Past Events
RestArt: how the idea of a street art festival in Botrugno was born
Before RestArt
When RestArt was born, OnStage had already been around for two years. The association was founded on 10 February 2016 in Botrugno by twenty members, with the aim of promoting music culture in the area, and its first formats were Salento Summerclash, a reggae soundclash, and Giovedì Ciak, the art-house film screenings at the Cinema Aurora.
RestArt took the association onto new ground: street art and hip hop culture, brought straight into the streets of the town.
5 May 2018: the first edition
On 5 May 2018 came the debut of RestArt - Suburban StreetArt Fest. The programme brought four things together:
- a mural painted by Gino Palma on the steps of via XX Settembre;
- a mural contest;
- a freestyle contest;
- a hip hop night.
The event was held under the patronage of the Municipality of Botrugno. But the result that mattered most was another one: the event built a direct bond with the people of the neighbourhood, who followed the artist's work day by day. The mural did not arrive from outside as a finished piece: it grew in front of the people who live on that street.
The pause and a new generation
After 2019 the pandemic stopped all activities, and the association went through a period of deep change: many of the original members, now adults, left the group, and new young people joined from Botrugno, Minervino and the surrounding towns, already active in local hip hop events.
The new group started again in autumn 2021 with small, low-cost events, such as the Urban Connection nights, designed to help the newest members grow. From there the association gradually went back to more demanding events.
18 June 2022: Restart
On 18 June 2022 came Restart, the second edition of RestArt. It went back to via XX Settembre, with a challenge between street writers, the unveiling of a new mural and a live show with several artists on stage. For the association it was a milestone in its journey.
18 April 2025: the third edition
On 18 April 2025 Restart returned for its third edition, in a smaller format: live painting and a DJ set in via Paolo VI.
What remains of the idea
From one edition to the next, RestArt has changed shape, size and even street. What has stayed is the starting point of 2018: bringing street art to where people live, and letting it grow in front of them.
To read the rest of the association's story, see [Ten Years of OnStage APS](/blog/dieci-anni-onstage-aps-storia-associazione-botrugno). If you want to help with the next initiatives, [become a member](/diventa-socio) or write to us from the [contact page](/contatti).