Ortyx Drama Festival

A theatre festival created by the young students of the INDA Academy

The Ortyx Drama Festival is an independent theatre showcase held in the historic centre of Ortigia, the island that forms the ancient core of Syracuse, in Sicily. Its uniqueness lies in its authorship: the festival is entirely conceived, promoted, and managed by young students of the Academy of Ancient Drama of the INDA Foundation, the institution that brings great classical tragedies to the stage at the Greek Theatre every spring. Ortyx was born as an autonomous, under-35 space where students become directors, actors, playwrights, and organisers, experimenting with languages and forms that go far beyond the ancient repertoire.

Ortigia as a scattered stage

For the duration of the event, some of the most evocative corners of Ortigia are transformed into performance venues. The locations that have hosted the festival include Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, the Ex Convento di San Francesco, the Ex Convento del Ritiro, the Belvedere della Turba, and the spaces of the INDA Academy itself. The public is invited to move between courtyards, squares, and sea-facing spots, in a journey that intertwines the contemporary scene with the white stone of the Syracusan Baroque, a heritage of the Municipality of Syracuse.

A multidisciplinary programme

The programming embraces diverse genres and registers, all conceived and created by the students:

• Prose theatre with reinterpretations of classical and contemporary texts;
• Original dramaturgy and new scenic writing studies;
• Musical theatre and concert moments;
• Dance theatre and physical theatre;
• Street theatre, street arts, and juggling, which bring the performance into direct contact with passers-by.

Each edition is built around an inspiring theme: the sixth edition, for example, was dedicated to Eos, the goddess of the dawn, a symbol of creative awakening and the drive towards the unknown.

A free and community-based project

The Ortyx Drama Festival offers free admission upon reservation, a choice that reaffirms its vocation as a festival open to the city and the community. More than just a showcase, it is a widespread laboratory where young artists engage with the territory of Syracuse and the public, giving voice to an emerging scene that makes Ortigia its own testing ground. An event that, year after year, confirms Sicily as a land of theatre that is not only classical but also vibrant and contemporary.