The manual “So far, so close. Practices of infra-pandemic closeness” is an operational tool of the performing arts festival “So far, so close. Exercises in closeness”, a collection of strategies and experiences gained within the Festival and in other national and international events during the infra-pandemic period. Developed in parallel with the events of the Festival that were held in Basilicata from 12th September to 24th October 2020, the manual analysed the various regulatory updates of the DPCM [Prime Ministerial Decree], dealing with the progressive changes regarding the regulations and guidelines for live entertainment, ending precisely in conjunction with the general suspension of public and private events sanctioned in the decree of 26th October 2020.

The manual is not configured as a definitive guide, it is rather the beginning of research made up of various contributions, experiences in the field and design solutions that can be expanded in order to rethink the paradigms of the live entertainment sector.

With the preface by the Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism Dario Franceschini, the Manual is organized into three sections:

• SO FAR. Expanding the field of investigation. This is the part of research and in depth analysis of the issues that gravitate around the new rituals imposed by the virus. It contains contributions from artists, architects, researchers, philosophers, and scientists who have addressed issues of proximity, public space and the pandemic, including, among others, Virgilio Sieni, Antonio Tagliarini, Michele Di Stefano, Annamaria Ajmone, Luigi Coppola, Giulia Fiaccarini and Patrizia Braga (Melting Pro), Maurizio Carta, Maurizio Ferraris, Luigi Civalleri, Patrizia Giancotti, Anna Gesualdi and Giovanni Trono (TeatrInGestAzione), Janet Hetman, Salvatore Iaconesi, Bertram Niessen, Michele Pagliaroni of the Urbino Festival Teatro Urbano, Marco Petroni, Francesco Piersoft Paolicelli, Alessandra Pioselli, Enorme Studio, Post Disaster.

• APPARATUSES. Regulations and possible solutions. It is the collection of regulations, DPCM, articles and projects that have accompanied the research phase. References and case studies present possible creative solutions or food for thought with respect to the new rules for containing the contagion. The user will also find a selection of manuals, guides and tools available under an open source licence and ready to be used, improved and integrated.

• SO CLOSE. Experimentation in the field.It is the strictly operational section that includes the tools, the survey method, the projects, the structures and the visuals designed, with the analysis of critical issues and the return of the results and solutions adopted.

his ever-changing collection is distributed under the Creative Commons licence, CC BY-SA-NC, in digital and freely printable form. Its main objective is to contribute to the discussion on culture as a response to the crisis, seeking solutions, sharing results, reflections and good practices.

Read and download the manual here: So Far So Close. Practices of infra-pandemic closeness