The essay traces the origin and development of the concept of the Centre for Experimental Theatre (CED), the ideological foundations of the CED; the contemporary context of its creation, the promotion of the concept in the period before November 1989 and the establishment of the CED in the 1990s. It is the starting point of the publication, which attempts to present an overall portrait of the contributory organisation of the City of Brno, consisting of individual studies describing various aspects of the CED's functioning - the historical transformation of its internal structure; the conditions of its funding; the nature and programming of the artistic production of its components; and reflections on possible future developments.