FONDO, a network dedicated to emerging creativity – formed through the collaboration of 14 national institutions, including festivals, theaters, residency centers, and performance circuits – has chosen to support the work of two artists for its fifth edition: Noemi Piva, a dancer and choreographer whose research integrates movement, voice, and writing with visual arts practices such as illustration and sculpture; and Filippo Quezel, an artist who explores the language of cinema and the performing arts, frequently addressing themes like preadolescence and class struggle.
As in previous years, FONDO – established in 2022 to support performance projects that, by their very nature, require long development periods – provides €20,000 in financial support for each artist’s research, approximately 40 days of residency per project, and four workshops over the course of the year, led by international artists. The program also offers invaluable dramaturgical consulting and engagement with the European contemporary scene, guided by the external perspectives of mentors whose expertise aligns with the artistic languages explored in the supported works.
Noemi Piva is a dancer and visual artist based in Turin. Since 2017, she has pursued dance training through programs including ModemPRO, Biennale College, and the NOD International Contemporary Dance (ICD) program. Since 2022, she has been developing a body of work that combines movement, voice, and writing with visual arts practices, ranging from illustration to sculpture and animation. Her projects have been selected for various residency and production programs – such as KOMM TANZ, Odiolestate, and Permutazioni – and have been presented at festivals and events including the Vetrina della giovane danza d’autore (Showcase of Young Authorial Dance) by the Anticorpi XL Network, Dance Horizons, and Venice Open Stage. Her latest work, settembre non arriverà mai (“September Will Never Come”), premiered at the MILANoLTRE festival. She works as a dancer for various artists and companies, including Giulio Santolini and Lorenza Guerrini, Collettivo EFFE, Lorenzo Covello, Nardinocchi \ Matcovitch, Camilla Montesi, Elia Pangaro, and Alex de Vries. She is an associate artist with Sosta Palmizi.
Filippo Quezel explores the language of cinema and the performing arts, frequently addressing themes such as pre-adolescence, class struggle, substance dependency, and “anti-comedy.” He directed the documentary Non lo so, which was selected by the Cineteca di Bologna for the Visioni Italiane festival. He wrote and directed the short film Tinder, which received a special jury mention and the audience award at the Lago Film Festival. He also directed the performance Tirannosauro, produced by Sardegna Teatro. His collaborators include Andrea De Rosa, Babilonia Teatri, Teatro dell’Elfo, Generic Animal, Motus, Lucia Calamaro, Luca Guadagnino, and Violetta Cottini. Together with Caterina Benevoli, he co-authored Braccio di ferro – a project supported by the Performing Arts Residency Center of Friuli Venezia Giulia – which he also directed and which features Alice Raffaelli as a performer.
Coordinated by Santarcangelo dei Teatri, the FONDO program is made possible through the collaborative efforts of a valuable network of partners: AMAT (Associazione Marchigiana Attività Teatrali), Centrale Fies, Emilia Romagna Teatro (ERT) / Teatro Nazionale, Fondazione I Teatri – Reggio Emilia, Fuorimargine / Centro di produzione della danza in Sardegna, L’arboreto – Teatro Dimora di Mondaino | Centro di Residenza Emilia-Romagna, Lavanderia a Vapore / Fondazione Piemonte dal Vivo, OperaEstate Festival Veneto / Centro per la Scena Contemporanea, Ravenna Teatro, Teatro Stabile dell’Umbria, and Triennale Milano Teatro. This year, BiG / Bari International Gender Festival and Spazio Franco / Mercurio Festival in Palermo are joining the network for the first time.
