Musica Libera: Two New Events Announced for the 70th International Contemporary Music Festival

The 70th International Contemporary Music Festival, organised by La Biennale di Venezia and directed by Caterina Barbieri, has announced the addition of two new events under the title Musica Libera. These events are scheduled to take place on 18 and 24 October in the courtyard of the Venice Giudecca women's prison, which is centred around the historic Church and Monastery of the Convertite.

The Musica Libera events will showcase the outcomes of a workshop that brought together women from the Giudecca prison, young musicians from Biennale College Musica, and their mentors. This collaboration has been developed within the unique setting of the prison, specifically in the area that once housed the ancient female convent.

The initiative is designed to reflect a cultural programming approach that values music for its therapeutic qualities. It aims to present artistic creation not merely as something to be passively consumed, but as a channel for catharsis and collective transformation. This perspective aligns with the broader vision of the festival.

The theme of the 70th Festival is dedicated to childhood and intuition. In keeping with this theme and a principle of complete openness, the Musica Libera sessions have been structured to foster authentic creative freedom. Participants were encouraged to explore creativity without the pressure of achieving predetermined or imposed outcomes.

A defining aspect of Musica Libera is its choral nature, which is based on listening, vulnerability, expressive urgency, and co-creation. Rather than adhering to a fixed compositional method, the project emphasises the importance of collective participation and shared artistic experience.

Musica Libera is presented in addition to Rinasco con l’Arte, another initiative promoted by La Biennale di Venezia. Both projects are intended to strengthen relationships with penitentiary institutions and to support the role of the arts within these environments.

The realisation of Musica Libera involves collaboration with the Venice Giudecca women's prison, the Department of Penitentiary Administration, and the regional penitentiary administration for Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Trentino Alto Adige. Those interested in attending one of the Musica Libera events must register online via the Biennale di Venezia website, with further details on registration procedures to be announced.