Anomalie – International Contemporary Circus Festival

A festival that chooses the suburbs

Anomalie – International Contemporary Circus Festival is one of the most original cultural experiences on the scene in Rome, in the Lazio region. Created in 2007 by the Kollatino Underground association, the festival made a clear choice from the start: not the historic center, but the neighborhoods of the capital's eastern belt. Via Collatina, Parco delle Canapiglie in Torre Maura, La Rustica, Parco Meda on the Tiburtina, and in more recent editions, Largo Ferruccio Mengaroni in Tor Bella Monaca, in the VI Municipality, have served as the stage for this event.

The subtitle chosen by the organizers — experimentation in the suburbs — perfectly summarizes the intent: to bring contemporary artistic languages to areas where cultural offerings are traditionally more limited, and to do so without simplification, with programming of an international standard.

What is contemporary circus

Contemporary circus has nothing to do with traditional circus: no animals, no big top, and no disconnected acts. It is a form of live performance that weaves together acrobatics, physical theater, dance, music, and visual arts into a unified narrative. At Anomalie, this translates into a program that spans aerial theater, antipodism, juggling, clowning, floor acrobatics, mime, and even opera singing, with performances that are often wordless: a deliberate choice that breaks down barriers of language, age, and background, making the festival accessible to an extremely diverse local audience.

The structure of the program

The festival structure alternates between very different styles throughout the day, usually from late afternoon onwards:

• Intimate and installation-based shows, designed for a small number of spectators at a time, sometimes requiring reservations;
• Large-scale collective viewing moments in the square, featuring international companies;
• National and regional premieres: recent editions have hosted several, signaling Anomalie's role as a showcase for Italian circus creation;
• Workshops on circus, radio, street art, and digital storytelling, aimed primarily at the neighborhood's youth;
• Meetings and installations that accompany the evening schedule.

A cultural and social project

Anomalie is not just a series of shows. Kollatino Underground, active since 2001 as a socio-cultural and sports organization, works year-round in the VI Municipality, and the festival is its most visible moment. Free admission for municipal residents — with seats available until capacity is reached — is the concrete translation of this approach: those who live in the neighborhood do not pay to see artists arriving from France, Spain, Japan, or Colombia.

The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture through the Single Fund for the Performing Arts, as well as by Rome Capital and the city's cultural programs. It is an important recognition for an event that has chosen to remain rooted in a complex urban context rather than moving to more convenient locations.

The atmosphere

Those arriving at Anomalie find a suburban square transformed: platforms, lights, acrobatic mats, aerial structures set up outdoors, families sitting on the ground, children in the front row, and local youths returning night after night. The setting is not the polished one of a historic center festival, and that is exactly the point. The audience is mixed in age and background, entry is easy, and the shows are short and follow one another, making it possible to see several in the same evening.

The context: Rome and the VI Municipality

Tor Bella Monaca is located in the eastern quadrant of Rome, beyond the Grande Raccordo Anulare, and is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the city. The VI Municipality of the Towers is the youngest in the capital by average population age: a fact that explains the choice to focus on visual, physical, and immediate languages. In the landscape of Lazio's festivals, Anomalie occupies a unique position, being the main event dedicated to contemporary circus in the region.