RiparAbile

This week-long festival offers space for different parts of Lampedusa’s society to meet, work, and reflect together—fishermen and schoolchildren, farmers and artists, migrants and long-time residents. Through walks, workshops, and shared meals, the program explores not only what could be repaired, but how ideas, perspectives, and experiences can combine to shape something stronger.

Artistic Themes and Aims

Workshops, dialogues, and communal activities encourage participants to reflect on these divisions and collaborate in mending them. Whether through repairing tangible objects or nurturing relationships, the festival envisions a future where brokenness gives way to strength, unity, and shared hope.

Program Highlights: RiparAbile

The Repairment Festival opens with a diverse set of participatory activities exploring the theme of “repair"—physically, socially, and symbolically. Through workshops, excursions, and shared moments, the program invites residents and visitors to reflect on Lampedusa’s many layers and how we can care for both the island and each other.

• Fixing Tapes – Sound and Storytelling Workshop
  Led by the Palermo-based collective Maghweb, the workshop takes place over several days at the Ibby Library on Via Roma. Participants begin by forming a listening group and exploring the basics of audio storytelling. They learn to use microphones, record sounds and voices, and prepare audio pieces that reflect the realities of life on the island. As the workshop progresses, they collect interviews and impressions under the theme “Listening to the Island.”
• Nature Walks and Ecological Exploration
  In collaboration with the Archivio Storico Lampedusa, three guided excursions offer a chance to connect with the island’s landscapes and histories.
• Un gioco per l’isola (A Game for the Island) – Bocce Court Revival 
  At Cala Palme, a disused bocce court will be restored by the local team under the guidance of artist Tanja Boukal. The symbolic repair of this space is both a playful and political gesture—reviving a cherished local tradition and reclaiming public space for inter-generational exchange and community joy. The inauguration of the court marks a moment of festive togetherness and civic imagination.
• Due rive, un confine (Two Shores, One Border) – Reflections on Borders and Belonging
  This evening gathering offers a space for deep conversation about the visible and invisible boundaries shaping life on Lampedusa. Set outdoors between symbolic locations of arrival and everyday life, the event is hosted by Maldusa, a cultural association committed to supporting freedom of movement and migrant solidarity. The session invites participants to explore how borders are drawn—and how they might be reimagined. It is an invitation to see Lampedusa not as the end of a journey, but as a space where coexistence is still being negotiated, day by day.
• Radici di Resilienza – Roots of Resilience
  Held at Agricola Mpidusa’s cooperative farm, this workshop offers a hands-on experience of cultivating local vegetables. Participants will learn practical planting techniques and engage in conversations about food sovereignty, labor conditions, and the impact of industrial agriculture. The workshop highlights how local farming can become a form of resistance—preserving knowledge, strengthening community bonds, and addressing ecological imbalances.
• A tavola, è pronto! – A Shared Closing Dinner
  To close the festival week, everyone is invited to a long table set along Via Roma for a collective meal where each participant brings something to share. This final gathering offers a moment to reflect on the experiences of the past days, exchange impressions, and celebrate new connections. Stories, food, and friendships come together—reminding everyone that repair also happens around the table.