Festival Readings Bari 2017

The 7th edition of the Festival Readings took place in Bari, Italy from 19 - 21 May 2017, in collaboration with Fondazione SAT - Teatro Kismet - Teatri di Bari and ItaliaFestival, during the Festival Maggio all'Infanzia. In public lectures and debates 3 high-level festival makers reflected on artistic festival management issues. The Festival Academy and the host were delighted to have the following speakers amongst them for the full three days: Ulrich Fuchs (GE), Nele Hertling (GE) and Gundega Laivina (LV). 

The Festival Maggio all’Infanzia started more than 20 years ago with the ambition of not simply being a festival for children and youth, but to be as well a festival that is actually theirs, looking at childhood as a condition of wonderment and discovery, of openness, energy and smartness. The festival brings together a community of adults and kids looking for enticing the childish soul. Art is the guide for this research and the force that moves and connects.

The regions of Puglia with Teatri di Bari (Kismet e Abeliano) and Campania with le Nuvole – Casa del Contemporaneomerged for this initiative, the Festival Maggio all’Infanzia, under a new identity named Fondazione SAT. Their mutual goal was to dedicate an entire month to the idea of childhood with shows, workshops, reviews of theatre plays made by the children, debates among children and teachers, round tables, cinema and literature. Fondazione SAT promotes cultural development and interaction between the two regions, Campania and Puglia, from a perspective of an integrated cultural offer, beyond theatre and so expressing a wider concept of culture for childhood. SAT is a non-profit association with the mission of programming, organizing, promoting and realizing activities with a cultural, educational, creative, social, sportive and recreational purpose, for and with children, their families as well as people who are professionally involved with younger generations. 

According to the people present, The Festival Readings have been an important opportunity to exchange experiences and opinions on issues of great urgency such as the ecological sustainability of festivals, the relationship between art and city, the link between culture and tourism and the issues of audience development. The great competence and prestige of speakers have allowed all participants to learn and find sources of inspiration.

Festival Readings Bari 2017 is part of the EFA RISE project are implemented with the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.