by InTrieste
Puccini’s Turandot will be performed later this week in Pozzuolo del Friuli, with the centuries-old Villa Gradenigo Sabbatini serving as the backdrop. The production, set for August 29 and 31 and September 2, is being staged with an unusual twist: dozens of local young people have taken part in creating it.
Their involvement is the result of Attivagiovani, a program supported by the Friuli Venezia Giulia region and financed by the European Social Fund Plus. The initiative offers free training opportunities to residents between 18 and 35, and in this case, it has opened a path into the world of opera production.
In collaboration with Operaprima-Wien, the association behind the “Puccini 2025” project, participants in Attivagiovanicontributed to set design, costume sketches, stage roles and even elements of the orchestra. A series of workshops introduced them to skills ranging from carpentry to music performance, while also encouraging more contemporary interpretations of the opera through comic art, photography and short film.
Regional Councillor for Education and Labor Alessia Rosolen described the effort as “an example of how culture and training can intertwine, giving young people the chance to explore theater and music while also developing skills useful for their personal and professional futures.”
Among the workshops were Arts&Crafts, where participants built sections of the set; Spazio Musica, in which some joined Pozzuolo’s town band to perform stage music; and Fumettando, where Puccini’s opera was retold through original comic panels. Other courses focused on documentary photography, filmmaking and stage presence, culminating in some participants appearing on stage as extras.
The wider community can also experience the buildup to the production. A companion exhibition, Aspettando la Turandot(“Waiting for Turandot”), presents the creative process through drawings, photographs and other materials. It is on view at Palazzina Piazza Julia in Pozzuolo del Friuli, with free admission during select evenings in late August and early September.
The performances of Turandot in Pozzuolo mark a blending of tradition and experimentation: a celebrated opera brought to life not only by professional artists but also by a generation of young people discovering their place in the cultural fabric of the region.
