The Binge Acting Theory 

     The association ARTE IN GIOCO was founded to promote artistic expression and to respond concretely to the needs of a territory marked by a complex socioeconomic context and a persistently high school dropout rate (16.6%). Our company, equipped with a theatre and various spaces (literary cafés, community rooms, and a park), had managed multiple initiatives over the years to engage young people in artistic and recreational activities, offering them a valid alternative to Netflix, bars, and videogames, while raising awareness among schools, families, and citizens on urgent issues requiring coordinated action.

     Theatre, for us, was not only a powerful vehicle for cultural dissemination but also a tool to detect social challenges. One of these was binge drinking, whose exponential rise during the Covid closures had become evident in our area. In 2023, we collected national statistics online. The data outlined a critical scenario: according to the Italian National Institute of Health (National Alcohol Observatory), habitual consumption of spirits among young generations was steadily increasing, especially in the 15–18 age group. Binge drinking already involved 30% of high school students and was growing among 11–15-year-olds. Its effects on adolescents were harmful and irreversible, and biological risks were accompanied by traumatic events, road accidents, and suicides (Calabria ranked third in Italy). This impulsive pattern of consumption could also evolve into Alcohol Use Disorder, a form of addiction whose symptoms are less immediately recognisable.

     Our Objectives:
     A) Create alternative spaces and moments for socialization. In our small mountain towns, alcohol consumption did not occur in public squares but in homes, garages, and remote areas. Through the project “The Binge Acting Theory”, Arte in Gioco, with partner support, addressed this issue by producing Micro-Theatre activities later implemented in 7 schools in the Crotone area, 5 in Dalaman, and 5 in Tetovo.

     B) Open ourselves to international best practices. The foreign partners—BDKD (Turkey) and LOJA (North Macedonia)—brought non-formal methodologies, improvisation techniques, the micro-theatre format, English as a working language, innovative social-media strategies, an international network, and Erasmus+ expertise.

     C) Raise visibility on a widespread issue and generate impact locally and at European level. One in five Europeans over 15 (19%, WHO data) reported heavy episodic drinking at least once a month.

Through The Binge Acting Theory and the Erasmus Days in the three countries, our organizations offered young people an artistic alternative to binge drinking, while in Caccuri the project resulted in new spaces dedicated to micro-theatre.