ESC: One year project in cultural organisation (Catania, Sicily)

Zō centro culture contemporanee is located inside the industrial archeology site “Le Ciminiere” (the chimney) of Catania. Dating back to the last century, the complex was the most important refining place for sulphur in Sicily, when its extraction and trade represented ¾ of world production. Renovated by architect Nigel Allen, Zō occupies the building of an old sulphur refinery, near the railway station in the city of Catania. The complex, owned by the Municipality of Catania and entrusted for management through an onerous title, covers an area of 1600 square meters - 1100 of which are covered - and is structured in a modular way allowing you to adapt the spaces according to the type of hosted events. The project of reusing the assets allowed the recovery of the "sulphur rooms", the original walls, the sublimation oven, the chimneys, in a logic of enhancement and valorisation. Far from the idea of a static museal space, Zō is a versatile and functional place for the development of contemporary arts, where memory offers unconventional ideas for reinterpretation. The site is linked to the Superintendency of Cultural Heritage. Since 2001, Zō centro culture contemporanee promotes and spreads the contemporary performing arts. Thanks to the artistic quality of the proposals and the management reliability since 2017, it has been recognized as ”Multidisciplinary programming organisation" by Mibac (art.39). The distinctive feature of the artistic vision is the transversal nature of languages, the support for research and experimentation, the interest in new technologies and multimedia, the focus on emerging creativity and training, together with the conveyance of transparency values, the solidarity and social commitment. The cultural actions undertaken are strongly rooted in the territory and interested in the local intangible heritage but with the idea of creating continuous bridges with international cultural flows, overcoming the limits of the island's social and geographical context. The multidisciplinary artistic proposal is organized in artistic seasons, hosting a range of dance performances, theatre show, live music,staged circus. Beyond the specific performative grammar belonging to each program, the common note is the strong contemporary mark of the offer and the span of languages. We also offer workshop and art courses, audiovisual projections, creative residencies and social innovation projects. The cultural proposal wrap up with the organization of meetings, conventions, conferences, lectures and exhibitions. The activities of Zō cultural center cover all age groups and audiences, with a keen attention to young people and students. We also offer theatre and cultural events for primary and secondary school, and all range of live shows for both specific and general audiences.