The Alternative Theatre Archive was initiated in early 2009 by Zbigniew Gluza – journalist, editor, publisher and president of the KARTA Centre Foundation – together with Dorota Buchwald who at that time managed the Theatre Documentation Department of the Theatre Institute (affiliated with the Polish Actors’ Union). Today, Buchwald is the director of Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute (Instytut Teatralny im. Zbigniewa Raszewskiego).