About us
fosforo: is a fair, a festival, a meeting place. A series of events and activities to spark ideas, overturn clichés, make people fall in love with science, and inspire them to dream, think, invent and discover.
Associazione Culturale NEXT ETS
The Associazione Culturale NEXT was born from a core group of people who founded fosforo: the science festival in the Marche region in 2011.
Our aim is to spread culture locally and nationally, especially scientific, technological and artistic culture. We use an informal approach to promote the subjects most closely linked to innovation: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Maths (STEAM).
We support public and private institutions with staff training and with the development of new formats and ideas that bring science closer to the general public.
We are active across Italy and Europe, designing cultural events, educational activities for schools, taking part in European projects, and creating science shows, street demonstrations and workshops for Italy’s biggest festivals.
fosforo: in numbers
- years of festival
- 16
- guests
- 301
- events
- 811
- visitors per year
- 20.000
About us
We are a group of students and graduates in science and the humanities. We are passionate about science communication. We travel around Italy and Europe running science communication activities.
What drives us
We believe in an interactive, experimental approach to building knowledge. We believe in passion, the most effective way to make people want to learn. We believe that a young person educated today is a thinking citizen tomorrow.
How we work
Our challenge is to use S.T.E.A.M culture (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Maths) to create tools and experiences that young people turn into knowledge. We create new formats to bring the city to life, attract tourism and make everyone feel responsible for today’s most pressing issues.
The faces of NEXT
-
Valeria Barattini
The queen of funding calls and culture, she works behind the scenes to keep everything running!
-
Alessandro Gnucci
President of NEXT, science communicator and trainer in communication for more than 15 years!
-
Chiara Marconi
A mathematician to the bone and a computer scientist by passion: a hacker on loan to science communication!
-
Mattia Crivellini
Director of NEXT. Expert communicator and a computer scientist to the core!
-
Linda Aguzzi
The team’s sales lead: there isn’t a school in the province that doesn’t know her!
-
Marcello Pagliari
An old-school journalist, the true essence of science communication!
-
Agnese Canapini
Expert chemist, soap maker and lover of phenolphthalein!
-
Nicola Calcinari
An engineer specialising in fluid dynamics, especially that of lemon iced tea!
-
Caterina Michelini
A surgeon who spends all week in the operating theatre, but also looks after poorly teddy bears!
-
Lorenzo Fiorentino
Communicator, science communicator, chatterbox… anything, as long as there’s an audience!
-
Veronica Lentini
Illustrator for breakfast, Photoshop for lunch and InDesign for dinner. That’s how our graphic designer fills up!
-
Luca Dori
Naturalist, traveller, lover of animals and of anything with “bio” in its name!
-
Rossella Trionfetti
The photo says it all: her world is made of inks, brushes and pencils. Illustrator of books, apps and much more!
-
Andrea Pagnoni
One of the best photographers in the area: between one photo shoot and the next, he still finds time for science communication!
-
Nicol Benvenuti
Pharmacist, passionate about chemistry, science communication and smiles!
-
Matteo Piergiovanni
IT expert who has lived between Switzerland and the USA chasing his dream!
-
Francesca Gorini
Expert in chemistry, scientific studies and workshops: she’s the most precise of the group!
-
Sarah Branchesi
Nutritionist: as soon as she leaves the clinic she rushes off to teach children about healthy eating!
-
Matteo Giardini
A film graduate from DAMS, he’s the man directing fosforo: studios!
-
Elisa Cardoni
Expert economist: when she’s not at the gym hanging from aerial silks, she’s busy making the numbers add up!
-
Stefano Morelli
An engineer split between several cities and several jobs, but with one great passion: technology!
-
Lucrezia Badioli
Geologist, always fascinated by earthquakes and structures!
-
Marco Allegretti
Musician and environmentalist, his enthusiasm will guide us as we discover the science of nature!
-
Sara Girometti
A schoolteacher in everyday life, and a festival teacher in her free time!
-
Valeria Cecchini
One of the senior members of the group, and one of the first science communicators on the fosforo: stage!
-
Francesco Spegni
The man who orchestrates the association’s web and IT systems!
-
Elena Panza
A tireless woman who saves her breath for when she runs workshops!
-
Valerio Bompadre
Always travelling the world and hard to reach, but whenever he can, he never shies away from talking to people!
-
Gaia Giardini
The queen of light painting: if you see strange lights moving around during fosforo:, you know what it is!
-
Jacopo Coppi
A theoretical physicist with a very practical approach, and a storyteller by passion!
-
Camilla Rosati
Our trusted Indiana Jones: an archaeologist and science communicator!
-
Andrea Sebastianelli
Passionate about science communication and politics, he always throws himself in with great enthusiasm!
-
Michela Silvestri
The most versatile voice around, able to bring owls, lambs and many other animals to life!
-
Marco Vennarini
Curious, determined and a basketball fan. Between one three-pointer and the next, he’s also behind the camera!
-
Eva Vitali
Has always loved activities for children!
-
Gabriele Lombardo
Aspiring sailor and microlight pilot. Always ready for adventure!
-
Irene Luzi
An ethologist by training, she loves chatting about animals and biology, ideally in the middle of a forest!
-
Marta Pierfederici
Passionate about culture in all its forms. Give her a pizza and a sunset and she’ll be happy!
-
Sharon Oluwole
Lover of science, nature and culture
-
Silvia Antomarioni
Passionate about travel and sustainability, and ready to learn everything about science
-
Irene Cecchi
Expert in art history and public events!
-
Boogeyman
The Boogeyman is one of us, don’t be afraid of him!