Lavanderia a Vapore - Centro di Residenza per la Danza

Lavanderia a Vapore (LaV), the only centre for dance residencies in Piedmont, carries out activities and research into dance and its culture, establishing links that start with its surrounding region and branch out internationally. It is a centre in which dialogue between past and present, performances, artistic residencies, training programmes and multidisciplinary projects breathe life into the diverse spaces of what was once the laundry of Italy’s biggest psychiatric hospital. It is a house where artists have the opportunity to express their own creativity, carrying out their research in an openly expressive context, building relationships on a local, national and international level. One of the centre’s key features is its relationship with local residents and the public: LaV is an experimental venue, which has gained international recognition for its innovative audience engagement policies. Many of its projects are designed for the communities with LaV partners, and are intended to stimulate cultural debate at a local level.

The LaV project is the result of an innovative model of systemic networking, sharing objectives and governance between different local entities that deal with promotion and programming of dance, thanks to the collaboration of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, the Piedmont Region, the Municipality of Collegno and the support of Compagnia di San Paolo (private foundation). In order to share goals and governance, an RTO (Raggruppamento Temporaneo di Organismi, Temporary Association of Bodies) has been created with the following partners and members: Fondazione Piemonte dal Vivo (Head of Organisation) - COORPI - Associazione Didee Arti e Comunicazioni - Mosaico Danza - Zerogrammi. Two important Italian cultural Institutions collaborate to the project of Lavanderia a Vapore as associated partners: Teatro Stabile di Torino - Teatro Piemonte Europa.