Artists in Transit

Theatre that crosses walls

Some festivals fill public squares, while others work in silence, behind gates that usually separate two worlds. Artisti in Transito belongs to the latter category: it is an intensive dance-theatre workshop that every year, since 2018, enters the Antonio Santoro Correctional Facility in Potenza and turns it into a creative atelier for a few days. In 2026, the event reaches its IX edition, confirming itself as one of the most radical and necessary experiences in the cultural landscape of Basilicata.

CARUSƏ, the 2026 project

The 2026 edition revolves around CARUSƏ — Silenced Dance and Bodily Resistances, an artistic-pedagogical project by choreographer Pierandrea Rosato, a dancer trained at the Folkwang University and collaborator with important contemporary European companies. For four days, from May 18 to 21, professional artists and inmates work side-by-side on movement, voice, and scenic objects, exploring individual and collective creation processes, trauma, and the body's resistance through somatic practices and guided improvisation.

The IN_OUT. Augmented Freedom project

Artisti in Transito is part of the broader IN_OUT. Augmented Freedom program, a three-year initiative (2025-2027) supported by the Ministry of Culture that brings theatre and contemporary performance into penitentiary institutions in Basilicata and Puglia. It is a project that intertwines art and civil engagement, giving voice and gesture back to those living in a state of suspension.

An open rehearsal that is an act of community

The most anticipated moment is the open rehearsal for the public, scheduled for May 21: for an hour and a half, external visitors cross the prison threshold and witness the results of the shared work. It is an experience that shifts perspectives, reminding us that culture, supported by the Municipality of Potenza and the Province of Potenza within the framework of Basilicata's regional policies, can also cross the most rigid boundaries.