who we are
We are a collective of storytellers founded in Italy by Cecilia Gragnani and Sara Urban, then expanded in London when Cecilia moved to finish her training. We tell stories of outsiders.
Our name comes from a poem written by the Italian writer Cesare Pavese. If you want to know more about him and read his poetry check out: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/cesare-pavese
Our work, developed in both countries, includes theatre, music, installations, visual arts and film. We strongly believe in the value of international collaboration and the coming together of artists from different backgrounds as precious tools to interpret today’s world. We focus on work that is multilingual, transnational and lives across borders.
FUMATORI DI CARTA / PAPER SMOKERS
D’un tratto gridò che non era il destino se il mondo soffriva, / se la luce del sole strappava bestemmie: / era l’uomo, colpevole. / Almeno potercene andare, / far la libera fame, rispondere no / a una vita che adopera amore e pietà, / la famiglia, il pezzetto di / terra, a legarci le mani.
(Cesare Pavese, Settembre 1932)
Suddenly he shouted that it wasn’t fate / that made the world suffer, / that made men curse the light / and the day they were born. / The trouble was man, it was man’s doing. / At least we could pull out, / we could starve to death in freedom, and say No / to a life that makes use of love and family and pity / and a little plot of land to tie us together, / and shackle our hands.
(Cesare Pavese, September 1932)
