For the Acqua dell'Elba Foundation, "culture" means above all the "raising awareness of sea-related issues across the board".
Developing a sea culture that takes account of the environment, economics and society is a challenge and a commitment that we renew every year with our SEIF - Sea Essence International Festival.
Founded in 2018 and managed by the Foundation since 2022, SEIF is the first international festival dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the sea and its essence. By safeguarding and promoting the sea we mean protecting the sea environment, its biodiversity and its species, but also its beauty, history and contribution to the growth of cultures and societies.
SEIF's mission is to make people love the sea because it is only through passion, as true and authentic as love, that we can achieve our goals, including that of safeguarding and promoting the sea, which as time passes seems an increasingly difficult task.
SEIF wants to restore the sea to its rightful role, reiterating the importance of taking action to this end to the economical, political and social spheres.
For these reasons the Acqua dell'Elba Foundation devised an event that makes space for both reason and emotion, encouraging people to think and dream at the same time. A multifaceted event which reveals the depth of the sea's essence while prioritising the centrality of humans and our dreams, virtues and hopes connected with the sea. All of which presented, as part of a multidisciplinary approach that reflects the multifarious spirit of the sea, from a wide range of perspectives encompassing history, economics, the arts, anthropology, culture, politics, music, cinema and society.
The event is held every year in
Marciana Marina, an ancient Elba fishing village in the heart of
the Tuscan Archipelago, a privileged vantage point for observing
the sea and its themes. It is organised by the Acqua dell'Elba
Foundation and last year was endorsed by the UNESCO Decade of Ocean
Science for Sustainable Development and sponsored by: The
Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, the
Italian Ministry for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, Coast
Guard - Harbour Office, Ispra, ASVIS, Federparchi, the Region of
Tuscany, National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago, IULM University,
Brera Academy of Fine Arts, Symbola, Legambiente, Marevivo,
VisitElba, Elba Youth Forum, the Municipality of Livorno, the
Municipality of Marciana Marina, Pro Loco Marciana Marina, the
Municipality of Marciana, the Municipality of Portoferraio, the
Municipality of Campo nell'Elba, the Municipality of Capoliveri,
the Municipality of Porto Azzurro, the Municipality of Rio.
SEIF 2023
The structure of the fifth iteration of the event, spread over three days from Friday 30 June to Sunday 2 July 2023, included educational, recreational, artistic, scientific and knowledge-sharing activities.
As in previous years, a typical day was structured as follows: the morning and early afternoon, under the slogan "experience/seɪf/", was dedicated to educational and recreational activities for children; the late afternoon was devoted to in-depth seminars on topical issues connected with the sea; the evening was dedicated to "live/seɪf/" with theatrical performances, live readings and concerts.
Il tema della quinta edizione di SEIF è stato Transizioni. Le attività della tre giorni si sono focalizzate sulle strade da intraprendere per raggiungere una piena sostenibilità per l'ecosistema marino, sia riprendendo e applicando al mare molte delle riflessioni, delle proposte e delle progettualità oggi in discussione per raggiungere gli obiettivi generali di sostenibilità sia offrendo punti di vista inediti e di estremo valore.
For more information visit the SEA ESSENCE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL website.
