Spinaceto Past & Future

A contemporary theatre festival on the outskirts of Rome

Spinaceto Past & Future is a live performance festival taking place in the Spinaceto district, located within Municipio IX of Rome, in the Lazio region. Conceived and produced by the Teatro Stabile delle Arti Medioevali cooperative as part of the Quartieri dell'Arte project, the event is held every year in November at the Teatro della Dodicesima (Teatro della XII), a historic cultural hub for the district on Via Renato Avolio.

Theatre, social inclusion, and new technologies

At the heart of the project is the intersection of contemporary performance and immersive technology. Spinaceto Past & Future aims to engage audiences typically underrepresented in Municipio IX—including young people, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and new residents—through innovative digital tools. A highlight is the immersive Kalliope2 application, developed by the renowned Catalan company La Fura dels Baus, which allows spectators to interact with the stage and become active participants in the performance.

The festival weaves together the neighborhood's memory and future—the "past" and "future" of its title—creating a dialogue between the history of one of Rome's most famous suburbs and the languages of international experimental theatre.

The Teatro della Dodicesima, the cultural heart of Spinaceto

The festival is hosted at the Teatro della Dodicesima, a multi-purpose space active in Spinaceto since the 1990s and a landmark for theatre, music, dance, and workshops for all ages. The intimate, compact venue offers a close-knit, participatory experience for its audience.

A project supported by the City of Rome

Spinaceto Past & Future is among the live performance projects supported by the City of Rome under the Roma Creativa 365 call for proposals, which focuses on bringing culture to neighborhoods outside the city centre. The third edition, held in autumn 2025, reaffirmed the festival's commitment to bringing international-calibre productions to the suburbs, with a special focus on accessibility and community participation.

Accessible and free theatre

All festival performances are free of charge until capacity is reached. Booking is recommended due to the limited seating. It is a unique opportunity to discover contemporary theatre and its digital intersections in the heart of Spinaceto, far from the tourist circuits of central Rome.