The Lavanderia a Vapore, from Madhouse to Dancehouse. A Contemporary Experience of Relationship between Theatrical Space and Territorial Communities

The paper aims to retrace, with a focus on urban regeneration, the peculiar history of the Lavanderia a Vapore in Collegno, a wing of the former psychiatric hospital and currently dance residency center in Piedmont region (managed by a consortium of organizations led by Piemonte dal Vivo Foundation). The essay highlights the social and political nature of the actions promoted here, dedicated to various local communities (in particular: schools, people with Parkinson's, and artists).