ROCCAFEST – Performing Arts Festival

A festival that helps young artists grow

ROCCAFest – Performing Arts Festival is a multidisciplinary event established in 2021 and dedicated to the new generation of the stage: emerging actors, school groups, youth workshops, and students of acting, dance, and performing arts schools. The core idea is both simple and ambitious: to offer those who are still learning a real-world context in which to engage with an audience, alongside professional artists and recognized masters. The festival is promoted by Compagnia Ariadne – Teatro A under the artistic direction of Valeria Freiberg and organized by Cristina Colonnetti, and has been recognized by the Lazio Region as one of the «Good Cultural Practices».

From the Castle of Rocca Pia to Forte Sangallo

The name ROCCAFest originates from the venues that have hosted it: the first editions took place at the Castle of Rocca Pia and the Scuderie Estensi in Tivoli, with stops at the Castle of Santa Severa and Santa Marinella. In 2026, the festival changes scenery and arrives for the first time in the Municipality of Nettuno, on the southern coast of the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in Lazio: the venue is Forte Sangallo, a 16th-century fortress overlooking the sea, one of the city's historical landmarks. For four days, the fortress courtyard and the Sala dei Sigilli become open-air stages and study spaces.

«The Dialogue»: the theme of the sixth edition

The 6th edition, scheduled from June 14 to 17, 2026, is dedicated to the theme of Dialogue. In a time marked by fractures and difficulties in listening, the organizers propose the festival as «a living place of connection»: dialogue between disciplines, between generations, and between artists and the audience. The theme runs through the entire program, from evening performances to afternoon meetings.

How the day is structured

Each day of ROCCAFest follows a three-part rhythm, designed for those who want to experience the festival from the inside:

• Morning — training sessions for students and participating groups;
• Afternoon — masterclasses, meetings with artists, and open rehearsals;
• Evening — shows, showcases, and performances in the courtyard of Forte Sangallo and the Sala dei Sigilli, with about three events per day between 5 PM and 9 PM.

Training: masterclasses and workshops

Alongside the performance program, ROCCAFest offers a training path open to the public and students: a masterclass with director Valeria Freiberg, and workshops on stage movement, reading aloud, and stage expression. The work draws on the great traditions of European theatrical pedagogy — the method of Michael Chekhov and the teachings of Stanislavski — and opens up to dance, music, and the stage adaptation of texts, with constant attention to social and ethical themes.

The Arnaldo Ninchi Award

The festival presents the Arnaldo Ninchi Award, dedicated to the memory of the great Italian actor, conferred by a special jury. In 2026, the jury presidency is entrusted to the American dancer and choreographer Joseph Fontano, a sign of the international vocation the festival has developed edition after edition.

Why it's worth attending

ROCCAFest is not a showcase of big names: it is a workshop. Those who arrive at Forte Sangallo will find emerging companies, high school classes presenting a year's work, young choreographers at their first public trials, and professionals willing to share their craft. It is a precious opportunity to discover the scene of the future, in a historical setting that is worth the visit in itself, and to experience Nettuno in a cultural guise that, in summer, is also enriched by the city's Aestas Culturae festival.