Santarcangelo Festival 2024: 54th Edition Explores Coexistence Through Performance

The 54th edition of Santarcangelo Festival, titled "While we are are," will take place from July 5 to 14, 2024, in the medieval town of Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy. Artistic director Tomasz Kireńczuk, recently confirmed through 2026, has curated a program featuring over 170 performances, DJ sets, and public encounters by Italian and international artists. The festival aims to foster dialogue between art and community, with a focus on collective experience and ritual. Kireńczuk poses questions about togetherness in a divided world, exploring how performance can support integration and inclusion. The lineup includes debut performances in Italy by French-Algerian choreographer Dalila Belaza and Belgian artist Lisa Vereetbrugghen, whose work "While we are here" inspired the festival title. Brazilian artists Michelle Moura, Davi Pontes, Wallace Ferreira, and Bruno Freire address colonial themes. Strong representation comes from Eastern Europe and artists from conflict zones. Italian participants include established names like Claudia Castellucci and emerging talents such as Stefania Tansini, Sara Sguotti, Parini Secondo, Panzetti/Ticconi, and a trio of Giovanfrancesco Giannini, Roberta Racis, and Fabio Novembrini. The festival emphasizes interdisciplinarity across theater, dance, installation, and artistic intervention, with a focus on social and political issues.