'A SHCAFFETTE - GRUPPO FOLKLORICO MARINARO
The International Festival of Folklore and Maritime Cultures and the Festival of Popular Culture of Molise are organized by the Maritime Folklore Group "A Shcaffette" in collaboration with the Municipality of Termoli, the Italian Federation of Popular Traditions, the Molise Region, the Termoli Tourist Board, the Molise Region's Tourism and Culture Agency, and the Fund for Development and Cohesion. The folkloric group "A Shcaffette" has extensive experience in philological, musical, and instrumental research aimed at recovering traditional music, gestures, movements, folk games, and certain forms of fishing that have fallen into disuse, reinterpreting them in the form of dances and performances. Since its founding, the high quality of its musical repertoire has allowed it to successfully bring the popular culture of Termoli to Italy and abroad. With similar commitment, in 1981 the group organized the First Festival of Popular Culture of Molise, comparing the rural culture of the region's hinterland with that of the coast. This festival was held regularly in 1982 and 1983. Already with the third festival, the organizers began to realize the need to broaden their horizons and invite groups from other regions. With the participation of groups from Chieti and Altamura, from neighboring Puglia, in 1983, a national festival was in the air, culminating in the organization of the First International Folklore Festival in 1984. The Termoli Festival is one of the most important folklore events held in southern Italy. Since 1984, this event has never been interrupted, except in 2020 and 2021 due to issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic, and it manages to attract an exceptional audience, given the cultural stature of the participating groups. The Festival is based on the formula of cultural exchange between folk groups, to promote understanding of the traditions and popular culture of different countries, brotherhood and friendship among the peoples of the Earth.
UAMPA APS (Italy)
