Arditodesìo was born in 2002, the name tells the “bold desire” to create and do theater while maintaining the maximum integrity of both content and art. The playwright and actor Andrea Brunello is the artistic director of the company based at the Teatro Portland in Trento. Arditodesìo develops a path of new dramaturgy, theater that tells the contemporary, civil theater and narration. Among the productions we mention: Sloi Machine, Libero nel Paese della Resistenza, Mio Fratello Rincorre i Dinosauri.
Since 2012, in coordination with the Laboratory of Communication of Physical Sciences of the University of Trento, directed by Professor Stefano Oss, Arditodesìo has undertaken a path of narration of science in its interaction with the human being. The idea that inspires the artistic direction starts from the assumption that science dominates our existence today, but despite the role it plays at a social and individual level, it is often relegated to specialized lessons, generalist television talk shows and, in general, is not considered a source of artistic and theatrical arguments.
We believe instead that speaking in a competent and above all engaging way about science allows not only to understand our time but also to broaden the philosophical and existential horizons of those who want to listen. Doing science theatre (this is the term used to refer to this theatrical genre) is, in the intentions of the artistic direction of the company, a sort of mission that, in these difficult and complex times, rises to a civil connotation.
We believe that science is a source of great inspiration, for those who approach it with curiosity and an open mind.
The Augmented Lectures, a special production feature of Arditodesìo, are born from the collaboration with the Laboratory of Communication of Physical Sciences. The ALs are scientific conferences, in which a researcher is supported by an artist whose task is to “increase” the effectiveness of the lesson with tools that facilitate the audience’s experience. The project idea behind this format has obtained international recognition: the ALs have in fact won an important award in the context of the Reimagine Education Award 2016. The selection was announced by QS Quacquarelli Symonds (authors of some of the most well-known and influential university rankings) and by the Wharton SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management of the University of Pennsylvania, the most authoritative “think tank” in the field of education management. The project, co-written by Andrea Brunello and Stefano Oss, and presented by the University of Trento, was awarded in the “Cultivating curiosity” category, dedicated to projects capable of stimulating learning through, precisely, the lever of curiosity. The project has overcome a fierce competition among 527 projects submitted from all over the world for 15 categories. Only four Italian universities were present at the final stage, including the University of Trento, in front of experts in innovation in the pedagogical sector and numerous representatives of universities from all over the world.
Since 2017, Arditodesìo, in collaboration with the University of Trento and the Opera Universitaria, has organized and produced the Teatro della Meraviglia Festival, a container of science theatre experiences that explores the best proposals and the state of the art in the field of science communication through the performing arts. The first “pilot” edition of the Teatro della Meraviglia was held in January 2017 and since then the festival has been repeated annually. Thousands of people have attended the various editions of what has been considered a highly successful festival, whose format can be replicated in other cities and universities.
In June 2020, Arditodesìo was awarded the prestigious “Creative Europe” call with the CURIOUS project, which involves the development and extension of the Teatro della Meraviglia to a supranational European dimension thanks to partnerships with the Faculty of Dramatic Arts of the University of the Arts in Belgrade (Serbia), the Arte Urbana collective of Sofia (Bulgaria) and the Arenberg Theatre in Antwerp (Belgium).
