An independent and autonomous organisation that encourages participation, social commitment and artistic creativity. Involved with theatre, music and debates, it is also highly specialised in circus arts, in terms of training (Youth and Children Circus School) and production. The Ateneu, a member of Trans Europe Halles and Artfactories, is located in a peripheral quarter of Barcelona, in a former asphalt factory that was squatted by neighbours at the end of the Spanish dictatorship in the late 70s.