Mediterranea CI Gathering

About this event

Mediterranea is a six-day residential gathering, from October 20 to 25, 2026, in Sicily, dedicated to Contact Improvisation as a practice of research, relationship, and presence. It arises from the desire to root and grow a community of practitioners in Southern Italy, while at the same time opening to a wider horizon: the Mediterranean as a living space of exchange and future. Today, in a time marked by separation, borders, and tension, we feel the urgency to return to the body and to practice as a form of gentle resistance. Dancing here, in Sicily, at the heart of the Mediterranean, is for us both a political and poetic act: an invitation to come together in a different, shared space-time dedicated to practice, research, and exchange, where Contact Improvisation dialogues with other arts and allows itself to be nourished by them. For this first edition, Elisa Ghion and Mela Belletto will be with us, sharing their practices and contributing to the process with their perspective, experience, and sensitivity, opening spaces for workshops and research throughout the week. The days will follow a simple and vibrant rhythm: in the morning, classes followed by jam sessions; in the afternoon, jams, scores, and open research spaces; in the evening, time for meeting and sharing — in dance and beyond dance. We imagine this gathering as the beginning of a broader movement: a Mediterranean Contact Improvisation network, connecting dancers, facilitators, and communities across different coasts and cultures. This invitation is addressed to people with experience in Contact Improvisation and a desire to deepen their research.