VISIONI 2026 – Operators

SHOWS

sunday 8 march. h. 9.45
La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi
A CORPO LIBERO (Scenes of a body)
1+

sunday 8 march. h. 10.30 and h. 17.30
Collettivo LAN-DE-Sì (Mantova, Italy)
AL PARCO – STORIE PICCOLE PRIMA CHE FACCIA BUIO (At the park – Little Stories before it gets Dark)
3+

monday 9 march h. 9.45 and h. 17.30
Compagnia TPO (Prato, Italy)
MIO (Mine)
1+

monday 9 march h.10.30
La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi
ANCHE TU? Scene di un’amicizia (Yoo too? Scenes of a friendship)
4+

monday 9 march h. 11.30 and h. 14.30
a k entrepôt (France)
TENIR (To hold)
2+

monday 9 march h. 18.30
Compagnia Rodisio (Parma, Italy)
DUE. Storia di un abbraccio (Two. Story of a hug)
3+

tuesday 10 march h. 9.45
La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi
A CORPO LIBERO (Scenes of a body)
1+

tuesday 10 march h. 10.00
Principio Attivo (Lecce, Italy)
DÀULA. Al di là del mare (Dàula. Beyond the sea)
1+

tuesday 10 march h. 10.30
Compagnia Rodisio (Parma, Italy)
DUE. Storia di un abbraccio (Two. Story of a hug)
3+

tuesday 10 march h. 17.30
Manada (Chile)
LAVARROPAS (Washing Machine)
1+

tuesday 10 march h. 18.30
Theaterhaus Ensemble (Germany)
BLI BLIP
2+

wednesday 11 march h. 9.45
Principio Attivo (Lecce, Italy)
DÀULA. Al di là del mare (Dàula. Beyond the sea)
1+

wednesday 11 march h. 10.00
Manada (Chile)
LAVARROPAS (Washing Machine)
1+

wednesday 11 march h. 10.30
Theaterhaus Ensemble (Germany)
BLI BLIP
2+

wednesday 11 march h. 17.30
Teatro Perdavvero (Cento, Italy)
SORPRESA! (Surprise!)
3+

wednesday 11 march h. 20.30
Baychimo Teatro (Spain)
SUM
3+

thursday 12 march h. 9.45
Baychimo Teatro (Spain)
SUM
3+

thursday 12 march h. 10.30
Teatro Perdavvero (Cento, Italy)
SORPRESA! (Surprise!)
3+

thursday 12 march h. 11.30 and h. 17.30
Factory Compagnia Transadriatica (Lecce, Italy) / Stichting Knopen (The Netherlands)
SHHH! The Touch of Sound
2+

thursday 12 march h. 18.30
Rotondes (Luxembourg)
COPERTA
3+

thursday 12 march h. 20.30
Dadodans (The Netherlands)
LiCHT (Light)
2+

friday 13 march h. 9.45
La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi
A CORPO LIBERO
1+

friday 13 march h. 10.30
Rotondes (Luxembourg)
COPERTA
3+

friday 13 march h. 11.30
Dadodans (The Netherlands)
LiCHT (Light)
2+

friday 13 march h. 17.30
De Spiegel (Belgium)
LOOPNEUS (Runny Nose)
1+

friday 13 march h. 18.30
Milimetro – Patricia Ruiz (Spain)
FLORes (Flowers)
2+

friday 13 march h. 20.30
La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi
ANCHE TU? Scene di un’amicizia (You too? Scenes of a friendship)
4+

saturday 14 march h. 9.45
De Spiegel (Belgium)
LOOPNEUS (Runny Nose)
1+

saturday 14 march h. 10.30
Milimetro – Patricia Ruiz (Spain)
FLORes (Flowers)
2+

saturday 14 march h. 17.30
Zapoï (France)
ZèbrO
1+

saturday 14 march h. 18.30
La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi
ANCHE TU? Scene di un’amicizia (You too? Scenes of a friendship)
4+

sunday 15 march h. 9.45 and h. 16.00
Colectivo Atlas (Chile)
ATLAS
1+

sunday 15 march h. 9.45 10.30
Zapoï (France)
ZèbrO
1+

ANDAR PER NIDI

Thanks to the ZeroTreSei… Theatre Protocol, developed in collaboration with the education, schooling and new generations department of the Municipality of Bologna, performances inside early childhood nurseries will be open to a limited number of theatre professionals attending the festival (10 per performance).
It’s a unique opportunity to quietly step into these services and experience the performances alongside children aged 0 to 3.
While this initiative is not new for Bologna, it offers a one-of-a-kind experience for the rest of the world.

monday 9 march, h. 10.00
Principio Attivo (Lecce, Italy)
DÀULA. Al di là del mare (Dàula. Beyond the sea)
1+

tuesday 10 march, h. 10.00
La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi
SOGNO D’ARIA (A dream of air)
1+

wednesday 11 march, h. 10.00
La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi
CORNICI. Ricordi in tre atti (Frames. Memories in three acts)
2+

thursday 12 march, h. 10.00
La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi
ABACO
1+

friday 13 march, h. 10.00
La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi
LA SETTIMANA ENIGMISTICA
1+

OTHER ACTIVITIES

meeting

tuesday 10 march, h. 14.30
TABOOS AND AN “AWARE” DRAMATURGY
with Renata Coluccini, director, actress, author, and trainer at Teatro del Buratto (Milan)
(other speakers to be confirmed)

In Italian

In the world of theatre for young audiences — and also for older children — dramaturgy seems to be be-coming subtler year by year, sometimes almost imperceptible. Too often it is linked solely to the text’s structure, while we believe it is the driving soul of every performance, whether verbal or non-verbal. Perhaps it is time to highlight the value of dramaturgy as a fundamental element of the performing arts, before it disappears entirely. This conversation will pause on that reflection, and it will also begin to explore how to approach “difficult” themes with both seriousness and lightness. How do we engage with taboos — those subjects that are often considered off-limits in artistic work with children? How can we analyse when the artist’s need meets the child’s need?
How can proposals be differentiated in timing and approach, according to the developmental stages of children?
Finally, the goal is to build an “aware” dramaturgy — one capable of addressing complex, delicate themes while never losing sight of the audience it serves.

(150′)

meeting

tuesday 10 march, h. 20.30
BASTA FAVOLE! (NO MORE FAIRY TALES!)
A docufilm on Theatre for Young Audiences
Presentation and screening of the documentary on Theatre for Young Audiences produced by Assitej Italia

(In Italian with English subtitles)

Turin, Milan, and Bologna – cities that witnessed the birth and have supported Theatre for Young Audiences since its early days – come together to present the work commissioned by Assitej Italia, the national association dedicated to theatre for young audiences. Directed by Alessandro Scillitani, No More Fairy Tales! is a docufilm created to tell the story, present, and future of Theatre for Young Audiences, featuring dozens of key figures including actors and directors Marco Baliani and Bruno Stori, and theatre historian Antonio Attisani.

To produce No More Fairy Tales!, over one hundred interviews were collected in the span of a year. A series of key words served as prompts to explore the deeper meaning behind each participant’s work and their relationship with youth theatre.

(90′)

meeting

wednesday 11 march, h. 14.30
RECOVERED IMAGES AND LOST WORDS
(speakers to be confirmed)

In Italian and English

This event originates from a concrete encounter — the presentation of the study on La Settimana Enig-mistica, a new non-verbal production in progress by La Baracca — and then opens up to a dialogue on dramaturgy for performances aimed at early and, above all, very early childhood.
The discussion explores the appeal and potential of non-verbal language in dramaturgy — through dance, movement, sound, images, and all their possible interactions and crossovers.
At the same time, it asks why, in the national and international landscape of performances for children aged 0 to 3, “words” seem to have disappeared. The aim is to reflect on both the importance of artistic research on the non-verbal and the need for young children to hear stories and enjoy listening to words.

(150′)

incontro

thursday 12 march, h. 14.30
CHOREOGRAPHIES AT THE TABLE: BOLOGNESE FRESH PASTA WORKSHOP
with Martina Macchiavelli, pasta maker and workshop leader at Bruno e Franco – La Salumeria

In Italian and English

A session dedicated to Bologna’s gastronomic tradition, designed as a community experience for festival cultural operators. The preparation of fresh pasta, with its precise and harmonious gestures, becomes a collective choreography: hands kneading, rolling, and shaping an ancient know-how. Through cooking, participants share a piece of Bolognese identity, creating a convivial space built on exchange, dialogue, and collaboration. An opportunity to discover local culture while weaving new relationships around the table.

20 participants

(150′)

award ceremony

friday 13 march, h. 15.00

VALERIA FRABETTI AWARD

In Italian and English

The award is dedicated to Valeria Frabetti, who, as the artistic director of La Baracca, strongly supported the launch of the project “The Nursery and the Theatre” and accompanied it with passion for over 30 years as an actress and director. It stems from the desire to recognize individuals (artists, educators, researchers, politicians, cultural operators…) or institutions that have commendably promoted the development and dissemination of performing arts for very young children (0-3 years) in Bologna and worldwide.
The award aims to:

Promote the recognition of very young children as complete individuals, capable of understanding, emotion, and expressiveness, and interested in entering into a shared artistic relationship with artists, other children, and the adults accompanying them, such as parents and educators;
Value nurseries as essential educational and cultural institutions for the personal and social growth of children;
Support the full cultural citizenship of very young children and their right to enjoy art and culture.

(120′)

meeting

sunday 14 march, h. 20.30
AN EVENING WITH AmEY and 0-3 Chiama Italia (0-3 Calls Italy)

In Italian and English

AmEY: With Maria Evangelia Mantzoni and Nikolaos Martinis (Greece), Julie Querre (Belgium), Sarah Love (USA), Ursula McGinn (Ireland), Delfina Pevere (Italy)
0-3: With Silvestro Ziccardi and Matteo Sanna from the company CadaDie (Cagliari), Mariasole dell’Aversana, Luca Pietta and Angelo Facchetti from the company Teatro Telaio (Brescia), Marcella Vaccarino, Salvino Calatabiano, and Rossella Pizzuto from the company Piccolo Teatro Patafisico (Palermo).

Presentation of the 2026 edition of the projects AmEY – Artists Meet Early Years and 0-3 Chiama Italy. The artists will talk about their projects, carried out within early childhood services in the Municipality of Bolo-gna and surrounding areas, and will present a short excerpt of their productions.

AmEY is an international project for young artists under 35, in collaboration with the Municipality of Bologna and Lo Sguardo Altrove (a pedagogical observatory), promoting artistic research paths in nurseries and kindergartens, offering ongoing experimental work in direct contact with children.
0-3 Chiama Italy is a project aimed at encouraging Italian companies to create work for children aged 0 to 3, starting from research conducted within early childhood services. The project culminates in the staging of the production the following year, always during the Visioni Festival.

(90′)

CONFERENCE

saturday 14 marzo ore 10.00 – 13.00
THE MEANING OF FAIRY TALES

In Italian

with Milena Bernardi, full professor of Children’s Literature at the Department of Educational Sciences, University of Bologna; Marco Dallari, professor of Pedagogy and Didactics at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna; Marina Manferrari and Anna Paola Corradi, pedagogues, trainers, and storytellers from the cultural association Tapirulan; and Claudio Buccheri, psychomotor therapist and president of the association MuoviMente.

Why tell fairy tales?
Human beings need dreams, illusion, hope, and the ability to “believe, even without truly believing” in the possibility of encountering better worlds. The folk tale is a special story from a distant past, with ancient origins, reflecting themes that belong to the collective imagination. Metaphors, conflicts, fears, de-sires, hopes, daydreams, aspirations — fairy tales mirror universal problems experienced by every child and allow them to process these issues on a symbolic level.
They represent paths of symbolic growth, utopian journeys that lead protagonists to navigate and linger in an intermediate space, between “here” and “elsewhere,” where personal transformation can be realised.

(150′)

WORKSHOPS

The workshops of the festival are momentary experiences, short encounters (150′), windows that open up to offer the opportunity to wander and experiment.
Eight workshops, 2 hours and a half each, ranging from visual art theatre to dance and illustration, poetry and literature.

Fees €20

sunday 8 march, h. 10.00
THE TIME I WISH FOR…
with Enrico Montalbani, actor and director at La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi (Bologna)

In Italian

We are always rushing, even in the theatre. Will this frantic pace ever end? This workshop offers a reflection on the need to give proper time to things and to take space to reconnect with one’s body in relation to the surrounding environment. Right timing, attentive gazes, allowing us to absorb and observe the world and those around us with greater clarity, both alone and in a group. The workshop begins and ends with a circle, where each participant can share their personal way of perceiving, managing, and experiencing time. In between, a shared empty space invites collective exploration through narrative bodies and theatrical improvisation. This is a physical practice guided by the experience of Enrico Montalbani, helping participants discover and share their own way of “performing on stage” through sim-ple theatrical exercises. Participants are invited to engage fully, listen to one another, receive suggestions, and explore new skills and sensibilities, which can be applied in the classroom or kept as a personal resource.

sunday 8 march, h. 14.30
TELLING THROUGH ART
Telling stories and expressing oneself through works of art
with Annalisa Bonazzi and Margherita Bragaglia, atelierists from Le Ali della Fantasia (Bologna)

In Italian

How can we introduce children to the experience of viewing works of art? Art is a universal language. Artists throughout history have, through their works, told the stories of the world, themselves, emo-tions, and feelings — even the laws of mathematics and physics, aspects of nature, and scientific discoveries. This workshop proposes listening to modern and contemporary artists, their stories, and their works of art, to experience emotions and impressions and gain perspectives from multiple viewpoints. Each session focuses on an artist, a selection of works, or a theme.
Practical proposals for designing and conducting an art experience for children include: selecting picture books, books, and poetry, and observing works of art; discussing the stories that emerge from observing the artworks; laboratory experiences of bodily, graphic, and pictorial reinterpretation.

sunday 8 march, h. 14.30
SOUNDS AHOY!
with Tommy Ruggero, Tommy Ruggero, musician and percussionist (Bologna)

In Italian

This workshop offers a practical and creative exploration of the body’s sound possibilities, using it as a musical instrument to create shared rhythms and sequences. Through direct experience, participants learn to pay attention both to the sounds they produce individually and to those generated by the group. Mutual listening becomes the foundation for harmonising movements and creating a true collective per-formance. The workshop provides a first approach to the fundamentals of body music, with particular fo-cus on motor coordination, sense of rhythm, and the ability to actively participate in a collective musical creation.

wednesday 11 march, h. 14.30
IMAGINED PRESENCE: EXPLORATIONS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
with Alvaro Pizarro, actor and choreographer of the company Manada (Chile)

In Italian and English

This workshop invites educators and facilitators to immerse themselves in a creative and sensory experi-ence, where the body, movement, and imagination become key tools for connecting with very young children. Through play, spatial exploration, and dynamics of presence and listening, participants embark on a journey into the poetic language of the body and its power of non-verbal communication.
The focus is on awakening sensitivity, nurturing a sense of wonder, and fostering emotional bonds through simple yet profound scenic proposals. The workshop combines elements of dance, physical thea-tre, and sensitive pedagogy, promoting a playful and respectful approach toward young children.

friday 13 march, h. 14.30
FROM BODY TO IMAGINATION
with Gaia Gonnelli, artistic director and choreographer of the company Dadodans (Netherlands)

In Italian and English

This workshop offers an exploratory approach to movement and beyond. Through the learning of a specific technique or dance style, Gaia Gonnelli guides participants in discovering new expressive, creative, and communicative possibilities. The work emerges through the interaction of bodies, space, and various materials — such as paper, paint, sounds, and scenic elements — rather than following a predefined nar-rative.
This process leads to open, associative paths that stimulate the imagination of young audiences, inviting them to experience movement sensorially.
By incorporating materials into movement, the workshop aims to deepen participants’ artistic practice, with a strong emphasis on the sensory connection between the body and its surrounding environment.

saturday 14 march, h. 14.30
ANATOMY FOR A PEDAGOGY OF THE BODY
with Anna Albertarelli, choreographer/director, acting dance coach, and artistic facilitator (Bologna)

In Italian and English

Geist Pulse is an innovative method that combines body awareness, movement, and expressive dynamics within an anatomical framework, helping participants to explore their “inner impulse” and transform it into an authentic and powerful creative tool. The method requires no prior experience or training and is aimed at performing arts professionals, students, and educators who wish to deepen the connection between body, emotion, and storytelling. The body and its anatomical systems are approached as potential creative signs. We will explore the skeletal, muscular, epidermal, and respiratory systems and their integration through exploration exercises, improvisation (static and dynamic), solo and partner work, and decoding of lived experience. The anatomy of the body becomes a guide into the imaginative realm, helping participants access their “spiritus phantasticus.”
This workshop is open to all, with no prior specific skills required.

sunday 15 march, h. 10.00
NIDO (SPACE UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
with Patricia Ruiz, artist of Colectivo milimetro (Spain)

In Italian

Nido is a space for exploration, construction, and personal and collective inspiration, located in the territory of body, object, emotions, and movement.
This practical workshop offers an artistic and human encounter to explh alternative ways of understanding objects and movement as tools for expression, connection, and creation. Participants will discover, manipulate, and transform objects in a sensory and plastic way, investigating the architecture and composition of spaces to imagine and play with the body, theatre, and movement. Nido encourages participants to envelop the other, generating empathy, warmth, protection, trust, and intimacy through crea-tive dynamics that inspire. It is a way to get to know our bodies through limits and creativity, starting from oneself and the group. A space to better understand the body as an instrument and the craft of movement.

sunday 15 march, h. 14.30
ONCE UPON A TIME…
with Anna Paola Corradi and Marina Manferrari, pedagogues, trainers, and storytellers, Associazione Culturale Tapirulan (Bologna)

In Italian

This workshop invites participants to rediscover the joy of oral storytelling, recalling the fairy tales they heard in their own childhood and discovering new ones they have never heard befh. The aim is to encourage an approach to oral narration as a way to create authentic contact with the children encountered daily in nurseries and early childhood settings. It is a journey of research and experimentation with one’s voice and gestures, exploring presence and sensitivity to bring stories to life and create a shared fairy-tale atmosphere. The workshop provides a safe and supportive space where educators and teachers can experiment freely in a relaxed environment, without pressure, wearing comfortable clothes and shoes.

sunday 15 march, h. 14.30
ALL MY HUGS
with Aristide Rontini, choreographer, performer, and community dance artist (Imola)

In Italian

The act of hugging connects people, confirms one’s presence for another, creates intimacy, conveys affection, provides comfort and security — yet, paradoxically, if too tight or unwanted, it can invade, suffocate, or trap. Through guided body practices that stimulate connection with one’s perceptual system and exploration of relationship-centered movement practices, participants will experience hugging, creating their own original forms in tune with their own needs and in dialogue with those of others. The workshop promotes a sensitive and playful space in which, through listening and dialogue, participants can bring a collective hug to life.

Affiliated hotel facilities: Guercino Hotel, Zanhotel Europa, Hotel Internazionale, Combo. For more information, please write to the following email address festival@testoniragazzi.it