La Toscana delle donne: a week of events between dialogue, talent and equality
Opening on 19 November at the Verdi Theatre with actress Cristiana Capotondi and an exhibition by photographer Massimo Sestini
Entitled Humanity, the second edition of la Toscana delle Donne, the event organised by the Region of Tuscany, returns from 19 to 27 November with a week full of guests, appointments, shows and reflections to build an equal Tuscany together and focus on female talent, in the European Year of Competencies.
THE PROGRAMME
The event is inaugurated at 5.30 p.m. on Sunday 19 November at the Teatro Verdi by a performance event in which actress Cristiana Capotondi plays the Electress Palatine in a monologue written by Marco Bonini, accompanied by pianist Giulia Mazzoni. Mazzoni then performs at the piano excerpts from the soundtrack of the film Anna in competition at the Venice Film Festival. (Here is the link to register for the opening night). Photographer Massimo Sestini presents the photographic exhibition La Toscana delle donne (The Tuscany of Women) that he created for Toscana Promozione Turistica as part of the Benvenute promotion projects and that is being exhibited as part of Toscana delle Donne. There are twenty faces of Tuscany working in tourism immortalised in a moment of their everyday life. Twenty portraits of women that are exhibited for a month at Palazzo Strozzi Sacrati but make their debut on the evening of 19 November at the Verdi Theatre, as the giant photographs are hung from the boxes, enveloping the audience in a sort of embrace. The evening continues with a tribute to Giacomo Puccini with soprano Greta Doveri accompanied on piano by Massimo Salotti. Striscia la Notizia correspondent and Radio 101 speaker Rajae Bezzaz then intervenes.
20 November is a day dedicated to sport where, at Palawanny at 3.30 p.m., Donne, straordinario gioco di squadra takes place, an afternoon in which female volleyball athletes tell their stories. A talk shaw with the Bisonte and Savino del Bene players and the Sitting Volley champions. Followed by a match with a Tuscan representative team.
21 November is dedicated to Donne, certificazione al femminile (Women, women's certification) and talks on reducing the gender gap, regional policies and businesses, in the light of the data from the Irpet report on the condition of women in Tuscany. In the afternoon, we move to the Beker Hughes headquarters (formerly Nuovo Pignone International) where good practices will be discussed with experiences from the Baker Hughes Women Network, Snam, Ups, Ineos, Vitesco, Cinelli Colombini, Enel, Eni, Lvmh, Sesa, Lilly and Menarini companies.
Di pari passo is the title of the day on 22 November on ideas, practices and policies for opportunities without gender boundaries. It talks about gender equality in public administration and the third sector and the world of cooperatives. Among the speakers is Coop Italia president Maura Latini. At the end of the morning, a concert by maestro Giuseppe Lanzetta in the Cloister of Santa Maria Nuova opens the inauguration of the photographic exhibition by Marianne Catzaras, photographer and poet of Greek origin.
Humanity and also freedom is the title of the day on 23 November dedicated to women's right to be free from gender-based violence. While an Ispro camper is parked in Piazza Duomo with the possibility for all women to have a quick screening for the prevention of female cancer, in Palazzo Strozzi Sacrati data and programmes against violence against women and the paths and tools that exist in Tuscany for the prevention of violence and female empowerment will be illustrated. In the afternoon, the talk show Il singolare mondo al femminile brings to the fore the stories of exceptional women such as Roz Savage, solo sailor, Julia Butterfly Hill, with her 738 days on a sequoia, Nadia Bredice, paraclimbing champion, Barbara Leporini, CNR researcher, and Milena Fraccari, activist and spokesperson for Julia Hill. The National Guide Dog School of Scandicci is also present with some puppies and some adult females already 'guides' trained for the blind.
On 23 November at 6 p.m. at Villa La Quiete is the Animae Loci review of the La Nottola di Minerva association with the project created for La Toscana delle Donne dedicated to the Electress Palatina.
On 24 November, space... to space: at 12 noon, the asteroid named after Ati, an Etruscan princess and symbol of the emancipation of women in her time, is presented. The afternoon is followed by 'Challenges in women's society' in which health and prevention, finance and insurance practices are discussed.
On 25 November, the world day against violence against women is marked by a series of initiatives, from the presentation of the exhibition by the painter Olga Yakubovskaya, to body painting performances and the performance of the group Women in Black. On the same day, in Prato, at the Museo di Palazzo Datini, the exhibition Animae Loci of the Associazione La Nottola di Minerva returns, with the project on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of the death of Margherita Datini.
On 26 November from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., a day dedicated to women with visits by Fai Florence. At the Red bookshop in Florence at 6 p.m. the second edition of the Colloqui di Toscana, presented by the G. Feltrinelli Foundation in collaboration with the Region of Tuscany, opens with readings by actress Marinella Bargilli.
On Monday 27 November, the Colloqui di Toscana will continue in Palazzo Strozzi Sacrati, this year dedicated to We Woman.
Among the many initiatives of La Toscana delle Donne, the Cinema and Women Festival produced by La Casa del Cinema di Regione Toscana La Compagnia returns to La Compagnia. The Festival opens on 24 November at 8.30 p.m. with the film Mur by Kasia Smutniak in the presence of the director.
