Over 55 events including theatre, dance, music, performances, prestigious artistic residencies, workshops, book presentations, conferences and exhibitions
Off we go the 24th edition of Primavera dei Teatri. The festival dedicated to the new languages of the contemporary scene – directed by Saverio La Ruina, Dario De Luca and Settimio Pisano – will be held in Castrovillari from May 23 to June 2, 2024. An “outpost” in the South of contemporary dramaturgy and new creativity, a laboratory for meetings and comparisons between artists of different backgrounds and generations. Over 55 events including theatre, dance, music, performances, prestigious artistic residencies, workshops, book presentations, conferences and exhibitions. New to this edition is BEFOREan international platform experiment with the aim of contributing to the creative path of young artists working in the field of dance and performance.
Festival on the new languages of the international contemporary scene, Primavera dei Teatri takes place in Castrovillari, a peripheral city in Calabria, one of the most disadvantaged regions in Italy, which has always been cut off from the most significant cultural currents crossing Europe. Founded in 1999, the festival is today considered one of the flagship events of the Italian artistic panorama. Thanks to a courageous and rigorous project, which has always aimed to present the best of new international production, Primavera dei Teatri has now become an essential point of reference for professionals, critics, artists and for the public from all over Italy and abroad .
An important novelty of this 2024 edition is therefore BEFORE, an international platform created with the aim of contributing to the creative path of young artists working in the field of dance and performance. Over the course of five days (23 | 27 May), you will be able to witness some creations still in progress – also created thanks to the residencies offered by the festival and grouped in the section Open studios – and to the completed works of national and international artists within the section Programming.
Professionals from all over the world will participate in the platform, an international community made up of artists, producers, artistic directors and curators will meet in Castrovillari to discuss curation practices, meet the artists involved and see their works. The project, conceived and curated by Settimio Pisano through a long and detailed work, made up of visions, studies, comparisons around Europe, aims to give a different meaning and depth to the multidisciplinary identity of the festival and, on the other hand , intends to develop a systematic and continuous action to promote the creative heritage of young artists working in the field of performing arts at an international level. After having made an important contribution to the renewal of stage language and generational change in Italy for over twenty years, BEFORE now shifts the axis to the international panorama.
The Artistic Residencies
The project’s fundamental objective is to continue the work of creating an environment conducive to the now indispensable generational change in the field of theater and performing arts. The 2024 residencies are particularly open to performance, betting on young artists whose creations are outside the boundaries of genre, supporting their creative paths often in cooperation with various international institutions. During the residency periods, the artists will have the opportunity to interact with the international community of curators and programmers, through pitch sessions and presenting their works in the Open studios section. The objective is to encourage mutual knowledge and dialogue around the new works in the creation phase.
Note from the directors Settimio Pisano, Dario De Luca, Saverio La Ruina
“At the 24th edition we have chosen to question ourselves again, to investigate a different way of acting and understanding our role and our function. Primavera dei Teatri is not just an event: it is a catalyst for change for the territory and the community, a bet on the transformative power of art. The main innovation introduced is BEFORE, an international platform experiment created with the aim of contributing to the creative path of young artists working in the field of dance and performance. Over the course of five days, you will be able to witness some creations still in progress – also created thanks to the residencies offered by the festival and grouped in the section Open Studios – and to the completed works of national and international artists within the section Programming. At the same time we have strengthened the usual soul of Primavera, with the focus on new dramaturgy and a program that invests heavily in the new generation of authors dealing with the complexity and critical issues of contemporary society. This year’s project is the result of a complex and articulated curatorial work – made up of visions, studies, comparisons around Europe – to give a different meaning and depth to the rediscovered multidisciplinary identity of the festival”.
The festival therefore opens from 23 to 27 May with the section BEFORE. In the residencies offered by the festival and grouped in the section Open Studios protagonists will be: Annamaria Ajmone
/ The cries and moans of fossil fish (ITA), Giovanfrancesco Giannini / Vanitas (ITA), Danila Gambettola / Cu*Mmia*1 (ITA), Maria Luigia Gioffrè / After Party (ITA), Leonardo Schifino / Until our words coincide again: never (ITA), Mauro Lamanna / 7 or 77 (ITA), Dario Rea – Maher Msaddek / Hide and seek (ITA/TUN).
The completed works of national and international artists within the section Programming they will be: Dalila Belaza / Figures (FRA) Italian premiere, Maria Hassabi / On stage (CYP) Italian premiere, Chara Kotsali / To be possessed (GRE) first Italian, Roberta Racis
/ White act (ITA) first overall, Marco da Silva Ferreira / Minor Fantasies (POR/FRA) Italian premiere, Elena Antoniu / Landscape (CYP), Arkadi Zaides / Necropolis (BLR/ISR/FRA), Panzetti Ticconi / Cry Violet (ITA), Chiara Bersani / Undergrowth (ITA), Mauro Lamanna – Aguilera Giustiniano / Real Heroes (ITA/CHL). Every day at midday, aperitif with the artists in residence. On the opening day of the festival the Carical Award for the Performing Arts and presented theoutcome of the project with the Dario De Luca/Francesco Gallo schools.
The usual programming begins Spring of Theatres from May 28th to June 2nd. The first day (28 May) will feature protagonists Dino Lopardo with I’m drowning and the Studio Krypton Theater with Ismene – Family Affairs. On May 29th we continue with Tindaro Granata that he proposes I would like a voice, and then two world premieres: Antimo Casertano in Sea of rust (the Ilva tale) and Elvira Scorza with It’s all Ugo’s fault. Thursday 30 May, Lost Academy proposes the show Gramsci Gay; and then two world premieres: Caroline Baglioni with Play And David Iodice with Pinocchio / What is a person. The festival continues on Friday 31 May with Fabio Pisano who will present the show Broken. Rhapsody (By the Intercession of Silence) for the first time, Giulia Scotti will present a national preview What isn’t thereWhile The four wishes of Santu Martinu will be the artistic proposal of Dario De Luca. We arrive on Saturday 1st June. Three firsts of the day: the Dammacco/Balivo Company will present Death or Sunday lunch, Pier Lorenzo Pisano –will bring to the stage Total, While Shut up Peter will be the proposal offered by Fettarappa/Warriors. Three proposals are scheduled for the last day of the festival – Sunday 2 June: Kepler 452 – Album, Marco Sgrosso – With ax blows, Tommaso Urselli / Alberto Oliva / Claudio Facchinelli – The wandering revolutionary.
To further enrich the festival there is the section BEYOND. Beyond the central focus of every program, i.e. the shows, what is there? The answer is much more! Workshops, meetings, exhibitions, panels, installations, projections. During Before, every day at midday, an appointment dedicated to the pitches of the projects in residence. An informal moment of meeting between artists and operators, to talk about the paths of creation, production and possible co-productions. All in front of an aperitif in the splendid atmosphere of the cloister of the Protoconvent. From 28 May to 2 June the RAC group (directors in comparison), the first trade association for theater directors in Italy, is offering a training and comparison workshop by two RAC directors and a guest director, aimed at 15 original actors, selected through a call national public. The project is curated by Nicola Borghesi, Stefano Cordella, Fabiana Iacozzilli. Every evening – from 11.00 pm – at the Protoconvento, DJ sets and concerts will be held. Three exhibitions: Massimiliano De Luca, Tommaso Le Pera, Angelo Maggio. And then the Meetings: Liveness gradients. Live performance and communication in media contexts with Laura Gemini, Chronic with Dario Tomasello, The distribution of live shows, a curation process with Elena Lamberti, Cinema and Theatre: Transforming the regional cultural landscape curated by the Calabria Film Commission Foundation, Tommaso Le Pera: the visual memory of the theatre with Romolo Perrotta.
All the details on shows, festival locations, times and tickets on https://primaveradeiteatri.it/
The festival collaborates with numerous international partners and operates in co-production with the main Italian cultural institutions. Since its first edition it has been supported by the Italian Ministry of Culture.
With the support of the Ministry of Culture, Calabria Region, Calabria Straordinaria, Fondazione Carical, Nuovi Mecenati, Onassis Stegi. With the patronage of the Municipality of Castrovillari. Main sponsor: Energy Progress, IGreco Group. Main partners: IUAV University of Venice, Academy of Fine Arts of Catanzaro, Hotel Institute of Castrovillari, La Torre Infame, Officina del Gusto, Trattoria Benvenuto al Sud, Post Office and Office, Centro Espressioni Artistiche, NJ Hotel. Media partners: RAI RADIO 3, Artribune. Networked with: European Festival Association, Italiafestival, Revolution Project Network, Initalia, Castrovillari Città Festival, Catasta Pollino.
