PE(N)SA DIFFERENTE – Festival of Creative Expression and Authentic Beauty
The Lecce-based festival weaving together art, science, health, and citizenship
About Pe(n)sa Differente
A festival that thinks (and feels) differently
PE(N)SA DIFFERENTE – Festival of Creative Expression and Authentic Beauty is one of the most original cultural events in Lecce and the entire Puglia region. Conceived and promoted by the Salomè OdV and Big Sur associations, the festival began as a national awareness campaign on eating disorders—anorexia, bulimia, obesity—and has evolved over the years into a multidisciplinary event that intertwines art, science, education, health, and citizenship.
For nearly two decades, the event has created spaces for encounter in the Salento capital, fostering a culture of care while challenging stigma, discrimination, and stereotypes related to the body and mental health. The festival celebrates subjectivity as a right to critical thinking, difference, and variation, opposing any form of beauty standardization.
Where it takes place
The beating heart of the festival is the Polo BiblioMuseale of Lecce, with the evocative Convitto Palmieri transforming into an open space for artistic research. In the historic center of the Baroque city, among cloisters and exhibition halls, the spaces host conferences, exhibitions, performances, and workshops open to the public.
What to expect
The program of PE(N)SA DIFFERENTE is intentionally pluralistic, spanning diverse languages:
- National ECM scientific conference dedicated to eating and nutrition disorders and obesity, featuring professionals, researchers, and clinicians from across Italy and abroad;
- Photography and art exhibitions that explore the body, limits, and the experience of care;
- Contemporary dance performances, poetry readings, and participatory theatrical actions;
- Workshops and inclusion projects involving schools, mental health services, associations, and young researchers;
- Evening musical moments that enliven the center of Lecce.
Direction
The festival benefits from scientific direction entrusted to Caterina Renna and artistic direction that oversees the expressive and performative aspects. Collaboration with ASL Lecce and a dense network of institutional, cultural, scientific, and social partners, both Italian and European, makes the event a national reference point in the dialogue between art and health.
Why attend
PE(N)SA DIFFERENTE is not just a festival to watch, but an experience to live: an invitation to reflect on the body, authentic beauty, and limits as a constitutive part of the human experience. An unmissable event for those visiting Lecce in June who wish to discover a deeper and more participatory side of Salento culture.
Pe(n)sa Differente — edition 2026
PE(N)SA DIFFERENTE 2026 – Inhabiting the Limit
The 19th edition of the festival was held in Lecce from June 18 to 20, 2026, in the spaces of the Polo BiblioMuseale and the Convitto Palmieri, which was transformed into an open laboratory for artistic research. The chosen theme, 'Inhabiting the Limit', proposed a different look at the concept of the limit: not just a boundary or a lack, but a dimension to be inhabited and traversed.
The program
The heart of the event was the national ECM conference dedicated to eating and nutrition disorders and obesity, with a focus on embodiment, interoception, body identity, mental health, and biomarkers, and featuring the 'Rising Stars 2026' session reserved for young researchers. Alongside the scientific portion, a rich calendar of art and participation.
- CONFINE – contemporary dance performance (directed by Annamaria De Filippi);
- Le Custodi del Limite – participatory performance born from the workshops of the UOC DSM ASL Lecce;
- La poesia è scoperta della vita – poetry reading curated by Mauro Marino;
- LIMINAL NIGHT – DJ set with 80s experimental music (June 19);
- exhibitions 'Istantanee dal limite', 'Oltre la forma' by Giorgio De Giorgi, and 'Tuttiallopera – Narrazioni emozionali';
- the participatory campaign 'Dove ti fermi?', an open laboratory throughout the festival.
Scientific direction by Caterina Renna, in collaboration with ASL Lecce and a network of institutional, cultural, and social partners from Italy and Europe.
Programme Pe(n)sa Differente 2026
2026 Program – Inhabiting the Limit
- National ECM conference on eating and nutrition disorders and obesity, with the 'Rising Stars 2026' session for young researchers
- CONFINE – contemporary dance, directed by Annamaria De Filippi
- Le Custodi del Limite – participatory performance (UOC DSM ASL Lecce workshops)
- La poesia è scoperta della vita – poetry reading curated by Mauro Marino
- VOLANTINA! – participatory performance with poetic texts
- LIMINAL NIGHT – 80s music DJ set (June 19)
- Exhibitions: 'Istantanee dal limite', 'Oltre la forma' (Giorgio De Giorgi), 'Tuttiallopera – Narrazioni emozionali'
- Participatory campaign 'Dove ti fermi?' – permanent open laboratory
Highlights Pe(n)sa Differente 2026
Prices Pe(n)sa Differente 2026
Practical information — Pe(n)sa Differente
Where
Polo BiblioMuseale of Lecce – Convitto Palmieri, in the historic center of Lecce (Province of Lecce, Puglia).
How to get there
By train: Lecce station, served by regional and national connections, is just a few minutes from the historic center. By car: the city is accessible via the Brindisi–Lecce expressway; parking is available in areas adjacent to the center. By plane: Brindisi-Casale airport is about 40 minutes away, with bus and train connections to Lecce.
Admission and registration
Access to exhibitions, performances, and events is generally free. Participation in the national scientific conference with ECM credits requires registration. For the detailed program, times, and registration methods, please consult the official website www.pensa-differente.it.
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Where does it take place — Pe(n)sa Differente
Polo BiblioMuseale di Lecce - Convitto Palmieri