The idea came out in 2007: during a trip to New York with some friends, we visited La MaMa Theatre and met Ellen Stewart, inspiration for the project.
Ellen Stewart was born in 1919 in Louisiana but she grew up in Chicago; even though at the time Illinois law forbidden black women to attend design schools, she managed to realize her dream to become a fashion designer in New York. Among her closest friends there are several artists, who were looking for a place to experiment and present their art.
Ellen too, she is looking for a place where exhibiting her creations and she understands that helping her friends she would help herself too.
This is the reason why she opened Cafè La MaMa, one of the most important spaces Off-Off Broadway, where outcast artists could experiment and exhibit their genius for free.
What is more interesting about Ellen’s story is the spirit that brings to the realization of the project: not business but the will to help each other among people with different language, culture and experience to express their genius. The theatre has cheap prices, the profits are low; Ellen supports her “family” with her profits from fashion and she offers full hospitality every time she can to whom exhibit at her stage. This will be a springboard for many artists at the beginning of their brilliant career: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Diane Liane, Sam Shepard, Israel Horowitz and many others.
This was the inspiration for Rossobastardo Live: a stage where young artists from all over the world could freely express their genius and get some visibility.
Our wine Rossobastardo was getting the same visibility. In that moment it was appearing on the international market, being a wine for everyone, with a goliardic spirit.
A winning formula of “supportive neo-patronage” where, in big communication context, opportunities are mutual. A different concept for the relationship between companies and art.
My idea of Rossobastardo Live is of a place where no one is a stranger and anyone – artist or public – can feel at home, where to build true friendships while in front of a glass of wine.
The idea takes shape becoming a Fringe Festival during the biggest international art events all over the world.
Rossobastardo Live made its debut in Spoleto in 2009 bin the occasion of Festival dei Due Mondi: for two weeks, in a small place in Via del Mercato, more than 100 artists from all over the world came to exhibit for free for the only free show. During the performances the public could taste our wines with some Umbrian charcuterie boards. The Osteria becomes a meeting point for the festival’s artists who play jam sessions involving people from the public too. It is a huge success in terms of public and critics: Rossobastardo Live reaches the Narni Black Festival, the New York Dance Festival and the Amsterdam Fringe Festival, just to name some.
Now our goal is to replicate the format through a franchising formula.
