances, and artistic events, all in a spirit of sharing and passing on knowledge.
The 2026 program fully illustrates this ambition by offering powerful, accessible, and socially engaged works. Among them, Coal in the Veins It immerses the audience in a mining town in the late 1950s. Between friendship, social upheaval and collective memory, this sensitive and human play echoes the working-class history from which the Chaudronnerie itself originated.
Another highlight to come, Paradisium Recirquel Company invites you to a striking visual and physical experience. At the crossroads of contemporary circus and dance, this creation explores the rebirth of the body and humanity through a powerful physical language, conveyed through a poetic and immersive aesthetic.
A4 (Like the sheet) Philippe Lafeuille's work brings a touch of lightness and inventiveness. Between dance, humor and virtuosity, this joyful and rhythmic piece plays with choreographic codes and appeals to all audiences, confirming the venue's desire to blend artistic rigor with the pleasure of performance.
From its industrial past to its cultural present, the La Ciotat metalworks continues to resonate with voices, bodies, and stories. A place where ships are no longer built, but lasting emotions are created.
Boilerwork
19 Promenade Jeff Musso, 13600 La Ciotat
Open Sat. & Wed. from 10am to 13pm & from 14pm to 18pm.
On performance evenings, the box office is open from 18:30 pm until 20 pm.
The metalworking shop – La Ciotat | Official website – Show ticketing
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