Author: martina

The international conference “The Receptions of Ophelia, 1599-1900” wraps up

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The international conference “The Receptions of Ophelia, 1599–1900” concluded on December 11, 2024, in the splendid setting of the Chiostro Santa Maria delle Vittorie.

The conference, organized by Professor Emanuel Stelzer, offered a unique opportunity to explore the literary and cultural receptions of Shakespeare’s famous character Ophelia. The analysis ranged from the original early modern context to the end of the nineteenth century, adopting an interdisciplinary approach that enriched the understanding of the topic.

The Project “Accessing Ophelia”

The event was part of the sub-project “Accessing Ophelia,” an integral component of our department’s Project of Excellence “Inclusive Humanities.”

“Accessing Ophelia” aims to investigate the representation of cognitive disability in theatrical works from the sixteenth century to the present. It devotes particular attention to the reception of certain female Shakespearean characters, with Ophelia at the forefront.

For more information on the “Accessing Ophelia” project, click here.

In principio era la rupe concluded Festivabìlia 2024

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On Wednesday, December 04, the second edition of Festivabìlia – The Theater of Potential Abilities concluded with the production “In principio era la rupe” (In the beginning there was a cliff) , performed by Teatro a Rotelle, the theatre company of the University of Verona.

The show, directed by Nicoletta Vicentini and Jana Karšaiová, involved actors and actresses with different abilities. The title and theme of “In principio era la rupe” are an ironic and provocative reference to the Spartan practice of abandoning infants considered weak or disabled on Mount Taygetus, a cliff, to let them die. Starting with this historical reference, the theatre group wanted to emphasize within its performance how much the perception of people with disabilities has changed over time. The self-mockery of the title highlights the absurdity and injustice of discrimination, reversing the historical narrative to highlight the strength and determination of people with disabilities in claiming their place in society.

The performance was warmly welcomed by the audience and offered moments of heightened emotions. Through acting, music, and coreography, the artists repeatedly demonstrated that art does has no barriers.

The second Advisory Board’s visit concluded

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On Tuesday, December 3, the second annual visit of the Advisory Board for the Excellence Project, “Inclusive Humanities: Development Perspectives in Research and Teaching of Foreign Languages and Literatures” (2023-2027), came to an end. The Advisory Board, composed of international experts in inclusion-related topics, was greatly impressed by the work accomplished by the entire Department team.

The two-day visit was intense and showcased the project’s progress and numerous achievements during its second year. Advisory Board members – Elena Di Giovanni (University of Macerata), Anna Cardinaletti (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), Shulamit Almog (University of Haifa), and Gerhard Lauer (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz) – had the opportunity to experience activities such as the OIboblo exhibition, the Green Inclusion initiative, the “E tu?” exhibition as part of Festivabìlia 2024, and the newly launched Bookcrossing program. The Board also participated in creating an episode for the podcast channel, Inclusioni.

During the visit, significant reflections were shared on the intersection of artificial intelligence and inclusion, as well as the future development of specialized corpora for inclusive communication. Discussions also focused on strategies and actions for accessible and inclusive teaching and the dissemination of inclusion principles in the humanities. Additionally, the Board was introduced to the digital tools currently being developed within the department.

“The Board repeatedly commended the proactivity, passion, and enthusiasm with which the various aspects of the project are being carried out. This is a great source of pride for all of us and confirms that collaboration across departmental dimensions within a shared vision is the winning strategy for everyone,” concluded Roberta Facchinetti, Director of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.

The Receptions of Ophelia, 1599-1900

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The International Conference “The Receptions of Ophelia, 1599–1900” will take place from Tuesday, 10th to Wednesday, 11th December at the Aula Messedaglia of the Chiostro Santa Maria delle Vittorie (Lungadige Porta Vittoria 41) and online via Zoom.

Organized by Prof. Emanuel Stelzer, the conference examines from an interdisciplinary perspective the literary and cultural receptions of Shakespeare’s character Ophelia, from the early modern context to the end of the nineteenth century. The conference is part of the “Accessing Ophelia” project within Inclusive Humanities Excellence Department Project of Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of Verona.

Those wishing to connect remotely should send an email to emanuel.stelzer@univr.it.

“I mille cancelli di Filippo” screening

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Breve introduzione in aula del Film i mille cancelli di filippo
On Friday, November 22, “I mille cancelli di Filippo” (The Thousand Gates of Filippo) , directed by Adamo Antonacci, was screened in Aula T.1 (Polo Zanotto). The director, Adamo Antonacci, and Filippo’s father, Enrico Zoi, attended the event.
The documentary follows the life of autistic artist Filippo Zoi. Filippo has an innate passion for doors and gates of any form, shape, or color, as well as for drawing comings. The narrative follows the story of Filippo, a young autistic man and a true artist. Filippo has an innate passion for doors and gates of all shapes and colors, as well as for drawing comics. The film teaches us not to stop at appearances or the labels imposed by society but to value the passions of the “vulnerable”, turning them into something unique. Many gates have been broken down, but many more still need to be.
All Festivabìlia events, available at this link, are free of charge and fully accessible, featuring LIS (Italian Sign Language) translation and audio description.

The seventh episode of Inclusioni is online

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The seventh episode of Inclusioni, the podcast channel of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures in collaboration with Fuori Aula Network, is now available on major podcast platforms. In this episode, entitled “Narrating inclusion through Opera: the “Arena for All” Project”, the hosts discuss accessibility in the performing world.
Starting from the 100th Arena di Verona Opera Festival (2023), “Arena for Everyone”, 10 opera performances were made fully accessible each season, thanks to various dedicated accessibility tools, including inclusive trailers, audio descriptions of performances, and subtitles for deaf individuals. On those nights, multisensory experiences were offered free of charge and allowed individuals with disabilities to explore scenographies, costumes, and staging tools.
Our guests will be Elena di Giovanni, University of Macerata, who will describe the project, Eles Belfontali, president of Anffas Verona, and her daughter, Stefania Paiola, who will share their experiences as spectators and participants. The conversation will be led by Manuel Boschiero, Slavic studies professor and coordinator for inclusion in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.
Happy listening!