The afternoon festival "SOTTOCASA" (“At your doorstep”) livens up once again the Metropolitan City of Venice with twelve events dedicated to children and families in the footsteps of Marco Polo. The project, curated by the Teatro Stabile Veneto – Teatro Nazionale Foundation in partnership with the City of Venice, aims to stimulate sociality by cultivating art and culture. Well acknowledged and beloved by the public, thanks to its ability to engage citizens and turn them into the main character, it will kick off on 11 June.
The festival, curated by Susi Danesin, Isabella Moro and Barbao Teatro, is going to turn parks, villas, squares, yards and districts of Venice into open theatres for the entire community. This year’s unique theme of "SOTTOCASA" follows the steps of Marco Polo, celebrating the 700th year of the passing of the iconic traveller, doubly linked to the city of Venice. The historic figure fully embodies the thirst for knowledge and for discovering what’s outside one’s house walls. Such driving force led Polo to travel Eastward and come into contact with another culture, which presented completely different artistic and social features. Celebrating Marco Polo, and all the other great travellers with him – such as Herodotus, Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan or Jacques Cousteau -, is an unrepeatable opportunity that turns acting into travelling.
The festival will start on 11 June at Chirignago - Villa Ceresa (near the park) with the performance "On the Flying Carpet", curated by Susi Danesin and Isabella Moro, which will transport the public in a magical space where everything can happen, engaging participants in an interactive experience that will make them protagonists. The show will be repeated on June 20 at Villa Querini in Mestre and on September 10 at Zendrini Square in Pellestrina.
The festival will continue on June 13 at Parco Gobbi in Favaro Veneto with "The Marvels of Travels: Through Readings and Tales": accompanied by the music of Daniele Vianello, Susi Danesin will narrate the stories of two great travellers that changed the way we live, Christopher Columbus and Marco Polo. The show will then be repeated on July 4 at Parco Navagero in Murano and on September 12 at Circus Chirignago in Fratelli Cavanis Road. On June 19 at Parco del Picchio in Gazzera, on June 27 at CepVillaggio Laguna in Campalto and on September 5 at Parco della Bissuola in Mestre, the theatre company Barabao Teatro is going to enchant the public with the musical tale "Giasone and the Argonauts". Also, on June 25 at Corte dei Cordami in Giudecca and on July 2 at Villa Querini in Mestre, they will perform "The Extraordinary Journey of Pitea" in front of the Venetian public.
Both children and adults will be transported through journeys that will stimulate their fantasies, letting them discover distant worlds and realize that “the East” can suddenly materialize at their doorstep.
