"Dalla mia riva"

Community theatre and intercultural communication in Rivapiana

We live in an age in which it is difficult to define individual and collective identities. Migration, the economic and social situation, new technologies, do not encourage the emergence of social ties within a territory, but make the sense of community and belonging increasingly fluid. How can theatre - which traditionally has a function of social connection and of relating to itself and to others - be the channel for finding a new sense of collectivity that counterbalances an increasingly individualistic thrust of society? From this reflection comes the idea of creating this community theater project in Rivapiana, in the municipality of Minusio (Ticino). A community theatre project involves the participation of citizens-actors with different characteristics. Overcoming ethnic, cultural and generational differences, the group that is born goes in search of its roots and a collective memory. With the guidance and active participation of theatre experts, an environment is created that fosters interpersonal relationships and offers everyone the opportunity to create and nurture them, in the context of the realization of an artistic project. 

​

The aim of the entire project was to use the theatre as a tool for building identity and community in a given territory, creating the conditions for a new form of identity to emerge. Thanks to the unifying power of the theatre, for two years we have worked to encourage the establishment of deep and spontaneous relationships both between natives and with immigrants in Ticino, stimulating the attitude of "telling each other" and cooperating for a common goal.

From my Riva was divided into 4 ACTIONS:
Action 1. Research
Collection of stories, testimonies and legends related to the theme "Riva"

Action 2. Laboratory
Theatre workshop led by the artists-pedagogues group, following the formation of the multiethnic group of citizens-actors (workshop group)

Action 3. Production
Creation of a site-specific theatre show in Rivapiana (with the participation of the group-workshop and of theatre and music artists)

Action 4. Review
Moments of encounter and exchange between the project and the local community: performances, debates, excursions.

​

Search: "riva" and rivapiana
The group of artists-pedagogues of Teatro Zigoia, with the collaboration of the scientific research managers of the Accademia Teatro Dimitri, has developed a historical-ethnographic research on the territory of Rivapiana and a collection of material on the concept of "Riva" - fluid boundary. The research was articulated through interviews with "long-time" inhabitants, as well as foreigners living in Rivapiana and Minusio; to these was added a collection of historical data, demographics, images, stories, legends, anecdotes, songs. The material collected on the one hand served to feed the activities of the theater workshop in view of the production (action 3), on the other it was the starting point for structuring different activities of the exhibition (action 4), such as debates, theatrical excursions and performances.

LABORATORY
The workshop is a space open to sharing and experimentation, in which the theater serves as a tool to explore, deepen and create in a free and equal context.  In the project Dalla mia Riva, the theater workshop, led by Lianca Pandolfini and Andrea Valdinocci of Teatro Zigoia, has brought together in an artistic journey people of different backgrounds who currently live in Locarno - Afghanistan, Colombia, Italy, Syria, Swiss German and Ticino, from 20 to 70 years. Through the laboratory work, the group has developed a collective and individual path on the theme of "Riva" and its multiple meanings in a personal and collective sense, laying the foundations for the site-specific creation process.

​

REVIEW FROM MY SHORE From what Riva look at the world?
The exhibition brought together moments of encounter and exchange between the project and the local community thanks to an intense program of events, evenings, debates, shows, excursions, etc. Each event was inspired by the theme "Riva": place of movement and transition, the Riva is the border between water and land and also of peoples, regions and states, which divides and also unites.
Point of departure and arrival, the Riva symbolically was really a meeting place between the project, the community of Rivapiana and the public.

Credits

SCIENTIFIC MANAGERS ACADEMY THEATRE DIMITRI Demis Paintings Veronica Provenzale
ARTISTIC DIRECTION TEATRO ZIGOIA Lianca Pandolfini Andrea Valdinocci
Cultural Centre and Museum Elisarion Claudio Berger
Giovanna Pini Marcella Snider
GROUP-LABORATORY Candida Haritz Zahra Hassani Franca Martinoni Ornella Masa Alber Meryamka Ritschi Pedrazzini Ramazan Rahimi Gloria Vincenti
Directed by Andrea Valdinocci
ACTRESSES AND LIVE MUSIC Deborah Jakob Lianca Pandolfini Valea Völcker
DIRECTION CANTI Oskar Boldre
SETS AND COSTUMES Amelia Prazak
TECHNIQUE Accademia Teatro Dimitri Rosario Ilardo
PHOTOGRAPHY Konstantin Demeter
GRAPHICS Sissi Cups

​

​