Veregra Children

Veregra Children: children's theatre takes centre stage in Montegranaro

Every year, in mid-June, the historic centre of Montegranaro — a town in the Province of Fermo, in the Marche region — comes alive with Veregra Children, a festival entirely designed for children, teenagers, and families. It is the "for the little ones" section of the larger Veregra Street Festival, the major street art and contemporary circus event in Veregra which has been bringing artists from all over the world to the streets of the shoe-making town for almost thirty years.

The Premio Nazionale Otello Sarzi

The beating heart of Veregra Children is the Premio Nazionale Otello Sarzi, founded in 1995 by Marco Renzi and the great puppeteer Otello Sarzi. It is now one of the longest-running awards dedicated to theatre for new generations in our country. Each edition presents two awards: one to the most promising young company in children's theatre and one to the best production of puppetry, the genre to which Otello Sarzi was particularly attached. The winning companies receive a series of paid performances at partner theatres across Italy, from Fermo to Padua, from Pescara to Bari, up to Rimini and Altamura.

A national showcase for children's theatre

The festival attracts professional companies from all Italian regions, including the islands: a true showcase of the best national productions for children. A jury of experts selects the finalist companies, which present their full shows in the heart of the town. Veregra Children is part of the Marameo Festival, an interregional network involving six regions and over forty municipalities, with a total programme of about one hundred shows: one of the largest initiatives for children's theatre in Italy.

Widespread shows and free admission

In Montegranaro, the shows take place in various spaces within the historic centre — from the Teatro La Perla to the Anfiteatro di Largo Conti, from the Campo dei Tigli to the town squares — with four daily performances that entertain both children and adults from afternoon until evening. Admission is free, in line with the popular and inclusive nature of the event. Puppets, storytelling, actor's theatre, puppetry, and workshops alternate in a programme designed to amaze children and help adults rediscover the magic of live theatre.

An identity-defining event for the city

Promoted by the Municipality of Montegranaro together with the Compagnia Utopia Teatro Ragazzi, Veregra Children has become an identity-defining event for the Veregra community and the entire Fermano area, capable of bringing hundreds of families and industry professionals to the Marche region. For fans of children's theatre, it is an unmissable stop on the Marche summer calendar, an antechamber to the Veregra Street Festival which closes the month of June with international street artists.