The Parco delle Biodiversità di Coltano is preparing to host five evenings dedicated to poetry, theatre, music, and the arts in all their forms. From 31 May to 14 June, following the company’s winter residency and the events promoted in Pisa at the former Convent of the Scalzi, ANIMALI CELESTI teatro d’arte civile returns to Coltano, the historic home of the company, where over the course of three weekends it will involve audiences in five itinerant experiences featuring performances, poetic interventions, and convivial gatherings. The events are organized with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture (MiC), the Regione Toscana, the Municipality of Pisa, Fondazione Pisa, and Pro Loco Coltano.
The programme will begin on Sunday, 31 May with an entirely new initiative, “The Poets’ Walk” departing from Pisa in order to illuminate with poetry the theatrical company’s journey from the city centre to the Parco delle Biodiversità di Coltano. On Saturday 6, Sunday 7, Saturday 13, and Sunday 14 June, the programme will continue with “To the Fireflies! To the Fireflies! – From Sunset to Evening, Three Works and a Dinner Under the Stars” four exclusive occasions during which audiences will encounter the first versions of three new forthcoming works whose artistic languages bring together theatre, music, and visual installation, accompanied by a dinner provided by the restaurant Il Granaio di Coltano.
A pacifist protest march, a poetic act against the eclipse of poetry and against the very absence of poetry in our lives: on Sunday, 31 May, “The Poets’ Walk” will set out from Pisa towards Coltano. The initiative is organized by ANIMALI CELESTI in collaboration with numerous local organizations and associations, including the musicians of Modern Art Collective, Kantiere led by Valentina Grigò and Pamela Larese, Il Nuovo Fontanile, ARCI Circolo Il Fortino, Unicoop Firenze – Pisa Members’ Section, WOW Pisa, Autolinee Toscane, and the Italian Red Cross.
The event promoted by ANIMALI CELESTI teatro d’arte civile will begin at 3:30 p.m. from the Centro Espositivo Museale SMS (San Michele degli Scalzi) in Pisa, located along Viale delle Piagge, and will conclude at approximately 9:00 p.m., at sunset in the Parco delle Biodiversità di Coltano. Participants will walk along the river embankments bordering Viale delle Piagge, then continue across Ponte della Vittoria, along the cycle path toward Putignano and Via le Rene, sharing sounds, gestures, and words of gratitude dedicated to the beauty of life and to the desire for a renewal of ethics and the arts.
The organizers recommend suitable walking shoes and clothing appropriate for protection from the sun. With the exception of peace flags and poetic writings, no other symbols will be permitted unless created by the organizers themselves.
Below are the scheduled meeting points for those wishing to join the procession along the route:
3:30 p.m. – Gathering at the Centro Espositivo SMS on Viale delle Piagge in Pisa
4:00 p.m. – Departure from the Centro Espositivo Museale SMS (Viale delle Piagge, Pisa)
Approximately 5:00 p.m. – The procession will pass through Piazza XXV Aprile in front of the ARCI Club
Approximately 6:00 p.m. – Passage through the Fattoria area on Via le Rene
7:00 p.m. – Arrival at the courtyard of the former Cooperativa Le Rene
Approximately 8:00 p.m. – Arrival at the Medici Villa of Coltano, where an open microphone session will offer participants the opportunity to share poetic compositions, songs, or short readings
Participants are invited to arrange their own return transportation independently at the end of the event; however, at 9:30 p.m. a bus service provided by Autolinee Toscane will depart from Coltano.
Following the iconic Poets’ Walk held at the end of May, the Parco delle Biodiversità di Coltano, together with its Nuovo Fontanile, will become the setting for four evenings dedicated to theatre, poetry, music, and artistic installations, accompanying audiences from sunset until midnight with “To the Fireflies! To the Fireflies! – From Sunset to Evening, Three Works and a Dinner Under the Stars.” This new and original event—organized in collaboration with Cavalieri Consapevoli/Il Nuovo Fontanile, Teatro dell’Assedio, and Unicoop Firenze – Pisa Members’ Section—will transform the Parco delle Biodiversità and the Nuovo Fontanile into a meeting place for performing arts, live music, and the natural landscape.
During the evenings of 6–7 and 13–14 June, from 7:00 p.m. to midnight, audiences will move through different areas of the park, encountering performances, poetic interventions, and convivial moments.
Each evening will open at 7:15 p.m. with “Sconcerto per voce suoni e scarabocchi” (“Disconcert for Voice, Sounds, and Scribbles”), an original composition by Monica Morelli with musical arrangements by Ilaria Bellucci and Modern Art Collective. The staging is directed by Alessandro Garzella, while the visual installation is curated by Manuela Trillo. On stage, the voice of Ilaria Bellucci will be accompanied by musicians Tommaso Iacoviello on trumpet, Tobia Bondesan on alto saxophone, Alessandro Buonamini on double bass, and Pietro Borsò on drums and percussion.
At 9:30 p.m., “Aspettando l’aurora” (“Waiting for the Dawn”) will be presented, a performance developed through the dramaturgical adaptation, direction, and scenic design of Francesca Mainetti based on the poetry of Aurora Vannucci, with music by Gianni Valenti. Performers include Sara Capanna, Francesca Mainetti, Giuls Paoli, and Gianni Valenti. Costumes are designed by Manuela Trillo.
The evening will conclude at 10:30 p.m. with “Son tornate le lucciole – odi elettriche a Pasolini” (“The Fireflies Have Returned – Electric Odes to Pasolini”), created and performed by Satyamo Hernandez, Michelangelo Ricci, and Alessandro Garzella, with a sound environment designed by Michelangelo Ricci and lighting and sound by Teatro dell’Assedio.
During the transitions between the various locations of the event, members of the company themselves will accompany audiences with brief performances and poetic interventions, making the journey an integral part of the artistic experience.
The event also includes a dinner under the stars, included in the special €30 ticket: a single-course meal, beverages excluded, prepared by the restaurant Il Granaio di Coltano.
Information and booking: prenotazioni@animalicelestiteatro.com
In addition to the special €30 ticket, which includes admission to all three performances and dinner, it will also be possible to reserve a €20 ticket granting access to the three performances for the entire evening (without dinner), or a €15 ticket for admission to a single performance (€10 reduced price for students upon presentation of a university ID card).