Il festival RI*GENERA di Music Platform a Parco Torcito

On Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28, the itinerant festival RI*GENERA arrives at Parco Torcito in Cannole to present its fifth edition. Designed and produced by the cultural association Music Platform, the format connects electronic music and visual arts, slow tourism, and the enhancement of both material and immaterial heritage, with the contribution and sponsorship of the Province of Lecce - Salento d’Amare, the Municipality of Cannole, and Masseria Torcito, along with support from DAMS, Audiovisual Production and Performing Arts, the Academy of Fine Arts of Lecce, ITS, CNA, Orsini, Ombrellificio Ciccarese, and Mariano Light.

The context in which the festival is set is a park of over 200 hectares, just a few kilometers from Otranto, which houses a rich heritage comprising archaeological remains, rural architecture, nature trails, and traces of the ancient medieval settlement of Cerceto. For the 2026 edition, RI*GENERA introduces an important evolution in its programming: for the first time, festival guests can camp within the park, to experience a mode of participation that transcends the event logic, embracing a more relaxed stay and engaging in morning activities designed specifically for those who are staying. The formula of its program remains unchanged, relating electronic arts to the landscape, with activities also dedicated to children, artistic workshops, body practices, environmental heritage discovery paths, concerts, sound experiments, and meetings dedicated to territorial regeneration with sector professionals, including talks with artists and filmmakers. A calendar that alternates deepening moments with opportunities for socialization, while keeping at the center the themes of active citizenship, sustainability, and the relationship between culture and territory, made possible through the construction of a dense local network, including Cinema del Reale, La Scatola di Latta, Pro Loco di Cannole, Le Salentine, Torcito Bike, just to name a few.

THE PROGRAM

RI*GENERA opens on Saturday, June 27 with a series of activities dedicated to the relationship between contemporary creativity, territorial heritage, and community practices. Among the central appointments is the talk "Torcito, the park between nature and culture," dedicated to the recovery, management, and enhancement of the site. The President of the Province of Lecce, Fabio Tarantino, engineer Tommaso Farenga from SIT&A, architect Giovanna Calò, and engineer Mario Maggio will participate. The meeting is also the occasion to present the volume dedicated to the history and evolution of Parco Torcito. The day continues with workshops and participatory activities. With "Tactile Memories," the audience will engage in a ceramic working experience inspired by the forms and materials of the territory, while "Nido Sintropico," curated by Amadeco, will introduce participants to the principles of syntropic agriculture and environmental regeneration practices. There will also be space for more sustainable consumption models with a Swap Party, dedicated to the reuse of clothes and accessories. Wellness practices will be featured in a pilates lesson led by Stefania Nuzzo Soul and in the Erranza Poetica devised by Scatola di Latta and Roots&Reads, an experiential walk that intertwines reading, listening, and observation of the natural context. In the evening, the program focuses on documentary cinema with the first appointment of Cinema del Reale - Actions/Regenerations. Discussions around the theme of territorial transformations will involve Antonio De Luca, Paola Leone, Admir Shkurtaj, Alessandro Valenti, Mattia Soranzo, Corrado Punzi, and Rachele Andrioli, coordinated by the artistic director of the documentary festival, Paolo Pisanelli. Screenings curated by the festival will follow. The evening concludes with Mena la Festa, animated by dishes from Lonoce, Seme, and NaIF, and the much-anticipated live performance by CLAP! CLAP!, a prominent producer in the international ethno-electric scene.

On Sunday, June 28, the day kicks off early in the morning: amidst breakfast and coffee, manual workshops and outdoor activities commence, such as the Educational Walk for four-legged friends curated by Joe Zampetti, shared games, and guaranteed fun for the little ones, with Proloco Cerceto di Cannole and Torcito Bike. The program also includes Imaginaria Civica, a participatory path curated by Scatola di Latta dedicated to the imagination of possible futures for local communities; the cooking class "Hands in Dough" curated by Le Salentine; the cyanotype workshop "Sun Prints" with Valentina Sergi; "Herbs to Drink," a workshop dedicated to the collection and preparation of infusions and botanical drinks by Giardino sotto il naso. A significant portion is dedicated to wellness and awareness practices with a Hatha Yoga lesson, the Ecstatic Dance experience, and the subsequent Sound Healing led by Simone Gatto, the sunset walk "Ways of the Pilgrims" with environmental guide Sofia Lolli, and the itinerant wine course "The Story of the Land" proposed by the Menhir Marangelli winery. One of the central moments of the day is the “Community Lunch,” devised by Salicornia Studio of Federico Rizzo, a convivial experience that uses food as a tool for reflection on local supply chains, climate change, and sustainability practices.

In the afternoon, the public discussion continues with the talk "The Territory That Sounds. Music, Identity, and Transformation of Places." Led by music critic and professor Giacomo Fronzi, the meeting will feature the participation of Marco Erroi and Max Nocco, founders of the Dischi Spranti label, reflecting on the relationship between contemporary music production, local identities, and Mediterranean cultural heritage. The festival closes with the second appointment of Cinema del Reale - Actions/Regenerations, featuring Professor Luca Bandirali, directors Eliana Manca and Claudia Mollese, filmmakers Davide Barletti and Renato Chiocca, and curators Ulderico Tramacere for Parco dei Giganti and Alessandra Pomarico of Free Home University, again coordinated by Paolo Pisanelli. The talk precedes the screenings, selected by the festival, focused on themes of territorial regeneration and social and cultural transformations. The evening concludes with music from DNX, a musical project by Cesare Dell’Anna and Guido Nemola, and the vibes of Marco Erroi and Max Nocco from Dischi Spranti.

INSTALLATIONS AND EXHIBITIONS

The visual arts program of RI*GENERA 2026 brings together creatives, designers, and project developers engaged in reflecting on transformation processes. Silvia De Nuccio, with Il mare dopo (The Sea After), investigates the relationship between stone, water, and time, observing the traces left by the slow transformations of matter, while GSQ, aka Vero Smalto, presents Gelatology, a multimedia archaeological imaginary built through the dialogue between sound and image. Under the pseudonym Salento Death Valley, Gabriele Albergo offers a disenchanted view of the territory, far from stereotypical representations, highlighting the contradictions coexisting in the contemporary landscape. The relationship between word, nature, and space is at the center of Profonda Quiete by Marta Lagna, an installation that transforms verses and writings of poets into visual presences spread throughout the park. Matter and its ability to generate relationships also traverse Giardino Urbano by Ugo La Pietra for PIMAR, where stone becomes a living and shared element, and Ciò che resta (What Remains), a project by Ancora Serramenti and Plastica that reflects on reuse and the possibilities of a second life for materials. In contrast, Hum(m)us. The Design that Nourishes Tradition focuses on the relationship between territorial identities, productive knowledges, and contemporary design, research developed by students of the Design course at the Academy of Fine Arts of Lecce led by Professor Stefania Galante.

The route also includes LICHENI - Pietra Viva (Stone Alive) by Alberto Pepe, a synthesis of over ten years of visual and material research on lichens from Southern Italy, and Di Traccia in Trama (From Trace to Weave) by Violandra, a large emotional map made using cyanotype and mixed technique exploring the concept of dwelling. The participatory dimension emerges in the Collective Canvases curated by Simona Falconi/Fili Ribelli and in Rigenerazione Salentina (Salentine Regeneration) by Mirko Baglivo, installations that invite the public to contribute directly to the construction of the artwork. The route closes with Zombie by Enea Vlad, a synesthetic experience that engages the visitor in a co-creation process through sight, touch, and sound, and La condizione umana (The Human Condition) by Agostino Frisullo, a series of paintings and sculptures dedicated to the relationship between the individual, society, and contemporary transformation.

CREDITS

RI*GENERA 2026 is conceived and produced by Music Platform APS with the contribution and sponsorship of the Province of Lecce - Salento d’Amare, the Municipality of Cannole, and Masseria Torcito, supported by DAMS and Audiovisual Production and Performing Arts, the Academy of Fine Arts of Lecce, ITS, CNA, Orsini, Ombrellificio Ciccarese, and Mariano Light. Main partners include Amadeco, SIT&A, Benegiamo Arte e Terracotta, Menhir, Ancora Serramenti, Imballaggi 2G.
Web: musicplatform.it