Festival delle Culture edizione 2025
Beyond the Conflict
The 18th edition of the Festival of Cultures 2025 is entitled: ‘Beyond the Conflict’ and offers a reflection starting with the words of Eleanor Roosevelt: “Where do human rights begin? In small places, close to home, so intimate and concrete that they do not appear on any map of the world.” Because the defense of people’s dignity starts in the spaces we inhabit every day: neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, homes.
Last year’s extraordinarily well-attended edition, titled Of Lands Near and Far, accompanied the citizenry in a reflection on the relationship between the protection of human rights and major global changes, enlivening the city with more than 50 events, which registered more than 46,000 attendees.
The Ravenna Festival of Cultures relies on the ideal and organizational collaboration of cultural institutions, migrant communities, associations, third sector entities, citizens and the contribution of artists and intellectuals. The aim is to address major intercultural issues, using the different existing languages – literary, musical, artistic, theatrical, journalistic – in order to strengthen social cohesion and improve the quality of civil coexistence. Therefore, we offer you again this year debates, concerts, reading paths, meetings with authors, conferences, theatrical performances, films, exhibitions and festive occasions.
JANUARY – FEBRUARY
Jan. 14-Feb. 11. Casa delle Culture , Piazza Medaglie d’Oro 4
Scrivere ad alta voce /Writing Out Loud
Autobiographical writing workshop, every Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the House of Cultures (second floor). Organized by Asja Lacis APS.
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Jan. 22 – 5:30 pm. Muratori Hall, Classense Library – via Alfredo Baccarini 3
Meeting with Nadeesha Uyangoda. Meeting with the author of Bodies that matter.
Moderator Matteo Cavezzali.
Meeting with Nadeesha Uyangoda, author of Corpi che contano.
Sometimes the most insidious conflicts are those we encounter in our daily lives, having to do with our identity, with the bodies we inhabit, a tool sometimes of emancipation and expression to occupy our space within society, others of racialization and discrimination. We discuss this with Nadeesha Uyangoda, author of the book Bodies That Matter, on Jan. 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the Muratori Room of the Classense Library.
In collaboration with Frontier Writings.
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Jan. 23 – 10 a.m. Muratori Hall, Classense Library – via Alfredo Baccarini 3
The dissolution of Yugoslavia and the causes of the war in the Balkans.
Meeting with Prof. Privitera, associate professor at the Department of Political and Social Sciences, University of Bologna, addressed to high school students and citizens.
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January 30 – 6:30 pm Casa delle Culture – Piazza Medaglie D’Oro 4
If you raise a wall think about what you leave out (I. Calvino)
Screening of the documentary by Ravenna Teatro and the Municipality of Ravenna, produced as part of the Bando Pace 2024 Regione Emilia Romagna for the promotion of a culture of peace, rights, interreligious dialogue and global citizenship.
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Feb. 8 and 9. Residence Villa Marina, Marina di Ravenna
Sabar Dance Workshop.
With dancer Awa Sow and live music by Tidiane Diop.
For the younger generation, two new events: the Sabar dance workshop scheduled for Feb. 8 and 9 at the Villa Marina Residence in Marina di Ravenna and a two-day sports, workshops and music event on May 9 and 10 at the Darsena district.
The events are in collaboration with the Tumm and Lucertola Ludens associations.
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Feb. 15 – 10 a.m. Alighieri Theater, 2 Angelo Mariani St.
Theater performance by and with Concita De Gregorio, aimed at high school students and the public.
On gender justice, systemic inequalities, and the cultural and social barriers that still limit opportunities and freedom of self-determination we propose to high school students the show Un’ultima cosa by and with Concita De Gregorio on Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. at Teatro Alighieri.
In collaboration with the U.O. Gender and Volunteer Policies and Ravenna Teatro
Five women center stage – Dora Maar, Amelia Rosselli, Carol Rama, Maria Lai and Lisetta Carmi – take the floor for the last time. And they say of themselves, without right of reply. They enter the stage, in the theater, right before they leave the stage, in life. As if a moment before they disappear they can turn to the audience, “Ah, one last thing remains to be said.” Strong, passionate, fragile, determined, revolutionary creatures: women. Artists who focused on every fragment of their lives, their time, souls on the road, luminous windows.
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February 19 – 10:00 a.m. Muratori Hall, Classense Library – via Alfredo Baccarini 3
Pagine Nascoste – Day dedicated to the memory of the victims of Italian colonialism in Africa.
Screening of the documentary Hidden Pages by Sabrina Varani, aimed at high school students and citizenship.
Day dedicated to remembering the victims of Italian colonialism in Africa with the screening of the documentary Hidden Pages the participation of director Sabrina Varani and Siid Negash. The film brings back memories of the assassination attempt on Viceroy Rodolfo Graziani in Addis Ababa, which was followed by savage roundups, torture and atrocious massacres of the civilian population.
February 19 is a date that has been removed from collective memory along with many other events of the Italian colonial experience but deserves significant space in history books. Between Feb. 19 and Feb. 21, 1937, Italian troops, with the support of civilians and fascist squads, massacred some 20,000 inhabitants of Addis Ababa, a vicious repression following the failed assassination attempt against Marshal Graziani, then viceroy of Ethiopia, by two young Eritrean resistance fighters.
Trailer:
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Feb. 21-March 3. Mariani Cinema, 19 Ponte Marino St.
Screening of the film for high school classes.
At the Mariani Cinema more than 1,300 high school students will attend a screening of the film The Boy with the Pink Pants.( Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa) In collaboration with Cinemaincentro and Ravenna high schools.
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March 1-April 23. Casa delle culture, Piazza Medaglie d’Oro 4
Check-point Kyiv. The invasion of Ukraine told on the ground.
Photo exhibition by journalist Pierfrancesco Curzi.
Opening on March 1st at 4:30 p.m.
Evening of music on March 8th at 5 p.m.
Photographer and journalist Pierfrancesco Curzi narrates his experience as a war reporter since the beginning of hostilities through the stages he experienced firsthand in the country, the faces he crossed, the voices he heard, and the reflections of a journalist within the folds of an epochal tragedy.
In collaboration with the association Malva – Ukrainians of Ravenna
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March 8 – 10:30 a.m. Rocca Brancaleone, 35 Rocca Brancaleone Street.
Inauguration of the memorial plaque “Giardino combattenti ravennati volontari per la Repubblica di Spagna brigate internazionali (1936-1939)”.
March 8 – 3 p.m. Ragazzini Hall, Largo Firenze
Experiences of resistance
Presentation of the book Non avendo mai prendere il fucile in mano – Italian anti-fascist women in the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939.
Events in collaboration with ANPI as part of the Experiences of Resistance review on March 8 at 3 p.m. at the Ragazzini Room in Largo Firenze the presentation of the book Non avendo mai prendere il fucile in mano. Italian Anti-Fascist Women in the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939, with the participation of Marco Puppini and Laura Orlandini and on May 3 at 5:00 p.m. at the Sala Muratori of the Classense Library the seminar From the Spanish War to the Resistance in Romagna via Ventotene with the account of the experience of partisans from Ravenna.
Speakers: Marco Puppini and Laura Orlandini.
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March 10 – 5:30 pm. Muratori Hall, Classense Library – via Alfredo Baccarini 3
Meeting with Elvira Mujčić. Meeting with the author of La buona condotta .
One of the main focuses of the festival of cultures is the Balkan conflict, a war that erupted only a few decades ago a few kilometers from Ravenna, Europe, about which young people know little, allowing us to deal with current and complex issues such as the relationship between democracy, consensus and nationalism, the genocidal risk, the protection of minorities in a multicultural country, and the fragility of international and supranational organizations born after World War II, with the right distance. It is also a theme closely related to the recent history of our territory. In 1993 at the height of the war in Bosnia, the Ravenna community took in war refugees for the first time, 171 Bosnian citizens. The 1990s war in the former Yugoslavia is an opportunity to talk about how, even today, democracies can give way to nationalism and how it is possible for peacefully coexisting multicultural communities to crumble, crushing human rights and forcing populations to flee
The event centers on the novels of writer Elvira Mujčić, particularly La buona condotta In the aftermath of Kosovo’s independence, elections for mayor are held in a small town on the border. Beginning with a true event, Elvira Mujcić brings to life an exciting story where characters fight to escape the fate that History, politics or conformists draw for them. The recent past, the never-understood and poorly concluded war, grudges and manipulations weigh on them, but they struggle to remain true to themselves. Thus showing us that a better future can always arise even under the most adverse conditions, thanks to the efforts of individual men and women, despite propaganda and manipulation. In collaboration with Frontier Writings.
Moderator Matteo Cavezzali.
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March 11 – 13. Sala Muratori/Sala Dantesca, Classense Library – via Alfredo Baccarini 3
Spring school – Labor exploitation and caporalato: prevention, victim support and criminal response.
From March 11-13 we will host at the Muratori Hall of the Classense Library the Spring school entitled Labor exploitation and caporalism: prevention, victim support and criminal response. For the first time, all national and local actors involved in the various actions to prevent and combat labor exploitation and caporalism, as well as to protect victims, will meet to discuss scenarios and how to improve the effectiveness and integration of policies. In collaboration with the Emilia Romagna Region, Prefecture of Ravenna, University of Bologna, Ausl Romagna and MondoDonna association.
Tuesday 11/03: The Reception and support pathways for victims of labor exploitation
Wednesday 12/03: The response to labor exploitation and caporalism
Thursday 13/03: The criminal response to labor exploitation and caporalism
Tuesday, March 11 9:30 a.m.
Reception and support pathways for victims of labor exploitation
Institutional greetings Chair: Paolo Fasano (UO Policies for Immigration – Municipality of Ravenna)
Introductory speech: Marco Omizzolo (Sapienza, University of Rome – Sociology of Migration) 11:15-11:30 Coffee break
Round table : National, interregional and local strategies to combat labor exploitation – Speakers:
- Stefania Congia (General Directorate for Immigration and Integration Policies – MLPS)
- Luca Rizzo Nervo (Delegate Immigration and International Cooperation Policies – Cabinet of the President of the Emilia-Romagna Region)
- Camilla Orlandi (Department for Integration and Reception, Immigration Management – ANCI Nazionale)
13:00-14:00 Lunch break
14:00 Regulatory tools to support reception projects
Chair: Andrea Facchini (Inclusion Social Policies and Equal Opportunities – Emilia-Romagna Region)
Speaker: Federica Remiddi (Lawyer of the Rome Forum, ASGI) 15:00-17:00 Workshop – Regulations supporting reintegration programs and socio-economic assistance for victims of exploitation: analysis of practical cases (by Federica Remiddi)
Wednesday, March 12 9:30 a.m.
The activity of preventing and combating labor exploitation and caporalato
Presided over by: Vittoria Maltoni (FAMI Project SESTANTE.RA – MondoDonna Onlus Association)
Speakers: Raffaele Ricciardi (Prefect of Ravenna) Leonardo Brandano (Ravenna Provincial Commander – Guardia di Finanza) Stefano Santandrea (Ravenna Inspectorate Supervision Manager – INPS Regional Directorate Emilia Romagna)
11.15- 11.30 Coffee break
Silvia Guaraldi (Secretary Flai CGIL nazionale) Francesca Nicodemi (Avvocata del Foro di Firenze – Common Ground Project)
13:00-14:00 Lunch break
2:00 p.m. Labor exploitation: the emergence of cases and the impact on victims’ health
Chair: Antonella Mastrocola (Mental Health Center – Ausl Romagna)
Speakers: Giovanni Abbate (Coordination Office for Mediterranean Area Countries – IOM) Maurizio Marceca (Sapienza, University of Rome – Public Health and Infectious Diseases) –
Thursday, March 13 at 9:45 a.m.
Roundtable: The criminal response to labor exploitation and caporalato
Introduce: Elena Valentini (University of Bologna, Criminal Procedure)
Chair: Francesca Curi (University of Bologna, Criminal Law)
Speakers:
- Francesco Mason (Avvocato del Foro di Venezia – ASGI)
- Ludovico Bin (University of Modena – Criminal Law)
- Donato Castronuovo (University of Ferrara – Criminal Law)
- Andrea Maggioni (Sostituto Procuratore della Repubblica – Ferrara)
- Gilberto Felici (Judge of the Court of EDU)
- Andrea Ronchi (Avvocato del Foro di Bologna)
13:00-14:00 Lunch break
14:00 – 15:30 Workshop – The protection of the foreign citizen in the procedure of entry for work (by Lawyer Francesco Mason)
15:30 – 17:00 Workshop – The judicial protection of the migrant worker (by Lawyer Andrea Ronchi)
To access the registration form click the following link: https://forms.gle/xyXnrRkrCyUVsude6
It is also possible to register for a single day.
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March 13 – 10 a.m. Rasi Theater, 39 Via di Roma
In fondo a una nave
A performance by the Quarto Quinto Atto company, dedicated to high school students, in remembrance of the Mecnavi massacre, an event that happened in the port of Ravenna on the morning of March 13, 1987. Some workers are cleaning out the inside of a gas tanker under repair. There are young men on their first day of work, the worker who is about to retire, the young man who wants to save money to repair his motorcycle, there is the third country citizen who dreams of marriage in his homeland. A fire breaks out. Within minutes the hold fills with toxic smoke. Help arrives but rescue is virtually impossible. 13 people will die.
Performance by the Quarto Quinto Atto company, dedicated to high school students, in memory of the Mecnavi massacre, an event that occurred in the port of Ravenna on the morning of March 13, 1987.
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March 14 – 10:00 a.m. Muratori Hall, Classense Library – via Alfredo Baccarini 3
Memories of war, lessons of peace: the testimony of Emir Šehić
Meeting with Professor Emir Šehić, a significant witness of the Balkan conflict, addressed to high school students and citizens. Moderator Silvia Manzani.
One of the main focuses of the Festival of Cultures is the Balkan conflict, a war that erupted only a few decades ago a few kilometers from Ravenna, Europe, about which young people know little, allowing us to deal with current and complex issues such as the relationship between democracy, consensus and nationalism, the genocidal risk, the protection of minorities in a multicultural country, and the fragility of international and supranational organizations born after World War II, with the right distance. It is also a theme closely related to the recent history of our territory. In 1993 at the height of the war in Bosnia, the Ravenna community took in war refugees for the first time, 171 Bosnian citizens. The 1990s war in the former Yugoslavia is an opportunity to talk about how, even today, democracies can give way to nationalism and how it is possible for peacefully coexisting multicultural communities to crumble, crushing human rights and forcing populations to flee. The event features the accounts of direct witnesses who experienced that dramatic experience firsthand.
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March 15 – 3 p.m. Casa delle Culture – Medaglie d’Oro Square 4
Celebration of Greek Pi
On the occasion of World Math Day, the universal language that unites cultures and generations, which is celebrated on March 14th, an afternoon of discovery and fun. A gathering open to children, teens and adults, dedicated to the fascination of numbers and logic through interactive games and activities inspired by mathematical traditions from around the world.
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March 17-April 11. Legislative Assembly of the Emilia-Romagna Region (Bologna).
Along the border
Exhibition by documentary photographer Chiara Fabbro.Opening on March 17 at 10:00 a.m.
The exhibition Along the border by photographer Chiara Fabbro constitutes a very powerful narrative of what is still happening along the Balkan route, the living conditions of people, collective and chain rejections, how the protection of human rights along the eastern borders of the European Union is changing in the deafening silence of the media. His work reaches straight to the heart of each of us, telling us about the resilience and indomitable hope of tragic protagonists in a human rights epic. In collaboration with the Emilia Romagna Region.
Opening on March 17 at 10 a.m.
The shots tell the stories of migrants traveling the Balkan route in the hope of reaching Europe, the rejections and human rights violations perpetrated against them along the EU’s eastern border.
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March 20 – 10:00 a.m. Muratori Hall, Classense Library – via Alfredo Baccarini 3
Origins
Documentary on Khoisan Places. Survey of precolonial sites in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa with talks by community leaders. English-language event.
For the Week Against Racism series celebrating the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination established by the United Nations General Assembly in memory of the victims of the Sharpeville massacre of March 21, 1960, who were killed while peacefully demonstrating against apartheid, on March 20 and 21, also at the Muratori Hall at 10 a.m., we will meet with leaders of the Khoisan communities of eastern South Africa who through two documentaries will talk about their process of re-appropriation of indigenous cultural identity.
The event is in English and is organized in collaboration with South Africa’s Nelson Mandela University and the University of Bologna.
Origins. March 20 – 10 a.m.Muratori Hall, Classense Library – via Alfredo Baccarini 3 Documentary on Khoisan Places. Survey of precolonial sites in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa featuring community leaders.
Indigenous architecture. March 21 – 10:00 am. Muratori Hall Classense Library – via Alfredo Baccarini 3 Documentary on the built environment and dwellings of early indigenous peoples in the remote area of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa with talks by community leaders.
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March 21 – 10:00 a.m. Muratori Hall, Classense Library – via Alfredo Baccarini 3
Indigenous architecture
Documentary on the built environment and dwellings of early indigenous peoples in the remote area of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa with talks by community leaders. English-language event.
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March 28 – 9:30 a.m. Muratori Hall, Classense Library – via Alfredo Baccarini 3
The strength of courage: human rights in Iran.
Human rights activist Taghi Rahmani talks with Riccardo Noury, national spokesperson for Amnesty International Italy.
Taghi Rahmani, an Iranian journalist and writer, married to 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, still held in Iran on parole, is a university professor in exile who has dedicated his life to the recognition of human rights and freedoms. For this activity he spent fourteen years in prison and suffered torture in Iran.
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April 13-May 31. Manicalunga exhibition hall, Classense Library, 3 Alfredo Baccarini Street.
Life support, photo exhibition on Emergency’s SAR ship.
Opening of the photo exhibition on April 12 at 11 a.m.
Ravenna has been designated a safe port of landing by the government and has handled 16 refugee landings since December 2022. The Manica Lunga of the Classense Library will host the exhibition of Life Support, Emergency’s SAR ship operating in the central Mediterranean area. The 20 shots chronicle the sighting, rescue and reception phases experienced by the staff on board and the shipwrecked people. The opening will be held on April 12 at 11 a.m. and the exhibition will be open until May 31.
Promoted by Emergency Ravenna and in collaboration with the Classense Library Institution.
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April 15-May 22. Kennedy Square, Ravenna
Art installation in the city center by artist and activist Gianluca Costantini.
Opening on April 15 at 5 p.m.
Art installation in Kennedy Square of the work There are loves without heaven by artist and activist Gianluca Costantini from April 15 to May 22, a strong warning work against gender violence and feminicide, which will be unveiled at 5 p.m. April 15.
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April 16 – 5:30 pm. Muratori Hall, Classense Library, via Alfredo Baccarini 3.
Meeting with Nicoletta Verna. Meeting with the author of The Days of Glass.
Moderated by Matteo Cavezzali.
Nicoletta Verna’s novel I giorni di Vetro (Glass Days) tackles the portrait of a female figure who was a victim of prejudice and violence during Fascism. Redenta was born in Castrocaro on the day of the Matteotti murder. There are rumors in the village that she has the scarogna and will not even make it to the feast of San Rocco. Instead for the feast she is still alive, while Matteotti is found dead. This is how fascism begins, and also the story of Redenta, her family, her people. A world of radical violence-the Ventennio, the war, male prevarication-and yet of inexhaustible faith in the human. “I chose to tell the story of the past in order to speak of the violence of the present” Intense, courageous, Days of Glass is the novel of our fragility and stubborn hope in the face of the scandal of History. In collaboration with Frontier Writings.
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April 24 – 10 a.m. Rasi Theater, 39 Via di Roma
Fortunatamente nera: il risveglio di una mente colonizzata.
Meeting with author Nogaye Ndiaye for middle school students at the end of the book reading tour.
Silvia Manzani moderates.
This year the reading courses also involve comprehensive schools. It is a format that has now become a distinctive feature of the Festival of Cultures: it begins with the choice of a book that is given to students, who will read it during school and extracurricular hours, and ends in a meeting with the author. In two years, more than 2,500 young people, supported by teachers, have read texts of great literary value and discussed contemporary issues with internationally prominent writers such as Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah, Maaza Mengiste, Kader Abdolah, and Viola Ardone. The pathway dedicated to middle school students, attended by 511 students, is centered on the reading of the text Fortunately Black. The Awakening of a Colonized Mind by young Italian-Senegalese writer Nogaye Ndiaye. The theme is that of internalized racism, between the denial of part of one’s identity, the need for acceptance, and the arduous and often painful journey of reclaiming family origins.
From an early age, Nogaye wondered where she belonged. Although she had a home, family, and friends, she always felt caught between two worlds. Born in Italy to parents of Senegalese descent and raised in a small provincial town, Nogaye absorbed all the prejudice and rejection that our society reserves for those who are “foreign” and instinctively tried, with all of herself, to belong to a majority that made her feel different. For years she made excuses not to travel to Senegal to meet her extended family; for years she suffered for her “wrong” appearance; for years she went by another name, Noghina. But Noghina and Nogaye are two souls of the same person, two souls that have eluded each other, fought each other, but eventually embraced and reassembled like pieces of a puzzle. The writer will meet with students on April 24 at 10 a.m. at Teatro Rasi and on May 21 at 10 a.m. at Palazzo Grossi in Castiglione di Ravenna as part of the Festa dell’incontro.
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April 24 – 9 p.m. Rasi Theater, via di Roma 39
Concert by Rasha Nahas
Thanks to a partnership with Ravenna Festival, we are proposing the first review ever held in Italy – and at such a tragic time – dedicated to the Palestinian diaspora, featuring four significant artists from different stylistic areas. Music will give voice to the nostalgia for their homeland.
This will be expressed by Rasha Nahas, who will perform on the Rasi Theater stage on April 24 at 9 p.m., Kamilya Jubran (May 23 at 9 p.m. at Alighieri Theater), 47Soul (May 24 at 9 p.m. at Alighieri Theater) and Bashar Murad (May 25 at 9 p.m. at Alighieri Theater).
The music of artist Rasha Nahas is a blend of the past with the present. It simultaneously reflects her family’s deep roots in the Palestinian village of Tarshiha in the Upper Galilee, the coastal city of Haifa where she was born and raised, and the German capital Berlin, where the composer, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist lives.
The tapestry of our lives consists of the many places to which we feel connected.
In collaboration with Ravenna Festival.
Advance sales starting March 15: www.ravennafestival.org or at 0544 249244, at the Teatro Alighieri box office or La Cassa di Ravenna Spa and Iat P.zza S. Francesco branches.
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April 26-May 8. PR2, 2 Massimo D’Azeglio St.
On the run. “Migrants? Refugees? Clandestinians? I only see women, men and children.”
Exhibition of paintings by Gabriella Costanzi.
Opening on April 26 at 11 a.m.
Open Monday through Friday 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Thursday 01/05 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“Migrants? Refugees? Clandestinians? I only see women, men and children.” Gabriella Costanzi’s exhibition of paintings stems from an inner urge of the artist to tell stories of humanity, suffering and hope, inspired by her direct encounters with some refugees of various nationalities. The portraits of migrants recall with great expressive power the other face of the conflict, that of humanity, of refugees, of people fleeing for survival.
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April 29 – 10:00 a.m. Piazza del Popolo, Ravenna
Let’s play at peace
Final exhibition of the Compass of Peace workshop path implemented in the comprehensive institutes.
Students from the comprehensive institutes conclude the Compass of Peace workshop path in People’s Square with the final event Giochiamo alla Pace , organized by the Intercultural Network on Immigration Issues (RITI), in collaboration with The Caravan of the Peaceful.
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May 3 – 5:00 pm. Sala Muratori, Classense Library, via Alfredo Baccarini 3
Experiences of resistance: from the Spanish War to the resistance in Romagna via Ventotene.
Events in collaboration with ANPI as part of the Experiences of Resistance review on March 8 at 3 p.m. at the Ragazzini Room in Largo Firenze the presentation of the book Non avendo mai prendere il fucile in mano. Italian Anti-Fascist Women in the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939, with the participation of Marco Puppini and Laura Orlandini and on May 3 at 5:00 p.m. at the Sala Muratori of the Classense Library the seminar From the Spanish War to the Resistance in Romagna via Ventotene with the account of the experience of partisans from Ravenna.
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May 9 and 10. UISP sports center on Curzola Street and Medaglie D’Oro Square, Ravenna
Young people at play in the Darsena district
Recreational activities for children and youth of all ages.
For the younger generation, two new events: the Sabar dance workshop scheduled for Feb. 8 and 9 at the Villa Marina Residence in Marina di Ravenna and a two-day sports, workshops and music event on May 9 and 10 at the Darsena district.
The events are in collaboration with the Tumm and Lucertola Ludens associations.
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May 13 – 6 p.m. Rasi Theater, 39 Via di Roma
Stories of Ravenna – 1993: Ravenna open city
Theatrical performance by Ravenna Teatro
One of the main focuses of the Festival of Cultures is the Balkan conflict, a war that erupted only a few decades ago a few kilometers from Ravenna, Europe, about which young people know little, which allows us to address with the right distance current and complex issues such as the relationship between democracy, consensus and nationalism, the genocidal risk, the protection of minorities in a multicultural country, and the fragility of international and supranational organizations born after World War II. It is also a topic closely related to the recent history of our territory.
In 1993 at the peak of the war in Bosnia, the Ravenna community welcomed war refugees for the first time, 171 Bosnian citizens. The 1990s war in the former Yugoslavia is an opportunity to talk about how, even today, democracies can give way to nationalists and how it is possible for peacefully coexisting , multicultural communities to crumble, crushing human rights and forcing populations to flee.
The show that concludes the Storie di Ravenna review is dedicated to the reception of Bosnian refugees during the war in the former Yugoslavia. The bloody conflict that shook the Balkans in the early 1990s indelibly marked the Byzantine city, which mobilized to set up services starting from the former “Drago Mazzini” elementary school on Aquileia Street. The episode will trace the stories of those who were welcomed and those who, that welcome, organized it, amid memories and recollections of those who passed through for a few months and those who, instead, remained.
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May 16, 9 a.m. – Rocca Brancaleone, 35 Rocca Brancaleone Street
Experiences of resistance – Young Memories
Memorial morning organized by ANPI Ravenna, Liceo Artistico Nervi-Severini, Istituto Don Minzoni and Istituto Darsena. Restitution of the workshops on memory conducted by ANPI in schools, storytelling by middle and high school classes on the Resistance.
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May 21 – 10 a.m. Green area of Palazzo Grossi, Castiglione di Ravenna
Meeting Celebration – Fortunately Black: the awakening of a colonized mind
Meeting with author Nogaye Ndiaye for the students of Zignani Middle School (Castiglione di Ravenna) at the end of the reading of the book, on the occasion of the Encounter Festival.
This year the reading tracks also involve comprehensive schools. It is a format that has now become a distinctive feature of the Festival of Cultures: it begins with the choice of a book that is given to students, who will read it during school and extracurricular hours, and ends in a meeting with the author. In two years, more than 2,500 young people, supported by teachers, have read texts of great literary value and discussed contemporary issues with internationally prominent writers such as Nobel Prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah, Maaza Mengiste, Kader Abdolah, and Viola Ardone. The course dedicated to middle school students, attended by 511 students, focuses on reading the text Fortunately Black. The Awakening of a Colonized Mind by young Italian-Senegalese writer Nogaye Ndiaye. The theme is that of internalized racism, between the denial of a part of one’s identity, the need for acceptance and the exhausting and often painful journey of reappropriating family origins.
From an early age, Nogaye wondered where she belonged. Although she had a home, family, and friends, she always felt poised halfway between two worlds. Born in Italy to parents of Senegalese descent and raised in a small provincial town, Nogaye absorbed all the prejudice and rejection our society reserves for those who are “foreign” and instinctively tried, with all her might, to belong to a majority that made her feel different. For years she made excuses not to travel to Senegal to meet her extended family; for years she suffered for her “wrong” appearance; for years she went by another name, Noghina. But Noghina and Nogaye are two souls of the same person, two souls that have avoided each other, fought each other, but eventually embraced and reassembled like puzzle pieces.
The writer will meet with students on April 24 at 10 a.m. at the Rasi Theater and on May 21 at 10 a.m. at Palazzo Grossi in Castiglione di Ravenna as part of the Meeting Festival.
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May 23 – 10 a.m. Alighieri Theater, via Angelo Mariani 2
Meeting with author Rosella Postorino for high school students at the end of the reading of the book. Elvira Mujčić will moderate.
This year the beautiful novel Mi limitavo ad amare te by writer Rosella Postorino was chosen, which tells the story of a group of Bosnian boys who are received in Italy during the Balkan conflict. “This text allows us not only to talk about a war that exploded only a few decades ago a few kilometers from Ravenna, in Europe, about which young people know little, but to address with the right distance current and complex issues such as the relationship between democracy, consensus and nationalism, the genocidal risk, the protection of minorities in a multicultural country, and the fragility of international and supranational organizations born after World War II,” explains Paolo Fasano, head of the U.O. Immigration and Citizenship Policies. It is also a topic closely related to the recent history of our territory. Councillor for Immigration Federica Moschini reminds us that “In 1993 at the peak of the war in Bosnia, the Ravenna community welcomed war refugees for the first time, 171 Bosnian citizens, manifesting a profound sensitivity, a legacy of the past, let us think of the welcome in the postwar period of children from the South , which is also confirmed in the current history of the city, as we had the opportunity to verify more recently for the Ukrainian emergency or during and after the flood that affected everyone. The value of solidarity is undoubtedly carved into the DNA of our community.” The 1990s war in the former Yugoslavia is an opportunity to talk about how, even today, democracies can give ground to nationalism and how it is possible for peacefully coexisting multi-cultural communities to crumble, crushing human rights and forcing populations to flee.
Other in-depth meetings on the Balkan war for students and citizens are scheduled at the Muratori Hall of the Classense Library: on January 23 on the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the causes of the war in the Balkans with prof. Francesco Privitera; the others will be held on March 10 at 5:30 p.m. with writer Elvira Mujčić, author of The Good Conduct, who, starting from an actual event that happened in the aftermath of Kosovo’s independence, tells us an emotional story, showing us how a better future can always arise even in the most adverse conditions, thanks to the efforts of individual men and women, despite propaganda and manipulation; on March 14 at 10: 00 we will hear the account of direct witnesses who went through that dramatic experience firsthand, through the words of prof. Emir Šehić. Finally, the show 1993: Ravenna open city organized by Ravenna Teatro, on May 13 at 6:00 p.m. at Teatro Rasi, the last event of the Storie di Ravenna festival, will tell us a touching story of reception of the Ravenna community through the language of theater.
The high school reading course, involving more than 900 children, will conclude with a meeting with the writer, who will answer students’ questions on May 23 at 10 a.m. at the Alighieri Theater. Elvira Mujčić will moderate.
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May 23 – 9 p.m. Alighieri Theater, via Angelo Mariani 2
Concert by Kamilya Jubran
Thanks to a partnership with Ravenna Festival, we are proposing the first review ever held in Italy – and at such a tragic time – dedicated to the Palestinian diaspora, featuring four significant artists from different stylistic areas. Music will give voice to the nostalgia for their homeland.
This will be expressed by Rasha Nahas, who will perform on the Rasi Theater stage on April 24 at 9 p.m., Kamilya Jubran (May 23 at 9 p.m. at Alighieri Theater), 47Soul (May 24 at 9 p.m. at Alighieri Theater) and Bashar Murad (May 25 at 9 p.m. at Alighieri Theater).
Kamilya Jubran, an indispensable reference figure for understanding where new contemporary music is going, how far it can go with its hybridization of fields and genres ranging from the Middle Eastern classical tradition to Palestinian popular music to radical improvisation. Her story is intense and exciting.
In collaboration with Ravenna Festival.
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May 24, 9 p.m. Alighieri Theater, via Angelo Mariani 2
Concert by 47Soul
Thanks to a partnership with Ravenna Festival, we are proposing the first review ever held in Italy – and at such a tragic time – dedicated to the Palestinian diaspora, featuring four significant artists from different stylistic areas. Music will give voice to the nostalgia for their homeland.
This will be expressed by Rasha Nahas, who will perform on the Rasi Theater stage on April 24 at 9 p.m., Kamilya Jubran (May 23 at 9 p.m. at Alighieri Theater), 47Soul (May 24 at 9 p.m. at Alighieri Theater) and Bashar Murad (May 25 at 9 p.m. at Alighieri Theater).
The band’s name refers to 1947, the year when it was still possible to meet in Greater Syria, where a freedom of movement now unfamiliar demolished the borders between Jerusalem, Amman, Damascus and Beirut.The band presents to the world their own and unique genre of music called “Shamstep” – a powerful mix of traditional street music from the Bilad al-Sham region (which includes Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, parts of Jordan, Iraq and Turkey) combined with deep electronic rhythms and influences from funk, hip-hop and rock, linking melodies that have traversed the Arab world for centuries with analog synthesizers, hypnotic guitar lines, singing in a mix of Arabic and English.
In collaboration with Ravenna Festival.
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May 25, 9 p.m. Alighieri Theater, 2 Angelo Mariani St.
Concert by Bashar Murad
Thanks to a partnership with Ravenna Festival, we are proposing the first review ever held in Italy – and at such a tragic time – dedicated to the Palestinian diaspora, featuring four significant artists from different stylistic areas. Music will give voice to the nostalgia for their homeland.
This will be expressed by Rasha Nahas, who will perform on the Rasi Theater stage on April 24 at 9 p.m., Kamilya Jubran (May 23 at 9 p.m. at Alighieri Theater), 47Soul (May 24 at 9 p.m. at Alighieri Theater) and Bashar Murad (May 25 at 9 p.m. at Alighieri Theater).
Bashar Murad, Palestinian pop artist, songwriter and filmmaker who produces globally influential pop music. His music challenges stereotypes and highlights social issues. He also addresses gender equality and diversity in his work.
Whether performing in a wedding dress or singing about gender diversity, Bashar always takes risks and stimulates critical thinking.
In collaboration with Ravenna Festival.
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May 27 – 6 p.m. Centro Quake, Via Eraclea 25
Cinespeyer Review.
Screening of the film Dreaming of Beckham (2002) by Gurinder Chadha.
Orgnized by Cittattiva in collaboration with Quake Youth Center.
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May 29 – 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Muratori Hall, Classense Library, via Alfredo Baccarini 3
Mediterraneo oggi: libertà di muoversi, dovere di salvare
Moderator Vittorio Longhi, journalist and writer, editorial director of Carta di Roma newspaper,
NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SEA RESCUE
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May 29, 9:30 a.m. – Palazzo Rasponi alle Teste, Kennedy Square, 12
The national conference Mediterraneo oggi: freedom to move, duty to save, proposes a discussion between institutions, humanitarian workers, journalists and citizens on the current dynamics of migration by sea and the responsibilities of states and civil society in ensuring rescue and the protection of fundamental rights. In recent years, Ravenna is among the cities that have played a leading role in receiving refugee rescued at sea by Humanitarian Organizations, managing 16 ship landings.
The Mediterranean continues to be a crucial transit area for thousands of people who undertake high-risk journeys to seek international protection. The public debate on these issues oscillates between recognizing the right to mobility and strengthening border control policies, with significant legal, geopolitical and ethical implications.
The event, moderated by journalist and writer Vittorio Longhi, aims to address the issue of sea rescue, with representatives of NGOs and institutions, journalists and jurists. It aims to offer an updated overview of rescue practices and policies adopted by different European countries. Through direct testimonies and insights, current challenges related to sea rescue operations will be addressed in favor of a discussion on proposals and perspectives for a more effective and sustainable governance.
The conference is part of the program of the Festival of Cultures, which for years has been a space for intercultural dialogue and in-depth discussion on issues related to migration, human rights protection and social cohesion. The aim is to contribute to an informed and pragmatic discussion that takes into account the complexities of the migration phenomenon and shared responsibilities at the local, national and European levels.
“The controversial migration policies of recent years prompt rigorous reflection on the relevance of these values and rights established by the United Nations after the worst conflicts of the 20th century. The Festival will be an opportunity to discuss the effectiveness of these policies, from sea rescue to integration. Ravenna,” says Vittorio Longhi, editorial director of Carta di Roma, ”represents the ideal place to start this debate, which goes from the local to the international level, precisely because of the sensitivity and commitment shown by the city to the complex issue of reception.”
Program
Morning
10:00 a.m.: Institutional greetings
10:30 a.m.: Speeches by representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, Coast Guard, Council of Europe, parliamentary committees
11:30 a.m. Opening remarks and introduction to the day
The Ravenna case, between landings and reception. Interviews with officials from Prefecture, Ausl, Police Headquarters and Municipality, with migrants who have landed, been received
12 noon The role of local authorities, Ravenna councillor with representatives of the municipalities of Livorno and Ancona, immigration delegate of Anci and the Regions
1:00 p.m. Lunch break
Afternoon
2:30 p.m.: Workshops
Three thematic tables coordinated by NGOs on:
Sea rescue (issues and proposals on the operational phase of rescue, with representatives of the Coast Guard and local authorities)
Migration policies (how to improve standards and policies, European and national, with the heads of IOM and UNHCR, local authorities and possibly other institutional)
Media and migration (the media representation of migration, risks and opportunities, with communication officers from other organizations, including Charter of Rome and journalists)
4 p.m. Plenary. Round table where NGO coordinators present the workshop results and related proposals, together with representatives from IOM, UNHCR, Asylum Table, journalists, etc.
5 p.m. Conclusion and greetings.
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June 2 – 3:30 p.m. Aquileia Street, 13 Ravenna
Tales, images, life stories of those who came to live in the Darsena, helping to make it one of Ravenna’s most cosmopolitan neighborhoods.
1990s, from the former Yugoslavia to Ravenna
Site-specific exhibition
Tales, images, life stories of those who came to live in the Darsena, helping to make it one of Ravenna’s most cosmopolitan neighborhoods.
The first edition of the project reconstructs the stories of some families who arrived in the 1990s from Bosnia, fleeing war and genocide, through the collection of testimonies, period photographs and direct encounters with those who decided to settle in Ravenna and the Darsena.
The installation is part of the calendar of events of Sottocasa – artistic and social routes in the suburbs of Ravenna organized by Sguardi in camera APS and Villaggio Globale.
The exhibition can be visited until Friday, June 2025 during the opening hours of Circoscrizione Terza.
Free entrance
Organized by Sguardi in Camera APS.
Info: sguardiincamera@gmail.com tel. 351 9012185
Cosa vedo nell’altro? ©Sguardi in camera
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June 3 – 6 p.m. Quake Center, 25 Eraclea St.
Cinespeyer Review.
Screening of the animated film Rebel (2012) by Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman and Steve Purcell.
Curated by Cittattiva in collaboration with Quake Youth Center.
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June 7 and 8. Rocca Brancaleone, 35 Rocca Brancaleone St.
Migrant Cultures at the Rocca
Two days of discussions, music, games, workshops and cuisine from around the world.
On June 7 and 8 at the Brancaleone Fortress, the citizenry is invited to the second edition of Migrant Cultures at the Fortress, a weekend of conviviality and participation. Two days full of music, games, workshops and delicious cuisine from the world, in collaboration with the association Italia Cuba, the Network intercultural on immigration issues (RITI), diaspora associations and migrant communities.
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June 10 – 9 p.m. Speyer Gardens, Luigi Carlo Farini Ave.
Cinespeyer Review.
Screening of the documentary Me, my Rom family and Woody Allen (2009) by Laura Halilovic.
Orgniazed by Sguardi in Camera APS in collaboration with Associazione MIR Sada – Rom Intercultural Mediation.
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June 13 – 9 p.m. Speyer Gardens, Luigi Carlo Farini Ave.
Cinespeyer Review
Screening of the film 20 days in Mariupol (2023) by Mstyslav Černov.
Orgniazed by APS Malva – Ukrainians of Ravenna.
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June 17 – 9 p.m. Speyer Gardens, Luigi Carlo Farini Ave.
Cinespeyer Review.
Screening of the film The program (2015) by Stephen Frears.
Curated by Fiab Ravenna.
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Cinespeyer Review.
Screening of the documentary The mind game (2023) by Eefje Blankevoort, Sajid Khan Nasiri, Els van Driel.
Curated by coop. Cidas and coop. Teranga.
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June 24 – 9 p.m. Speyer Gardens, Luigi Carlo Farini Ave.
Cinespeyer Review.
Screening of the documentary Jung – In the land of the Mujaheddin (2000) by Alberto Vendemmiati and Fabrizio Lazzaretti.
Curated by Emergency Ravenna.
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June 27 – 9 p.m. Speyer Gardens, Luigi Carlo Farini Ave.
Cinespeyer Review.
Screening of the film The Secret Child (2022) by Ali Asgari.
Curated by Amnesty Ravenna.
For more info : casadelleculture@comune.ravenna.it
Locations: Classense Library, Alighieri Theater, Rasi Theater, Casa delle culture, Kennedy Square, Piazza del Popolo, Speyer Gardens, PR2 exhibition hall, Rocca Brancaleone, Villa Marina Residence (Marina di Ravenna), Mariani Cinema, Mani Fiorite Park – Quake Center, Darsena District, Grossi Palace (Castiglione di Ravenna), the Torraccia.
Organizing entities: Municipality of Ravenna, U.O. Policies for Immigration and
Citizenship. The events are held in collaboration with: Ravenna Festival, Amnesty International Italia, Istituzione Biblioteca Classense, Ravenna Theater, Intercultural Network on Immigration Issues (RITI), coop. sociale Terra Mia, coop. sociale Villaggio Globale, ass. Italia Cuba, Scritture di frontiera, Emergency Ravenna, Anpi, University of Bologna, Nelson Mandela University (South Africa), Regione Emilia Romagna, Prefettura di Ravenna, Ausl Romagna, ass. MondoDonna, U.O. Gender Policies and Volunteering, Istituti Comprensivi Baccarini, Canevaro, Damiano, Darsena, del Mare, Novello, Randi, RicciMuratori, San Biagio, San Pietro in Vincoli, Valgimigli-Manara, Liceo Artistico Nervi-Severini, Liceo Classico Dante Alighieri, Liceo Scientifico A. Oriani, IPS Olivetti-Callegari, ITE Ginanni, ITIS Nullo Baldini, ITS Morigia-Perdisa, CPIA Ravenna, ENGIM Ravenna, IAL Ravenna, Scuola Pescarini Arti e Mestieri, coop. sociale Cidas, coop. sociale Teranga, coop. sociale LibrAzione, Il Terzo Mondo ODV, Lucertola Ludens aps, Cittadini del Pianeta aps, Romania Mare ODV, Malva – Ukrainians of Ravenna aps, ass. Mabuhay, Sguardi in Camera aps, ass. Pyramide, FIAB Ravenna, ass. Global solidarity, Cinemaincentro, ass. Asra, ass. Italia Chama Brasil, ass. Ammi Mozambican women in Italy, Associazione Nigeriana Ravenna, ass. Opu Ravenna, ass. Ivoriani di Ravenna, ass. Life, Asja Lacis aps, ass. Tumm,
With the contribution of: Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna.