Now in its 24th edition we have chosen to question ourselves, to investigate a different way of acting and understanding our role and 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.
At the same time we have strengthened the usual soul of Primavera, with the focus on new dramaturgy and a programme that invests heavily in the new generation of authors grappling with the complexity and criticality of contemporary society.
This edition’s project is the result of complex and articulated curatorial work – made up of visions, studies, comparisons around Europe – to give a different sense and depth to the
rediscovered multidisciplinary identity of the festival.
«There are many elements that contribute to making an event prestigious and recognisable: the territory in which it is born and takes root, the uniqueness of the project, a rigorous and consistent direction in its choices, the magic of the spaces used. One of these elements is undoubtedly its temporal location during the year. It is for this reason that we strongly wanted Primavera dei Teatri to return to its springtime schedule, even taking the risk of not waiting for the regional public notice on events, which for years has economically supported the festival for 2/3 of its budget. Primavera dei Teatri, which opens the long festival season in Italy every year, must be able to fulfill the function of presenting and accompanying national debuts, of many artistic groups, at this precise moment of the year and cannot nullify the year-long programming work that a cultural event such as this requires.
Furthermore, Primavera dei Teatri was born out of a moral duty towards the citizens of a region lacking in cultural offerings. We of Scena Verticale used to leave Castrovillari for Rome or Milan to see the debuts of the most innovative plays. We were forced to this ‘sacrifice’, in the literal sense of sacrificing days for an hour or two of performance.
But could a citizen working in a workshop, a factory, an organisation or a company be asked to do the same? The great challenge has been and remains that of drawing near the common people. Common as we were in Calabria, a region distant from everything and everyone. All it took was a small spark to bring us closer to theatre, cinema, literature. We want to be that spark».
Dario De Luca, Saverio La Ruina and Settimio Pisano
