CRITA - Festival of the Arts
The travelling arts festival born in Cutrofiano, the city of clay
About CRITA
The arts festival born in Cutrofiano
CRITA - Festival of the Arts is a travelling festival dedicated to theatre, music, and dance, conceived, organized, and produced by the Ventinovenove cooperative, based in Cutrofiano, in the province of Lecce. The artistic direction is led by Gabriele Polimeno, Mary Negro, and Giuseppe Bortone. Every summer, the festival travels through five towns in the Salento area of Lecce - Cutrofiano, Bagnolo del Salento, Collepasso, Galatone, and Maglie - transforming squares, historic palaces, theatres, and cultural spaces into meeting points between national artists and local communities.
Cutrofiano, the heart of the event
Cutrofiano, a town of about nine thousand inhabitants in lower Salento, is the birthplace of the festival and often hosts the opening night. Performances are mostly held in Piazza Municipio, which transforms into an open-air theatre on summer evenings for plays, comedy, storytelling, and live music. As the home of the Ventinovenove cooperative, the town serves as the starting point for an itinerary that touches the other four partner municipalities, creating a widespread cultural network that brings contemporary theatre to even the smallest centres of southern Puglia.
The name: clay and water
The festival takes its name from creta (clay), the material that symbolizes Cutrofiano and its ancient ceramic tradition: the 'city of clay' boasts centuries of history linked to clay working and its kilns. And without water, clay remains dust. The themes of each edition revolve around this image, interpreting culture as a flow capable of crossing and regenerating communities. The 9th edition in 2026 is dedicated to 'Flowing Water': water as a fragile yet powerful element, capable of traversing places, reshaping landscapes, and uniting communities, much like a festival that travels from town to town.
A network supported by the territory
CRITA is the summer programme of an annual project funded by POC Puglia 2021-2027 funds and realized in partnership with the Municipalities of Cutrofiano, Bagnolo del Salento, Collepasso, Galatone, and Maglie, with the support of Legacoop Puglia and numerous local cultural entities. The festival weaves together big names from the Italian theatre and music scene with deep roots in Salento, offering the public an opportunity to discover the villages of the Lecce hinterland through live performance.
Atmosphere
CRITA evenings in Cutrofiano take place outdoors in Piazza Municipio, with an intimate and participatory atmosphere: the public is invited to follow the festival by moving from town to town, in an itinerary that combines art, conviviality, and discovery of the territory. Admission is generally free with voluntary contributions, and booking is often recommended.
CRITA — edition 2026
The 9th edition 2026 of CRITA - Festival of the Arts is titled 'Flowing Water' and was presented on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026, in Cutrofiano, at the Town Hall, in the presence of the mayors of the partner municipalities and the regional councillor Loredana Capone. The festival chooses water as its guiding image: a fragile yet powerful element, capable of traversing places, uniting communities, and generating the future.
The event officially opens on Saturday, July 11th, in Cutrofiano and continues until October across the five partner municipalities, with a programme combining theatre, comedy, storytelling, and music. Artists announced for this edition include writer and playwright Stefano Massini, actors Andrea Pennacchi and Angela De Gaetano, the award-winning Mario Perrotta, singer-songwriter Gnut, and linguist Vera Gheno. The full calendar of the Cutrofiano stages is released progressively on the official channels of the Ventinovenove cooperative.
Programme CRITA 2026
June 23rd, 2026 - Presentation of the edition
- 7:30 PM - Piazza Municipio (Council Chamber): press conference presenting the 9th edition, with the mayors of the partner municipalities and regional councillor Loredana Capone.
- 8:30 PM - Piazza Municipio: 'Le petite tap' by L'Annina, physical street theatre blending irony and poetic travel, for all audiences. Free admission.
July 11th, 2026 - Festival inauguration
- 9:00 PM - Piazza Municipio: Arianna Porcelli Safonov in 'Minotauri contemporanei', a stand-up comedy show, a satirical investigation into the contemporary individual and the multiple identities they construct. Free admission with voluntary contribution.
The rest of the Cutrofiano programme for the 2026 edition is being updated and will be announced on the official channels of the Ventinovenove cooperative (www.29nove.com).
Highlights CRITA 2026
Prices CRITA 2026
Practical information — CRITA
How to get there
Cutrofiano is located in lower Salento, in the province of Lecce. By car, it can be reached via the SS 275 or the provincial roads connecting it to Maglie, Galatina, and Casarano. The reference railway station, served by Ferrovie del Sud Est, is Galatina or Maglie; the nearest airport is Brindisi-Casale, and the provincial capital, Lecce, is about 30 km away.
Where it takes place
Performances in Cutrofiano are mostly held in Piazza Municipio, in the town centre. Evenings usually begin at 9:00 PM.
Admission
Events are generally free with voluntary contributions; booking is required for some performances. It is advisable to check dates, locations, and procedures on the official channels of the Ventinovenove cooperative (www.29nove.com) and the festival.
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Where does it take place — CRITA
Piazza Municipio