Santarcangelo Festival 2050: 50th Edition Transformed into Year-Long Project

The 50th edition of Santarcangelo Festival, originally scheduled for summer 2020, has been reimagined by directors Daniela Nicolò and Enrico Casagrande of the Motus company as a 12-month cultural project called Santarcangelo 2050. Inspired by Isaac Asimov's 1989 vision of a globally connected society, the festival will unfold in three acts. The first act runs from July 15 to 19, 2020, in outdoor spaces of Santarcangelo di Romagna, with limited audience and only Italian performers due to COVID-19 restrictions. The second act, Winter is coming, takes place in winter 2020/21 at the newly renovated Teatro Lavatoio, focusing on emerging artists. The final act in July 2021 will restore the festival's international dimension, adapting projects originally planned for 2020. The festival emphasizes public space and community engagement, a tradition since founder Piero Patino. Motus has also launched the Dream Suq سوق الأحلام virtual piazza on Facebook for exchanging ideas and desires. In collaboration with film production company Dugong, a documentary on the adaptive capacity of imagination will be produced. The festival aims to create a safe communal experience, described by Casagrande as a "catartic and constructive" ritual.