30 Sept-27 Nov 2005. Romes most exciting arts festival celebrates its 20th anniversary this year but the multi-faceted event has changed a lot since its beginnings in June 1986. Festival director Monique Veaute explains that back then contemporary music was the fulcrum of the event, a discipline that was soon to be celebrated by other music and arts institutions as well; and so as not to lose touch with its mission, the festival changed, opening its doors to contemporary dance and multi-medial theatre. Veaute also highlights the fact that the initiative started off to fill voids, whereas today it focuses on finding new paths. The choice of the inaugural event this year is indeed original as it features the equestrian theatre "Zingaro" in Loungta, les chevaux de vent, conceived and directed by Bartabas. The spectacular show comes to life with the participation of an incredible host of horseriders, dancer-musicians, monks from the Gyuto monastery in Nepal, and of course, horses the true stars of the evening. The rhythm of the show is characterised by the ceremonials of Buddhism: accompanied by Tibetan sounds and music produced by a group of 10 monks from the Tibetan tantric college of Gyuto whose liturgical chants create a backdrop for wondrous horse-riding and gravity-defying acrobatics (30 Sept-19 Oct in the Circus tent at the Tor di Valle racecourse). The festival then stretches through the autumn months with a rich and diversified programme that includes DV8, Montalvo-Hervieu, Emio Greco, Caterina Sagna and Katlehong Dance Company in the dance section; Raffaello Sanzio, the Teatro Clandestino and Patrice Chreau for drama; William Kentridge, Kim Gordon, Tony Oursler and Phil Morrison, Sonia Wieder-Atherton and Chantal Akerman for multi-medial music and film; and a section dedicated to contemporary music including a tribute to Scelsi.