The Ambitious and Extravagant Idea to Shake up Chiusi

Three years ago Andrea Cigni answered to an invitation to tender to become the Orizzonti Festival artistic director. He won. Since then, he has an "ambitious and weird project", as he calls it: turn the festival into a laboratory and give the city of Chiusi, in the province of Siena, an healthy shock. A theatre director, faculty professional of the SDA Bocconi Master in Arts Management and Administration, director of the Conservatory of Cremona, Cigni devoted the 2016 festival (July 29-August 7) to the theme of folly. "The creative process in art is foolish. It's the spark that ignite the relationship between the artist and the audience. Foolish is the adventurer spirit that led me to undertake the direction of the festival".
What was your mission?
I wanted to bring the theatre tradition back to a quiet city with a multidisciplinary festival that features contemporary theatre, ballet, opera. The performances are held in a theatre, a square, on a floating platform, in a medieval cloister. The 99% of the productions are original.
What's the reaction of the citizenship?
Some live the festival as an invasion, but it's a gentle kind of violence. We introduce Orizzonti with meetings in places frequented daily by people, to get them used to the festival, make them understand that it is a source of well-being and cultural elevation. At the end of each day there will be a meeting with the artists in a city square. The exchange of views is essential.
What are the best management practices in a cultural organization?
In our case, the professional and operational humility. The festival is run by three, four people plus volunteers and theatre professionals. Everyone does everything. I created a laboratory where there is no place for wastefulness, but competence, merit, research. In Italy we have an incredible amount of festivals, but they are often spoiled by politics. Here in Chiusi we only care about knowledge. Innovation means empowering workers. In a workplace where everyone is empowered the outcome is excellent.
What do you recommend to the students of the SDA Bocconi Theatre Production workshop?
The university provides the tools, but the real work is done in theatres. So I tell them: when you're ready, leave the university behind and do any type of work in the theatre field. Orizzonti awards many scholarships to young graduates of Italian universities, in 2016 two Bocconi students will come to Chiusi. One of the tasks of the festival is to create a network, to connect learning and work. Young people are willing to engage more than believed. Italy is a country for old men, but passion belongs to young people. We need their energy.