Client
An original Elastica event
Services
Concept
Content
Communication
Production
Graphics
Event Administration
Press Office
Where and when
Florence, November 2023
Read the
press release
The sixth edition, which has by now become Italy’s landmark event on women’s empowerment, saw two new developments: a new date and a special partnership.
Shifting the date of the 2023 edition of L’Eredità delle Donne from October to November was a symbolic move to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The date change allowed the festival to insert itself into the media discourse, obtaining extraordinary visibility and coverage from the main national newspapers. There was also the inauguration of a new partnership with Elle magazine, a collaboration born from shared values for women’s empowerment, becoming the foundation for further bonds: in points of interest, strengths and visibility under the banner of a common cause, that of gender equality.
This year’s theme was “Mothers of the Fatherland”, a title which is also a call: to the women of yesterday and today who, with their tenacity, autonomy and skills have and can continue to build a better world. The events sold out in mere hours, the halls were packed, and the waiting lists were long for the three days of talks. Topics of discussion not only included women involved in processes for peace against every type of violence, starting with gender violence; but also the body, circular economies, climate changes and migrations, with a focus on Libya and on Afghani women who, despite the fact that the spotlight on them has dimmed, mustn’t be forgotten about.
There were also numerous book presentations in the programme, plus two special evenings curated by the festival’s artistic director Serena Dandini, and an event curated by Fondazione Una Nessuna Centomila, which featured Massimiliano Caiazzo, Vittoria Puccini and Noemi, members of the foundation’s Laboratorio Artistico, as well as President Giulia Minoli and Honorary President Fiorella Mannoia.
76
guests hailing from across the world, from Afghanistan to the United States, from Ukraine to Libya
232
Calendario OFF events, which crossed regional borders this year
500+
minutes dedicated to the festival on radio and TV and 139 articles published in print
5.000+
people followed the festival live
24
events in three days, 11 of which were presentations of new publications
10.000+
people took part in the 232 initiatives of Calendario OFF
Among the guests were the American writer and dramaturg Eve Ensler (V), Chiara Valerio, Emma Bonino, expert on terrorism and international relations Anna Prouse, magistrate Fabio Roia, activist Carola Rackete, and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, the Ukrainian Oleksandra Romantsova. And then Anna Di Stasio, Rosi Braidotti, Donatella Di Cesare, Angelica De Vito, Giorgia Linardi, and the Italian Ambassador for Afghanistan Natalia Quintavalle; as well as Federica Cacciola, Maria Beatrice Alonzi, singer-songwriter Bigmama, Casadilego and Paola Turci, alpinist Nives Meroi, and plant neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso. Among the authors: Michela Marzano, Emanuela Evangelista, Veronica Raimo, Nogaye Ndiaye, Victoire Tauillon, Elvira Dones, Espérance Hakuzwimana, Annalena Benini, Gigliola Cinquetti, Silvia Bencivelli, Francesca Tamburini, and Vivian Lamarque.
Elastica curated and ran all the content, the entire production, the organisation, and the press office activity, which this year garnered massive media coverage thanks to the presence of the festival in the major national newspapers, with an increasing number of in-depth articles features on the programme topics, including on primetime television and radio.
There was also a participation boom for Calendario OFF: 232 events including laboratories, concerts, treks, guided visits, exhibitions, readings and conferences in support of women’s empowerment. From the Florentine inner city to the suburbs, from Liguria to Romagna: the OFF programme crossed regional borders, proving its potential to become an event of national significance.
The festival was created by Elastica, under the artistic direction of Serena Dandini. Its founding partners are Fondazione CR Firenze and Gucci, with co-promotion by the Municipality of Florence, and sponsorship by the Tuscan Region. Elle and Manifattura Tabacchi, the festival’s principle site, are collaborators. Rai Radio 2 is the festival’s official radio. The 2023 edition was organised with the support of Engie, Ford, Iliad, Nieco, Polimoda and SYNLAB.
Photos by Giacomo Maestri.
