FuturoPresente: Dutch youth arts in the spotlights in Italy

A selection of Dutch theatre makers, writers, illustrators, choreographers, and filmmakers present themselves to the Italian public and professionals. With the aim of strengthening the professional networks between the countries, entering into new partnerships, and sharing experiences.

FuturoPresente builds on the sustainable exchange of professionals
Important partners of FuturoPresente are Bergamo and Brescia, the cultural capitals of Italy in 2023, which open their stages, cinemas, and galleries to Dutch arts for children and youth. Other partners include major festivals such as the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the Giffoni Film Festival, Festival RomaEuropa, the Turin Book Fair, Segni d’Infanzia, and Internazionale Kids. There will also be various masterclasses and artistic exchanges and a symposium on cultural participation and cultural education between the two countries.

Arts for children and youth in demand in Italy
In recent years, Dutch artists have done remarkably well in Italy. For example, theatre maker Jetse Batelaan won a Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale, writer Annet Schaap was the winner of the Strega Prize and director Flynn von Kleist triumphed at the Giffoni Film Festival 2021. The extent to which children's and youth culture in the Netherlands is embedded as a fully-fledged art form, is admirable, as is the extent to which inclusiveness and representativeness are given a place. Unlike in Italy, challenging and sometimes controversial themes are not shunned for children and young audiences, such as divorce, emancipation, gender identity, climate crisis, racism, war, and sexuality.

Willem van Ee, the Dutch ambassador to Italy, says: “Italy is the ideal platform to present Dutch cultural projects for young adults and children. The cultural sector here is very lively and looks with interest at arts for children and youth from the Netherlands. It is special that we can bring together young generations from both countries in this programme!”

FuturoPresente is a special initiative of the embassy and consulate-general of the Netherlands in Italy and four major Dutch cultural institutions Performing Arts FundNL, Dutch Foundation for Literature, Dutch Cultural Participation Fund, and SeeNL.

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