SomArte Festival

A festival of body and landscape in the heart of Cilento

SomArte is a festival dedicated to contemporary movement, multimedia art, and collective well-being, hosted in the village of Novi Velia, in the province of Salerno, within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. The event was founded by Mobius Dance & Atelier, an organization that combines a professional dance company with an atelier focused on movement arts and wellness, bringing an international cultural project to the Campania region.

The venue is the Ex Abbazia dei Celestini, an ancient monastic complex that overlooks the upper part of the village alongside the Lombard tower and the ruins of the Marzano barons' castle. Since 2025, the cultural association Mobius Atelier ETS, through a partnership with the Municipality of Novi Velia, has secured a permanent space in this historic building: for two days, the cloister and halls of the former convent are transformed into a creative center open to artists, enthusiasts, and residents.

Dance, cinema, and somatic practices

The program intertwines three disciplines rarely found on the same bill. Contemporary dance is featured through live performances and open classes; cinema takes the stage with screenings of dance films and research into the relationship between choreography and audiovisual language; and somatic practices—yoga, mindful movement, and body-listening sessions—offer the audience a direct, participatory experience. The program is rounded out by a photography section, with exhibitions set up throughout the abbey.

• Contemporary dance shows and performances
• Dance classes open to all levels
• Yoga and mindful movement sessions
• Screenings of dance films and short films
• Photography exhibitions in the former convent
• Artist meet-and-greets and community dialogue sessions

An artistic direction between Italy and the UK

The artistic direction is led by Gianluca Vincentini, a choreographer and curator with extensive experience in British theaters and international festivals, and Fabiano Culora, a professional with over twenty-five years of experience in somatic practices and performer training. Their work sits at the intersection of art and well-being: technique is never an end in itself, but a tool to refocus attention on the body, breathing, and the relationship with space.

This approach explains the festival's explicitly inclusive nature: activities are designed to welcome participants of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels, from absolute beginners to professional dancers. No prior training is required to join the open sessions.

The territory as a stage

Novi Velia, a village of just over two thousand inhabitants at an altitude of 648 meters, is known as the sentinel of Cilento and is the starting point for the climb to Mount Gelbison, the Sacred Mountain home to a sanctuary that has been a pilgrimage destination for centuries. SomArte works explicitly with this landscape: part of the programming is conceived as a site-specific experience, engaging with the village stones, trails, and the mountain, following a trend now well-established in European dance festivals held in non-theatrical settings.

For the municipality and the entire inland Campania region, the initiative also represents a different way to showcase Cilento outside the summer beach season: moving beyond just the sea and summer festivals, it offers a contemporary cultural experience that brings international guests to an inland village and directly involves local residents.

When to go

SomArte is held in June, at the beginning of the Cilento summer, when temperatures in the hills are still pleasant and the village is not crowded. It is an ideal opportunity to combine the festival with a hike toward Mount Gelbison, a visit to the historic center of Novi Velia, or a detour to the nearby archaeological site of Velia on the coast.