On 29 and 30 August, Castrocaro Terme will host the first edition of Incanti Urbani, the new festival dedicated to the performing arts that transforms the town’s historic centre and squares into a vast open-air stage.
Born out of a collaboration with Di Strada in Strada – Santa Sofia’s International Circus, Theatre and Music Festival, under the artistic direction of Flavio Quadrini, a national and international leading figure in live performance since 1992, Incanti Urbani offers a rich programme of artists and companies spanning contemporary circus, puppetry, clowning, juggling, aerial acrobatics, music, mime, fire shows, soap bubbles and travelling performances.
For two days, the public will be able to enjoy an immersive experience featuring shows, art installations, workshops, entertainment and family-friendly areas, with performances taking place at various locations across the city centre. The initiative was created with the aim of enhancing urban spaces through the universal language of art, creating opportunities for connection, participation and wonder for audiences of all ages.
‘Incanti Urbani’ is an invitation to rediscover the city through a sense of wonder, where every street, square and corner becomes a stage for emotions, creativity and sharing.
FESTIVAL & MARKET TIMES
Saturday 29 August: from 7.00 pm to midnight
Sunday 30 August: from 10.00 to 23.00
ARTISTS:
THE GIPSY MARIONETTIST
Art form: Puppetry, Handcrafted String Puppets
Show: The Gipsy Marionettist Show
The impending war in the former Yugoslavia forced him and his family to flee to Germany as political refugees. They later found themselves in a ‘nomad camp’ in Turin, Italy. This experience, along with his cultural and ethnic background, has profoundly influenced his career and artistic output. Having learnt woodcarving from his grandfather, he honed his skills in marionette-making in Ukraine, France and Spain. Since 2012, he has been touring with his show ‘The Gipsy Marionettist’ – which is also his stage name – which helps him embody the bohemian and romantic image often associated with his people, whilst giving him the opportunity to connect with the audience and share what Romani culture is truly about, free from stereotypes or generalisations. In 2018, he created “Freak Show”, aimed at an adult audience, which tackles extravagant themes without hesitation. Since 2020, he has been a lecturer in Puppetry at the Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti in Turin. Since 2021, he has been able to showcase his political work as an activist through his stand-up comedy show “Rom VS Tutti”, which, with ferocity and irony, shatters all stereotypes about Romani culture. He strongly believes in the mystical power of puppets as a means of escape from this realm, and in their ability to touch upon the deepest fears and the highest potential of the human soul.
“THE GIPSY MARIONETTIST” by and with Rasid Nikolic
The strings are pulled and smiles break out. Each puppet is inspired by a member of his own family. Each puppet evokes a different mood, a different snapshot. Family relationships are unravelled and untangled, thread by thread, during a symbolic and entertaining tale – a daring journey from war-torn Yugoslavia to Italy. A restless and fiery little skeleton, a ravenous yet sweet-natured tiger, a mysterious ballerina with an oriental flair, and much more besides.
SATURDAY 29/08 show times: 7.00 pm and 9.15 pm
SUNDAY 30/08 show times: 6.00 pm and 8.15 pm
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COMETA CIRCUS
Art forms: Circus, Aerial Theatre, Juggling, Acrobatics, Clowning, Unicycle, Roue Cyr
Show: Uktu
Claudia and Cristian, both graduates of professional circus schools, first met in 2015 under the big top of the ‘La Tarumba’ circus in Peru. Since then, their paths have run parallel, transforming life into a journey of art, connection and wonder. From South America to Europe, from major international festivals to small villages on the edge of the world, Cometa Circus has taken its show to over 100 festivals in 18 countries. Over the years, they have been part of numerous international artistic and social circus projects: for them, every smile is a small act of revolution.
SATURDAY 29/08 show times: 8.30 pm and 10.45 pm
SUNDAY 30/08 show times: 7.30 pm and 9.45 pm
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SKIZZO & JF
Art forms: Juggling, Balancing, Unicycle, Giraffe, Fire, Clowning
Show: Circus Off
Two seasoned professionals, among the very first couples in Italy to specialise in international classical juggling. Their collaboration on stage began in Latin America over twenty years ago, where they launched their brilliant and unconventional career, performing at the finest Italian and European festivals. After extensive experience abroad, performing on large cruise ships, at conventions and elsewhere, they have returned to Italy and are now based at the Accademia del Circo in Cesenatico, where they train and practise. Constant training is essential for the continuous improvement and refinement of all the circus techniques that form part of their show: a blend of sensational acrobatic feats, fascinating fire performances and mesmerising balancing acts. The great passion for the circus and street theatre that the two artists share makes for an entertaining and original show, highly engaging for children and captivating for adult audiences alike. Wherever they perform, the audience finds themselves at the heart of irresistible comic moments. They have performed in Latin America, Western Europe, the former Yugoslavia, North Africa (the Maghreb), Senegal (Diol Kadd) as part of the ‘Earth, Fire, Air’ project, in collaboration with the clown Miloud, with street children in Bucharest, Meninos de rua in Brazil, India, Thailand, Laos, and in collaboration with Moira’s Circus and Stefano Orfei.
“CIRCUS OFF”
Whether inside or outside the circus, the show is a hilarious parody of the classic circus, where the troupe, left without performers, is in disarray. As the last heirs of the family, the brothers “Skizzo and Jf”, now out of work, find themselves on the streets, having to start from scratch. Recalling the glory of the past and drawing on their circus skills – juggling, acrobatics, balancing acts and ‘trained animals’ – the brothers breathe new life into the magical atmosphere of the circus. As the show unfolds and revives the splendour of days gone by, the audience becomes the real star of a series of hilarious comic gags.
SATURDAY 29/08 show times: 7.45 pm and 10.00 pm
SUNDAY 30/08 show times: 6.45 pm and 9.00 pm
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IGNIFERI
Art: Fire manipulation and juggling with fire and flaming objects, tribal dance
Show: Inner Fire
Lucie Vendlova is a versatile performance artist, originally from Prague, Czech Republic. Since 2003, she has devoted herself to street theatre, incorporating various artistic forms ranging from physical theatre to dance, from object manipulation to complex fire effects. Her main passion is the art of fire, a discipline she masters with skill and dedication. Lucie pays great attention to aesthetics, taking care of every last detail. She designs and sews the elaborate stage costumes herself and builds the evocative sets that enrich her performances, making them unique both visually and narratively. Throughout her career, Lucie has helped establish several theatre companies. She is currently an integral part of the Gambeinspalla Teatro and Opera Fiammae companies.
“INNER FIRE”
A performance that blends dance, physical theatre and fire manipulation. A sensory journey, where fire takes centre stage in a wordless tale painted by the flames. Costumes, sets, props and original objects create a surreal atmosphere that transports the audience to an ancestral world. From the delicate flicker of a newly kindled flame to the roar of a volcanic eruption, every moment is designed to engage the senses and stimulate the imagination.
SATURDAY 29/08 performance times: 9.15 pm and 11.30 pm
SUNDAY 30/08 performance times: 8.15 pm and 10.30 pm
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GAMBEINSPALLA TEATRO
Art form: Bubble & Clown Show
Show: Il Sogno
Gambeinspalla Teatro is a humorous physical theatre company with a poetic and visual approach. The company was founded in 2005 by Eros Goni, who has been working as an actor, clown and in other capacities since 1999, taking part in some of the most important Italian and international festivals, including those in Greece, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, Malta, Germany and China, amongst others… His specialities include clowning, soap bubbles, and the manipulation and construction of flying objects.
He also creates stage sets and stage machinery that are always original…
“THE DREAM”
If you think you’ve seen it all, stop and watch this! A one-of-a-kind show that will enchant you with its poetry and humour. An old-fashioned cart, a peculiar actor, mime and clown will reveal his world to you through a journey with an ‘old-world’ flavour, blurring the lines between dream and reality, romance and comedy. Looking up, you’ll be able to admire these floating spirits as they transform from small to large, then into giants with a thousand colourful reflections and shrouded in smoke… and finally, you’ll be enveloped by thousands of tiny ‘spirits’… floating freely… soap bubbles. A show for all ages… and connoisseurs of dreams.
SATURDAY 29/08 show times: 8.30 pm and 10.45 pm
SUNDAY 30/08 show times: 7.30 pm and 9.45 pm
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DOMENICO CIANO
Art: Comic Percussion and Tap Dance
Show: Mr Ritmo
With a solid background in percussion, Domenico discovered the world of physical theatre in 2016 in Turin, whilst attending the Performing Art University directed by Philip Radice. Here, alongside more acting-focused subjects, he began an in-depth study of tap dancing and body percussion. Once he had mastered the technical aspects, he moved on to an exploratory phase, which led him to combine sound and interaction, music and clowning, thereby taking his performances to a new level.
“MR RITMO” by and starring Domenico Ciano
Are you ready to be both the audience and the orchestra for the craziest concert of all time?
A percussionist. A tap dancer. A conductor. Mix these three together, add a pinch of clowning, shake vigorously, and you’ll get Mr Ritmo! An eccentric character who lives in a world of percussive sounds and who, without using words, thrills audiences of all ages and cultures. Let the concert begin!!
SATURDAY 29/08 show times: 7.45 pm and 10.00 pm
SUNDAY 30/08 show times: 11.00 am, 6.45 pm and 9.00 pm
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Saturday 29/08 only:
UNITI PER CRESCERE INSIEME (UCI)
from 7.00 pm to 11.00 pm
Art: Circus arts. UCI was founded thanks to the financial support and wealth of experience provided by the ViviamoInPositivo Association – VIP APS and its founders, who since 1997 have made clown therapy one of the most cutting-edge tools for social wellbeing in Italy within the fields of voluntary work and education. So what do a red nose and a circus ring have in common? The desire to contribute to community wellbeing through Social Circus projects that use circus disciplines – including clowning – in a socio-educational, inclusive way that fosters social transformation and community wellbeing.
A free event open to all, offering a playful, inclusive and participatory introduction to the world of circus arts. Guided by staff from the ‘Fondazione Uniti per Crescere Insieme Onlus’, participants will be able to try their hand at disciplines such as juggling, balancing acts, acrobatics and physical expression games in complete safety.
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Sunday 30 August only:
NONNO BANTER 57
Art: Street games (wooden and handcrafted)
from 10.00 to 18.00
Nonno Banter 57 APS – Street Games is a social promotion association that promotes traditional play as a tool for growth, inclusion and socialisation. Through playful activities and games from days gone by, it creates opportunities for intergenerational interaction, fostering creativity, collaboration and sharing amongst children, families and the community. The association’s commitment also takes the form of tangible support for charitable projects dedicated to children and the most vulnerable groups in the local area.
INFO:
tel. +39 0543 769631 – mobile +39 350 5193970
email: info@castrocarotermeterradelsole.travel