“Culture will save the world. And it will free us from a patriarchal mentality that still kills today. Our tribute goes to the families and children of women and mothers who were victims of violence who are no longer here or who were saved.” She thus closes herself from the stage of Pietra Rosà theater the 14th edition of the Valdemone festival, with a message from the artists and all the women who participated in the festival, at the conclusion of the show “La crisis de la imaginacion”. The performance of the Spanish company Cia Rauxa brings to the stage with strength, determination and sweetness a message of love against violence. A balloon. An unborn child. A woman dancing alone. And with him. He who loves perhaps in his own way. Maybe he isn’t capable of it. They look for each other. They are. They dance together again.
This year’s program is entirely dedicated to the figure of women and which, also thanks to the support of Poste Italiane, has been able to count on collaborations with international artists. A participatory and heartfelt Festival as demonstrated by the 3,000 attendees who crowded the small village and which, thanks to three enlightened artists, continues to grow and also attract many foreigners. “The project was born as a party between artist friends” says Mario Barnaba, one of the organizers, together with Stefania Soldano and Virgilio Rattoballi. “We didn’t choose the place but the place chose us. And we fell in love with it.” Impervious streets that we adapt to our performances and vice versa. Breathtaking views. It is a theater that opens the heart.
“We started by doing everything – continues Mario – Acting, managing communication, taking out tickets. Even while cooking, we ate what we improvised on the streets. We were welcome guests. Now we are perfectly integrated with the community. Pollina is the festival and the festival is Pollina”. The extraordinary thing is that everything has still retained the face of a party but with a program that grows in quality every year. “Our ambition – concludes Mario – is to certainly bring this adolescent project to adulthood”. A festival that brings prestige to Pollina, which can and must be a virtuous example for all of Sicily. And thanks to the support of the community, the municipality and other sponsors such as Poste Italiane, it participates in the cultural and economic development of the area.