Partner Spotlight: Paolo Grassi Foundation, where culture becomes public dialogue
22/07/2026
In Martina Franca, culture is not simply something to be preserved. It is something to be lived, shared and transformed into a force for communities. This is the vision that guides the Paolo Grassi Foundation, Lead Partner of the GOVART project.
Founded in 1994, the Foundation works to support, develop and disseminate theatre and musical culture in Puglia. Its identity is deeply connected to the legacy of Paolo Grassi, one of the most influential Italian cultural organisers of the 20th century, and to a clear idea of culture as a civic responsibility: theatre and music must speak to people, territories and society.
Over the years, the Foundation has built a true cultural ecosystem in Martina Franca. It supports the Festival della Valle d’Itria, promotes research and study in the performing arts, invests in education and training, and preserves an important cultural heritage through its specialised Bibliomediateca. Since 2019, the Foundation has also become the organiser of the Festival, ensuring continuity to a long-standing international experience rooted in artistic research and opera tradition.
Training is another essential part of its mission. Through the Accademia del Belcanto “Rodolfo Celletti”, masterclasses, advanced music programmes and activities for younger generations, the Foundation creates opportunities for artists, students and citizens to grow through culture. Its work is not limited to the stage: it connects artistic excellence with education, participation and local development.
This is why the role of Paolo Grassi Foundation within GOVART is so meaningful. As Lead Partner, the Foundation coordinates the project and guides the partnership in developing a shared model of cross-border cultural governance between Italy and Croatia. Its experience in artistic programming, cultural training, institutional cooperation and territorial engagement provides a strong foundation for GOVART’s activities: from the analysis of governance models to stakeholder consultations, from joint workshops to the development of the Governance Toolkit and the final Memorandum of Understanding.
Within GOVART, the Foundation brings forward a powerful message: culture is not only performance, but also a way to understand social challenges, create dialogue and build cooperation. By connecting artists, cultural organisations, public institutions and communities, Paolo Grassi Foundation helps transform GOVART into more than a project, a living laboratory where the Adriatic cultural space can imagine new forms of collaboration.
From Martina Franca to the Croatian coast, the Foundation leads GOVART with the same spirit that defines its everyday work: making culture a bridge between people, places and public life.
