In this edition the artistic director started a project involving eleven sections in the sign of multidisciplinarity, with more than 90 titles: from the International to the Italian section; Dance, Music, Cinema, Literature, Workshops, Exhibitions; the SportOpera section, which tells of the passion of the great writers for the theme of the competition, and the Special Projects; the Observatory section, which hosts companies of great value and supports them in the production process. Not to mention the Dopofestival, a space set up inside the Gardens of Palazzo Reale, where the public could access every evening the festival bookshop and lounge bar, and attend a music festival that mixes genres and styles from ethnic to jazz, from swing to folk music.

The 2017 edition lasted 36 days and presented 155 events including 57 drama plays and dance shows, 10 workshops, 43 concerts. Most of the shows, both national and international, were world premieres. The Festival took place in 40 different locations.

The tenth edition of NTFI was inaugurated by Franco Battiato’s concert in Piazza del Plebiscito, attended by around 30 thousand people. The Festival welcomed dozens of world premieres and saw important cultural exchanges between Italian and foreign artists, with the staging of numerous international shows, some of which are co-productions of the Festival: Genesis 6, 6-7 with Compagnia Angelica Liddel / Teatros del Canal / CDN Montpellier; Belgian rules with Troubleyn Jan Fabre (world premiere); The great tamer with Onassis Foundation / Culture Scapes Greece / Festival d’Avignon (only stop in Italy after the world premiere in Athens).

Particular attention was also paid to the artistic and professional realities present on the national territory. In fact, NTFI produced the show Amati enigmi and the project Attori in vetrina, and co-produced Quel gran pezzo della Desdemona with Teatri Uniti and Casa del Contemporaneo, In attesa di giudizio with Nuovo Teatro, Forse non sarà domani with Parmaconcerti, Il penitente with Teatro Eliseo, the Globe project with Fondazione Teatro di Napoli Teatro Bellini, and the shows Prometeo and Le baccanti for Pompeii Theatrum Mundi.

An extraordinary tool for enhancing and promoting not only artistic talents but also the artistic, monumental, and landscape heritage of our region, Casa del Festival was hosted by Palazzo Reale, but there were many locations in Naples and in the region which were the stage for the events. They are, to name just a few, piazza del Gesù, Maschio Angioino Castle, the Church of Donnaregina, the Academy of Fine Arts, Villa Pignatelli, the staircase of the Amalfi Cathedral, the Cathedral of Salerno, the Hortus Conclusus of Benevento, the Mercogliano Abbey, the Royal Palace of Caserta.

To contribute significantly to the cultural growth of our territory, NTFI has activated collaborations with the Suor Orsola Benincasa University, the University of Naples L’Orientale, the University of Naples Federico II, the Fine Arts Academy of Naples, LaFeltrinelli, Coopculture and Electa; and partnerships with RaiRadio3 and Ferrarelle.

The 2017 edition, thanks also to its well-thought pricing policy, recorded 22,720 tickets sold, but if we take into account the many free admission events it is possible to estimate the audience at around 80 thousand.

137 journalists attended NTFI for a total of 306 accredited media outlets (including 48 newspapers, 21 periodicals, 11 press agencies, 11 radio stations, 179 online newspapers, 26 televisions). In particular, concerning TV coverage, NTFI was covered in many news and feature stories by Canal Sur (Spain), Rai News 24, Rai Tg1, Rai Tg2, Rai Tg3 Linea Notte, Rai Tg3 Chi è di scena, Rai Tg3 Fuori linea, TV2000 Retroscena.

The best of NTFI 2017, which includes interviews with artists, backstage interviews, and excerpts from the shows, was collected in the Docu-film for Rai5, and in five episodes of Speciale Sky Arte, both directed by Nadia Baldi.

In addition to the permanent staff of Fondazione Campania dei Festival, around 160 people contributed to the festival, a number that includes collaborators, freelancers, technical and floor staff. In respect to the floor staff, it was decided to make an open call to the theater schools (Teatro Stabile di Napoli, Teatro Bellini, Teatro Elicantropo, Nuovo Teatro Sanità) to select the students interested in working in reception duties during the shows. This allowed young people to experience the theater from another point of view and, at the same time, receive a salary.

In December, Fondazione Campania dei Festival carried out the Quartieri di vita project, a festival dedicated to training and social theater, curated by the artistic director Ruggero Cappuccio. The initiative, co-financed by the POC Campania 2014-2020, started the previous year. It attracted the attention of the press and involved different structures – theatrical and non-theatrical spaces -, artists, directors, theater experts, but above all it has seen the participation in theatrical workshops of young people, women, the elderly, and migrants, coming from situations of social disadvantage, poverty, territorial, human and cultural marginalization. The workshop activities led to the creation of performances the public could attend by purchasing a symbolic ticket, whose proceeds were donated to support the 2017 project promoted by NIDA Onlus Campania, a charity for the Santobono-Pausilipon pediatric hospital.

People not only from Naples, but also from Caserta, Avellino, Benevento, and Salerno took part in the activities. In 2017 the following took part in Quartieri di vita: Associazione Smmave – Centro per l’arte contemporanea; Associazione culturale Bereshit; Nest Napoli Est Teatro; Cultural Video Production; Associazione culturale Teatri di Popolo; Associazione culturale Hypokritès Teatro Studio; PAV; Ex_(h)umàn/Cooperativa sociale Immaginaria onlus; Nuovo Teatro Sanità; Teatro Sannazaro; Associazione culturale f.pl.femminile plurale; La Giostra Teatro; Gli Alberi di Canto Teatro di Mariano Bauduin; Associazione culturale Trasformazioneanimata. It is worth of mention the masterclass conducted by the American actor Willem Dafoe with the youth of the neighborhood of Sanità. Dafoe was also on stage for Quartieri di vita with Romeo Castellucci’s “The minister’s black veil” at the  Donnaregina Vecchia Diocesan Museum in Naples.

The University of Naples L’Orientale and the University of Naples Federico II responded attentively to the initiative launched by Fondazione Campania dei Festival and organized meetings with the students to illustrate the projects.

With Quartieri di vita, the Foundation confirms its role as a cultural institution committed – as recognized by the Ministry of Culture, which listed Quartieri di vita among its special projects – to pursue the objective of spreading the theatrical culture in the central and peripheral urban areas, as well as in the region, and of reaching out to professionals and diverse public to offer them an opportunity for participation and knowledge.