FerMENTI in Festa - Theatre Training Festival

A festival where you learn theatre by doing

FerMENTI in Festa is the Theatre Training Festival of Chianciano Terme, in the province of Siena, debuting with its first edition from August 24 to September 6, 2026. For fourteen days, this spa town in the Val di Chiana Senese becomes a large open-air laboratory where student actors, professionals, enthusiasts, and the curious share the same creative space. It is not just a series of shows to watch from a seat; it is an immersive experience where training, research, and staging merge into a single participatory process.

A project by the Municipality and LST Teatro

The festival is produced by the Municipality of Chianciano Terme in collaboration with LST Teatro, an organization that has enlivened the city's cultural life for years and manages the Teatro Caos, the beating heart of the event. The artistic direction is entrusted to Manfredi Rutelli, a director and cultural operator with a long history of festivals behind him: from the Orizzonti Festival in Chiusi to previous theatre training experiences held in Montalcino, from which FerMENTI in Festa ideally inherits its legacy, bringing it to Chianciano Terme. The project is supported by the Regional Council of Tuscany under Regional Law no. 10/2025.

Chianciano Terme, Tuscan Capital of Culture

The birth of the festival comes at a special moment for the city: Chianciano Terme is the 2026 Tuscan Capital of Culture. Known throughout Italy for its thermal waters, this town in the Province of Siena now aims to establish itself as a hub for artistic production and training. FerMENTI in Festa is one of the key elements of this transformation, bringing national stage masters to the heart of Tuscany and engaging them in a dialogue with the local area, its squares, its theatres, and its inhabitants.

Residencies, workshops, and performances

The program revolves around a series of intensive workshop residencies, each led by specialized artists and trainers. Topics range from work on theatrical action and the actor's body to masks and puppetry, from scientific storytelling to musical workshops, as well as paths dedicated to inclusion and disability, and a musical summer camp for children. Alongside the training activities, there are moments open to the public: open rehearsals, workshop outcomes, performances, and meetings that allow even those not participating in the courses to experience the festival atmosphere.

• High-level training with teachers from the Italian professional scene
• Immersive residencies aimed at student actors, professionals, and enthusiasts
• Performances and showcases open to the public at Teatro Caos and other city venues
• A community experience in the unique setting of the Val di Chiana Senese

FerMENTI in Festa is designed for those who believe that theatre is not just entertainment, but a tool for personal and collective growth. A cultural gamble that makes Chianciano Terme, in the heart of the Tuscan summer, a place where the stage comes to life day after day.