Catanzaro, the XXIV edition of “Armonie d’Arte Festival” presented

From left: Giordano, Falbo and Barillari

Presented this morning at the Catanzaro Chamber of Commerce, the XXIV edition of the “Armonie d’Arte” festival. The artistic director took part in the press conference Chiara Giordano; the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Catanzaro, Crotone and Vibo Valentia Pietro Falbo; the culture councilor of the municipality of Catanzaro Donatella Monteverdi and the mayor of Serra San Bruno Alfredo Barillari. Also connected via video is the professor from the Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro Tiziana Montalcini and for Strategic & Partners Manuela Rafaianicurator of the Festival’s national and international communication.

After “Transit” and “Approdi”, the theme of this new edition is “Stays”, which falls within the three-year macro-theme (2022-2024) of “New Mediterranean routes”. The novelty this year is that the festival is split in two: in addition to the classic Armonie d’Arte, with its headquarters in the Scolacium Park and some episodes in the provincial territory, including Montauro, Soverato and Catanzaro, there will also be Harmonies of Art Festival Networkwhich connects the time and geographical routes along the ancient line, involving other archaeological places and spaces of the Ionian coast: Cosenza, Catanzaro, Serra San Bruno and many other places.

“Culture in Italy still faces many difficulties – he states Jordan – sustainability is a central theme, but we believe that culture is a sort of secular church and must be supported at all costs. In Calabria, culture is intertwined with tourism. Our slogan is: “A festival and a Calabria that are worth the journey”. This expresses the mood of this new edition, which aims to be a story, a positive narrative in an extraordinary territory. It is a renewed narrative of the Mediterranean”.

Regarding the theme he adds: “This year, the stays are precisely the attempt to create a great epicentre, a contemporary vortex in this piece of land illuminated by the sun, also hoping to encourage creative instances. Great artists, original productions, world premieres are important, but even more important is the desire to be there. The great artists come to us to do something, giving back to the visitors, the resident public and above all the tourists who often come especially from abroad. These people are for us the voice that brings the Mediterranean land to the world, which must still be a place of opportunity for harmonious and sustainable development in the future, both in individual and collective terms”.

And on the guests he continues: “We will have great international guests, such as Wayne McGregor, one of the greatest choreographers in the world and resident choreographer of the Royal Opera Ballet, for example, but there will also be evenings with original productions which will see the participation of the most important international voices of flamenco, Greek rebetiko, and Middle Eastern air, in a very strong cultural syncretism. We will also have the Fura dels Baus, one of the large international companies that manage to maintain the value, cultural, classical and traditional heritage, and to explore the new routes of contemporary languages. We will use a lot of new technology, thanks to a series of partners who will allow us to offer content that can be used remotely, even on-demand, with on-demand streaming. We will do everything possible because Armonia d’Arte wants to be the protagonist of a constantly evolving international scene.”

“We want to attract large flows of tourists – he concludes – but we also represent cultural tourism, and this must be taken into account. At the same time, it is important to broaden the targets and offer a sensible proposal.”

“It is a highly historicized event – states the president Falbo – because the twenty-fourth edition clearly puts it at the center of what are the historical and cultural dynamics of entertainment in our land. I can only thank the director Chiara Giordano for putting our territory at the center of the events, in particular the Scolacium archaeological park. The Chamber of Commerce that I represent is an enthusiastic partner of Armonie d’Arte Festival once again”.

“We must not give too much importance to the fact that something is done in Catanzaro or in any other part of the province, I strongly believe in creating virtuous and winning circuits. It is not an easy experiment, and the tools that director Giordano is adopting, such as that of creating a union with the youngest, are also important. It is right to accompany them without arrogance, which is an important element. We cannot afford to be custodians of an elitist culture in which those who don’t agree with the things we do are no good. Instead, we must expand as much as possible, strive to find those tools that can bring young people closer, make them understand and discover the beauties. For this reason I am very interested in their involvement, because they are the creative element of the city and the region” declares the councilor Monteverdi.

And he concludes: “It seems to me that in this last period there is a greater tendency to compare and collaborate and I thank Chiara because, since I have had the burden and the honour of having this role, I have always found in her a travelling companion, a woman who has given me great stimuli for her ability to do, to organise, to think and then to translate her ideas into facts”.