Chain Reaction
Chain Reaction is a project that has twice been awarded three-year funding (2019, 2020 and 2022, and 2025, 2026 and 2027) through the Italian Ministry’s “Boarding Pass Plus” call for proposals (MiC) and makes it possible to launch a series of actions to promote networking among professionals and programmers in Theatre for Young Audiences, foster the internationalisation of performances and enhance the role of Italian artistic directors of festivals dedicated to children and young people.
The reflection initiated by the 6 partner festivals:
Segni d’infanzia (Mantua) with “SEGNI New Generations Festival”;
Associazione culturale di promozione sociale Lagru (Sant’Elpidio – FM) with “I Teatri del Mondo”;
Factory Compagnia Transadriatica and Principio Attivo Teatro (Lecce) with “Kids Festival”;
Giallo Mare Minimal Teatro (Empoli – FI) with “Teatro fra le Generazioni”;
La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi (Bologna) with “Visioni di Teatro, Visioni di futuro”;
Teatro al quadrato (Tarcento – UD) with “Trallalero/Festival”;
Together with ASSITEJ Italia and in collaboration with Liv.in.g., the project also continued in 2024 with new opportunities for exchange, aimed at strengthening and continuing networking activities and finding solutions to maintain effective international relationships during the PANDEMIC and beyond.
Italian and international professionals interested in the project can:
- apply for their festival to become a project stop, hosting a presentation of Chain Reaction
- recommend interesting festivals to visit that are not currently part of the project network
For further information:
For the 2026 activities, visit chainreaction.it
Download the latest project presentation PDF.
Cristina Cazzola | cri.cazzola@gmail.com (project coordinator)
Follow the Chain Reaction Facebook page.
Project partners:
Segni d’infanzia (lead partner)
Associazione culturale di promozione sociale Lagru, Sant’Elpidio (FM)
Factory Compagnia Transadriatica and Principio Attivo Teatro, Lecce (LE)
Giallo Mare Minimal Teatro, Empoli (FI)
La Baracca – Testoni Ragazzi, Bologna (BO)
Teatro al quadrato, Tarcento (UD)
in collaboration with Liv.in.g.
Project supported by the MiC
In 2025, Chain Reaction received the Eolo Award for Best Project
For having succeeded, despite bringing together only 7 organisations (Segni d’Infanzia, La Baracca, Factory Compagnia Transadriatica, Giallo Mare Minimal Teatro, La Grù, Principio Attivo, Teatro al Quadrato), curators of seven festivals for new generations, together with Assitej Italia, in creating a strong impact across the entire Italian Theatre for Young Audiences sector, developing relationships with the wider theatre community, promoting participation in international festivals and meetings for artists and professionals from around the world, organising online meetings dedicated to training professionals on how the Theatre for Young Audiences system operates in different countries, and providing grants to support international workshops and exchanges for young professionals under 35.
