"Sguardi Periferici" kicks off in Rome on September 3rd. For four days, until September 6th, the Municipio XV will be transformed into a multi-purpose stage. Theater, street art, and family workshops will enliven a corner of the city often overlooked.
The "Sguardi periferici" event takes place at the Galline Bianche Amphitheater in the Labaro neighborhood, next to the library of the same name. A curious, almost fairytale-like name for a space designed to welcome the neighborhood community. The festival is directed by Gino Auriuso and produced by the Artenova company, with the support of the Department of Suburbs of Rome Capitale. Admission is completely free, from 11 a.m. until late evening, with hours varying daily. Domenico Iannacone will open the event on Thursday, September 3rd at 21 p.m. The RAI journalist and author brings to the stage a story about the human soul, marginalization, and life choices. It's a direct way to introduce the festival's central theme: restoring centrality to communities and the people who inhabit them.
Four days of theater, nature, and comedy
The program continues on Friday with a creative recycling workshop for children, followed in the evening by the show "Is There Only One Father?", featuring Marco Simeoli, Auriuso himself, and Ivano Falco. On Saturday, the herbalist's shop will be on display in the afternoon, followed by a live street art performance, and in the evening, "Operai" by Germano Rubbi, a story about the culture of work. Sunday's closing event is designed for families, with a film workshop in the morning and juggling at noon. The final evening features Emilia Agnesa, with the stand-up comedy show "Miss Mother."
There's a clear idea behind the program: using art as a tool for social cohesion, capable of enhancing a region's diversity. The organizers discuss inclusion, memory, the environment, and fragility, themes that run through every performance on the program. This isn't a festival designed for the historic center, but for those who live far from renowned museums and theaters.
There's something special about a festival that chooses a suburb rather than a famous square. It means telling those who live there that culture isn't a privilege reserved for other neighborhoods. It means bringing a RAI journalist, theater actors, and street artists where usually only buses and traffic arrive. For four days, with children's workshops and evening performances, Labaro becomes the center of Rome. Not geographically, but in the truest sense of the word: the place where the city chooses to look at itself in the mirror, honestly, and tell its story.
