It i$ all about mone¥

The new research and performance project by Shadow Casters in Trieste, in collaboration with the local cultural association Mamarogi and in partnership with the Slovenian Permanent Theatre in Trieste, has just begun.

 “It i$ all about mone¥ – participatory professional workshop for personal enrichment”
“Qu€££o ₡h€ ₡onta $ono i $oldi – Interactive training course for individual wealth”

The project explores the relationships between social and material values on one hand, and money as a means of communication and exchange on the other. It delves into personal narratives, real financial flows, the ongoing contemporary financial crisis, and the ambivalent role of money in societal exchange. The project started with a dramaturgy and acting workshop led by director Boris Bakal at the Slovenian Permanent Theatre in Trieste and continues with a series of discussions and research in Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia.

The title “quello che conta” in Italian is difficult to translate directly into Croatian, Slovenian, or English as it carries a dual meaning: “contare” means both to count and to matter, expanding the project’s title’s meaning to encompass both money and its importance as well as broader values.

Throughout the project, the authors and protagonists intend to study other forms of exchange and ownership beyond the conventional, such as Potlach, a form of collective property that regulates its prehistoric and medieval presence in present-day Italy through numerous laws and regulations, gathering representatives of collective property from across Italy in a national network (traces of collective ownership are also found in Croatia, especially on islands like Krk and Cres). The project involves a range of financial experts from various fields including economics, banking, tax policies, natural sciences, public health, cooperative financing, and public administration. They contribute to shaping the substance of the project with their perspectives on the current political and financial crisis worldwide, contributing to the creation of the play’s “text” and participating in its performances.

The rehearsals of the play, taking place at the Slovenian Permanent Theatre in Trieste and later at Teatro Miela, are open to the public. The audience will be involved from the beginning in the creation of the “game” that will later present the project and its research to audiences in Slovenia and Croatia.

The premiere of this discursive theatrical work is expected in mid-August at the Lunatico Festival in Trieste, followed by performances in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region and later in Zagreb, Koper, and Ljubljana.

The project is realized in collaboration and co-production with: the association Mamarogi from Trieste, in partnership with the Slovenian Permanent Theatre in Trieste, the Ethical Bank of Italy, the CSI Center in Udine, the Rotary Club of Italy, the ITIS Retirement Home in Trieste, the Nautical High School in Trieste, the School for Managers in Trieste, the Kurziv Association, the Booksa Club, and the Pogon – Zagreb Center for Independent Culture and Youth.

The project is co-financed by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.