Cultural Association Smascherati! APS

The cultural association Smascherati! aims to make theater a place for intercultural exchange. Founded in 1989 in the city of Perugia by artists with diverse theatrical backgrounds, we have always worked to bring together human experiences and widely varied cultures through theater and artistic expression. Some of our most significant collaborations have been with renowned theater and theater-dance artists and masters, including Eugenio Barba, Pierre Byland, Marisa Fabbri, Jacques Lecoq, Malou Airaudo, Bénédicte Billiet, and Julie Ann Stanzak of Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.

In recent years, the association has collaborated with numerous institutions at the local, national, and international levels. Our main activities focus on intercultural communication and the social inclusion of disadvantaged groups, with a particular emphasis on respecting cultural diversity. This approach led to the creation of Human Beings in 1994—an international intercultural theater workshop—and in 2011, to the establishment of Teatro Rifugio, a protected space where exile stories are shared. This workshop aims to work with refugees and asylum seekers. Every year, our workshops culminate in original theater performances enriched by the diverse cultural backgrounds of the participants. These performances address contemporary issues such as migration, climate change, active citizenship, intercultural relations, and more. Since 2020, the association has participated in various European projects and has been expanding its expertise into other educational fields.

Since 1994, our intercultural theater workshop, Human Beings, has welcomed and engaged more than 100 people from around the world each year. The association has nearly 35 years of experience conducting theater workshops with youth, adults, and students, as well as specific groups like migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. We have consistently collaborated with local schools, offering various workshops included in the cultural catalog of the Municipality of Perugia for schools of all levels. This extensive experience has allowed us to develop our own methodology for intercultural theater, which has been internationally recognized as effective and highly inclusive. Our workshops are open to everyone and free of charge, ensuring that even disadvantaged individuals have the opportunity to participate in our activities.