Festival inDivenire

A festival that stages theatre in the making

The Festival inDivenire takes place every year between late April and early May at the Spazio Diamante, located at Via Prenestina 230/B in Rome, in the heart of the Pigneto-Prenestino area. It is a unique event in the theatrical landscape of the capital and the Lazio region: here, you won't find finished plays, but rather studies—open rehearsals and 25-to-30-minute sketches where a dramatic idea takes shape before the audience's eyes. The name says it all: inDivenire (In the Making) is not just a label but an active principle, a choice to showcase theatre at its most fragile and authentic stage: that of gestation.

Origins and artistic direction

The festival was conceived in 2017 by Alessandro Longobardi and is currently under the artistic direction of Giampiero Cicciò. Since then, it has grown into one of the most reliable observatories of the emerging Italian scene: each edition receives dozens of applications from across the country, highlighting how difficult it is for young companies to find a venue willing to listen to a project that is not yet produced. In the 2026 edition, the seventh, 84 original projects were submitted, from which the directors selected 18 studies to present to the public.

How it works: the study, the discussion, the award

The mechanism is simple and rigorous. Each selected company is given an evening slot to perform their study; immediately afterwards, a moderated discussion takes place, where authors, directors, and performers explain the origins of the project and their vision for its future. The audience is not a passive spectator but part of the process: they observe, comment, and vote.

• Best Project Award, assigned by a jury of Italian theatre professionals
• Best Under-30 Company Award, dedicated to younger troupes
• Special Mentions for directing, dramaturgy, and acting
• Web and Visual Communication Award
• Audience Award, voted for directly by the spectators

The real prize, however, is production-based: the winning projects are supported in their development toward a final staging and are included in the following season at Spazio Diamante. This is not an abstract promise—over the years, several titles that passed through inDivenire have become full productions, and the festival has a tradition of opening the following edition with the previous year's winning project.

Writing without genre hierarchies

The selection process imposes no categories: spoken theatre, physical performance, visual dramaturgy, multimedia experimentation, civil monologues, and choral works all coexist. This openness is perhaps the festival's most recognizable trait, prioritizing artistic urgency and a contemporary perspective over the comfort of a pre-tested format. Those who attend inDivenire know they will see something imperfect: that is exactly the pact made with the audience.

The neighborhood and Spazio Diamante

Spazio Diamante is one of the most vibrant cultural hubs in eastern Rome, just a short walk from Pigneto, a neighborhood that has become a center for the city's nightlife and culture over the last twenty years. The intimate and flexible theatre space allows for a rare proximity between the stage and the audience, which perfectly suits the laboratory nature of the festival. Nearby, osterias, bookstores, and bars make the post-show experience an integral part of the visit.

Why it's worth attending

For theatre lovers, inDivenire is a rare opportunity: to witness the birth of a work before the market defines it, to meet the authors, and to understand how dramaturgy is built. For the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital and the Lazio region, it is a discreet yet precious infrastructure that gives a voice every spring to companies that would otherwise remain outside the major circuits. Tickets are intentionally kept affordable, ensuring that attending multiple evenings is not a luxury.