Vado a Teatro Festival – School Theatre in the Bologna Apennines

A school theatre festival in the Bologna Apennines

The Vado a Teatro Festival – School Theatre in the Bologna Apennines is an event dedicated to theatre made by young people and for young people, which takes place in Monzuno, a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Bologna (Province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna), on the stage of the Teatro Venere in the hamlet of Vado. Promoted by the Compagnia della Venere with the artistic direction of Antonio Lovascio, the festival was born with a precise idea: to use theatre games as a tool to raise young people's awareness of current issues and to help them grow together with their community.

Schools as protagonists

The heart of the festival is the students. Around 200 young people from the Comprehensive Institute of Vado/Monzuno participate in the inaugural edition, attending performances and thematic meetings. A performance created by students from the primary and secondary schools of Monzuno, the result of a theatre workshop organised and led by the Compagnia della Venere, is also staged. The network extends beyond regional borders with the presence of the lower secondary school Menchetti of Ostra, in the Marche region, a sign of the festival's ambition to become a national event.

Memory, inclusion, and dialogue between generations

Vado a Teatro is not just about performance; it is a community project. The programme includes an in-depth look at local history and the Monte Sole Massacre, in collaboration with ANPI, to keep alive the memory of one of the most painful chapters of the Bologna Apennines. The festival also involves the local Social Centre and Day Centre in Monzuno, hosting people over 65 at the theatre to create opportunities for intergenerational dialogue, and a local association that brings together people with disabilities, ensuring genuine inclusion.

A festival supported by the territory

The festival is supported by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna and enjoys the patronage of the Municipality of Monzuno and the Union of Municipalities of the Bologna Apennines. Intended to be repeated every year with the participation of schools from all over the country, Vado a Teatro aims to be a reference point for educational theatre in the Apennines, where the stage becomes a place for learning, sharing, and civic growth for new generations.