Biography of Silvia Diomelli

I got involved in Marionette’s world in 2005; I was 27 and my life was already following a precise direction: a Pedagogy degree and a job. The time was come to think about serious stuff, that kind of things that keeps you awake in the night.

I started daydreaming thanks to Paolo Valenti and his course about construction of marionettes. This is how my life as a puppet master started and my first creatures saw the light. I had to wait a couple of years before crossing my street whit others puppet masters and finally it happened in Barcelona, at the Taller of Pepe Otal; and there is also where I finally found the courage to make my timid marionettes be alive. Thanks to Helena Millan I had the chance to work in a proper company (La Tia Helena), and this cooperation is still alive.

Once I was back in Italy I felt like I had to express everything I had learned so far, so I created Insoliti sospetti show”a cabaret of string puppets that animate my first marionette characters .

With this show I joined, in 2012, the International Festival of Teatro di Figura “Burattinarte”
in Alba (To), the international Festival of street art “Incanti e Banchi”, in Castelfiorentino (Fi)
and in 2013 “Immagini dall’interno” in Pinerolo and the “Fiere del teatro” in Sarmede (Tv).
The need of getting better in building marionettes pushed me to follow a workshop whit Stephen
Mottram, in Pinerolo, and from this experience my last show, “Soul Wood”, born. It’s a street
show that allows me to travel around the world to get in touch as many people i can with the
marionette’s world. Whit this show a joined, in 2013, the Festival of International street art
“Mercantia” in Certaldo (Fi), in 2014 to the International Festival of Teatro di Figura “La
Luna è Azzurra” in San Miniato (Fi), at the Festival mondial des theatres de marionnettes a
Charleville-Mezieres, Francia 2015 and at the Berlin Lacth, Internationales Strassentheater
Festival, Berlin 2016.
Finally, I can make my passion my job. Since 2015 I have begun to professionally invest in my
imagination and creativity, and therefore “the Mother In-Law” was born in September of 2016. It
is currently the last puppet of Soul Wood, created thanks to the expertise and technical support of
the restorer Corrado Giovannetti.
Many are still projects and ideas under construction and my journey and that of my marionettes
continues….

When the adventure began

Insoliti Sospetti Show

  • Festival internazionale di arte di strada “Incanti e Banchi” di Castelfiorentino (Fi), 2012
  • Primo Maggio 2012 a Pomaia
  • “Festa del Vino” 2012 e 2014 comune di Montecarlo di Lucca
  • Residence Belvedere 2012, Casino di Terra
  • “C’era una Volta un Castello” 2012, Montecastello (Pi)
  • Festival Internazionale di Teatro di Figura “La Luna è Azzurra” 2012, San Miniato (Pi)
  • Il Teatrino del Sole 2012, San Vincenzo
  • “Festa della ceramica” 2012 e 2014, Montelupo Fiorentino (Fi)
  • “Solidaria” 2012, Pisa (Associazione “El Comedor”)
  • “Festa di San Genesio” 2012 a Casciana Terme (Pi)
  • Ludoteca “Taka Tuka”, Sovigliana (Fi)
  • Festival dell’Arte di Strada “Il Paese dei Balocchi” 2012, Rosignano Marittimo (Li)
  • Carnevale di Cecina 2012 “Il Paese dei Balocchi”2012, Collodi
  • Festival Internazionale di Teatro di Figura “Burattinarte” 2012, Alba (TO)
  • “FIGURATEVI” festival internazionale delle figure animate, Perugia 2012
  • Teatro Rossi Occupato 2013, Pisa
  • Festival Internazionale di Teatro di Figura “Immagini dall’Interno” 2013, Torino
  • Il Teatrino del Sole 2013, Marina di Pisa
  • “1, 2, 3…Libri! ”2013, Castagneto Carducci
  • Festival Internazionale Artisti di Strada “Mojoca” 2013, Moio della Civitella (SA)
  • Carnevale di Ponsacco 2013
  • “La Festa dei Rioni” 2013, Peccioli
  • “Le Fiere del Teatro” 2013, Sarmede (TV)
  • “Nottissima” 2013 e 2014, Notte Bianca di Empoli
  • “Hallowen “ 2013 e 2014, Pontedera
  • Festa Medievale di Fucecchio 2013
  • Festa del Vino 2014 a Montespertoli
  • “Festa delle Famiglie” Oratorio di Pontedera
  • “Appesi a un Filo” 2014, Palaia

Soul Wood Show

  • Festival del Teatro di Strada “Apritiborgo ABC Festival” 2014, Campiglia Marittima
  • “Pomarance in Piazza” 2014
  • Festival del Fuoco e dell’arte di strada “Flambè Festival” 2014, Montecatini Val di Cecina
  • Festival Internazionale di Teatro di Figura “La Luna è Azzurra” 2014, San Miniato
  • Festival “Anime Buskers” 2014, Grottammare (AP)
  • Festa del Solstizio d’Estate, Pruno (LU) 2015/ 2016
  • Festival mondial des theatres de marionnettes a Charleville-Mezieres, Francia 2015
  • StradArts, Milano 2016
  • Festival dell’arte dedicato all’Italia a Natanya, Israele 2016
  • Berlin Lacth, internationales Strassentheater Festival, Berlin 2016
  • Fantastic’Arte, festival delle arti e dei mestieri, Mensano (SI) 2016

Retracing the first steps…

But my journey and that of my marionettes continues…