Rekindling hope: Residency experiences in Reggio Emilia and Dublin through theatre and community

In a world often filled with uncertainty and division, it’s easy to lose hope. However, experiences that bring people together—like the collaborative power of theatre—can rekindle that light. In her testimony, Giulia Rossoni reflects on how creative collaboration and a sense of community helped her rediscover hope, illustrating how shared artistic endeavors can inspire connection and belonging, even in challenging times.

When I arrived in Reggio Emilia in November 2023, I felt a great anguish in my chest. I was frightened by the violent drift of our world, and intimidated by finding myself after a long time in a totally new situation. “It’s not me”, I told myself.

Two weeks later, I returned from Dublin with a heart full of hope. It was not magic, it was the people and the experience that rekindled the light. Being in this context with unknown colleagues who turned into fellow adventurers, made me feel part of something bigger than my discouragement. It made me believe that doing theatre still has value.

We worked in this hybrid form for two weeks long—we changed groups, worked together partly in presence and partly online. Well, the online part was a bitter pill to swallow—having come back from remote learning during Covid, I had a prejudice against this tool. Yet, I changed my mind, and there were exciting moments of contact. I remember a mirror created between Italy and Belgium, a remote one, but hooked by an invisible and powerful thread—the will to stay united.

Clearly, it is different from being there physically, but it would not be honest to only consider the flaws of working online. I was amazed by the creativity and generosity that flowed from all the participating groups to realise a live online performance. I was moved by the willingness of all to collaborate. I am used to working with many people—the artistic collective I am part of, Progetto Orlando, consists of twenty artists from various backgrounds. They are people I have known for years, friends with whom I have shared so much, and it is often so difficult to choose a common path to follow. That is why I was amazed by the dedication with which a group of strangers managed to find compromises and ways to create together. A true exercise in democracy and cooperation.

I think that in my experience with Theatre in Palm, theatre was not really the centre, rather a tool to increase a sense of belonging to a community—that of European artists and citizens, where European and citizen are nowadays two fragile but so precious terms. It is difficult to protect and preserve if you are alone, but it is heartening to know that there is a network of people who have shared the same experience and understand their value. Encounters, sense of belonging, openness—this is what I took home from my Theatre in Palm experience; a contact with some eminent director would probably seem more rewarding, but definitely less entrenched than anything else.