Matera’s Movimento libero culminates in inclusive dance performance

On July 27, 2019, Piazza Giovanni XXIII in Matera’s Spine Bianche district will host the final performance of Movimento libero, a project focused on accessibility. The initiative stems from a collaboration between Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019 and the British Council, in partnership with Oriente Occidente Dance Festival. A dance workshop led by StopGap Dance Company runs from July 23 to 27, culminating in a public performance by a cast of able-bodied and disabled artists as part of the Nessuno Resti Fuori festival, produced by IAC – Centro Arti Integrate. The summer show is the climax of a process that began in March with a workshop at Open Design School and two open talks. The first phase addressed accessibility in performance spaces in Matera and opportunities for disabled people in culture and the arts. The current phase involves participants at Istituto Comprensivo Pascoli in an experience promoting a new vision of performative art that values diverse abilities. The final act of Movimento libero occurs on October 19, when StopGap Dance Company returns to Matera for the Italian premiere of a dance performance.