The 7th Festival delle Abilità is taking place in Milan from 12 to 20 September 2026, bringing together art, culture, debate and community initiatives around the theme “Citizenship – Diversity that Builds Community”. Organised by the Fondazione Mantovani Castorina, the festival places the right of persons with disabilities to participate fully in social and community life at the centre of its programme.

The 2026 edition aims to approach citizenship not simply as a matter of formal belonging, but as the concrete possibility for every person to participate in collective life, while addressing cultural and architectural barriers. The festival therefore provides a space for dialogue between persons with and without disabilities, artists, associations and the wider community.

The programme brings together a wide range of cultural and artistic languages, including theatre, dance, music, photography, cinema, visual arts and public debate. According to the organisers, these different forms of expression are intended to create opportunities for participation and relationships, while contributing to a greater understanding of diversity and challenging stereotypes surrounding disability.

Accessibility is one of the central themes of the festival. During its presentation, Milan’s Councillor for Welfare and Health, Lamberto Bertolè, emphasised that accessibility is not only a matter concerning persons with disabilities, but also contributes to changing the way the entire community understands and responds to different needs. The festival’s disability manager, Martina Gerosa, similarly stressed the importance of listening to people's individual needs and designing accessibility measures according to different persons and contexts, rather than relying on a single universal solution.

Among the initiatives included in the programme is an experiential activity addressing environmental barriers, as well as artistic performances and activities dedicated to neurodiversity. The festival also includes the Milan premiere of the documentary Un sorriso – I percorsi di Antonio Giuseppe Malafarina, dedicated to Antonio Giuseppe Malafarina, one of the founders of the Festival delle Abilità and a longstanding advocate for a different understanding of disability.

The programme also connects culture with active citizenship and urban regeneration. Two murals in the Chiesa Rossa Park – Il muro liberato and L’arte di sentire con il cuore la terra – are being conservatively restored with the support of the Fondazione Fragiacomo. The initiative is presented as an act of collective responsibility aimed at preserving public art and returning a shared cultural heritage to the community.

The festival will further address accessibility through a public round table on “Accessibility: the Key to Participation”, organised in collaboration with Municipio 5 of Milan. Other activities include exhibitions, artistic workshops, performances, music and a discussion connected with the Criptonite podcast by CBM Italia.

The Festival delle Abilità highlights how culture can become a space for promoting equality, participation and social inclusion. By placing citizenship at the centre of its 2026 edition, the festival contributes to a broader understanding of disability based on rights, dignity, autonomy and full participation in community life, in line with the principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.