Our Approach

At the Accademia dell’Arte, we constantly strive for a deep sense of community.

Living together, eating together, and creating together make up the everyday rituals that maintain the artistic community that has inhabited Villa Godiola since 2004.

We believe that a sense of belonging and mutual recognition are the fundamental ingredients for both artistic and personal growth. As such, we foster this dimension with the utmost care as we welcome you into our programs.


The Accademia creates new opportunities for development by creating inter-disciplinary spaces.

Although each discipline, such as music, dance or design, comes with its own requirements and each person is unique in their journey, we encourage peer-to-peer learning and welcome the challenges that come from collaborating with someone engaged in a different art form. This kind of experimentation is a valuable stimulus, one that helps reinvigorate individual creativity and the ability to innovate regardless of medium.


When we welcome new students to the Accademia, we are welcoming new artists.

One of the reasons to come study here is that in all of Europe, Italy has some of the deepest artistic roots. Coming to Italy as an artist is about more than access or exposure to some of Europe’s greatest art – otherwise, it would be little more than a museum. Instead, it is a chance to join a culture of incredible artistic wealth and grow as part of that culture. By learning to draw upon Italy’s heritage of inventiveness, you will learn to re-invent yourself as an artist in the contemporary sense.


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The Accademia dell’Arte Announces its New Executive Director

The Board of Trustees of the Accademia dell’Arte (ADA), Arezzo, Italy, is pleased to announce one of its own as its new Executive Director. Professor Dory Rebekah Sibley is a “double alumna” of the Accademia. She received an MFA in Physical Theatre from the ADA; she also studied abroad through an ADA semester program in theatre while an undergraduate student. Dory will start her new position on July 1, 2024.

Dory served as an administrator and faculty member at the Accademia dell’Arte for 15 years. During that time, she was an integral member of the Arezzo artistic community and co-organized several large international events and festivals. Dory founded the ADA Alumni Association in 2006 and has served as its president since. She is the co-founder of the all ADA alumni mask troupe Tut’Zanni Theatre Company (@tutzanni) and the dark, feminist clown troupe Women From Mars (@wfmtheatre). Dory’s original devised work has been featured in Berlin, Milan, Turin, Arezzo, Cortona, Genova and across the USA.

In 2020, Dory joined the Theatre Department at Coastal Carolina University as an Assistant Professor of Theatre and Affiliate Professor in Women’s and Gender Studies specializing in voice and speech, devising, and theatre for social change. Over her 4-year tenure she served as the BFA Theatre Arts Recruitment Coordinator, Intimacy Director and Dialect Designer for all productions, and on several committees focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion and faculty governance. Dory received the Apple Award for Teacher of the Year – Theatre (2020 – 2021), the Edwards College Distinguished Service Award (2022 – 2023), and the Affiliate Faculty of the Year Award in Women’s and Gender Studies (2023 – 2024).

“We are so excited to have Dory return to the Accademia,” said Peter Gess, chair of the ADA Board of Directors. “She brings a deep commitment to the mission of the organization, as well as tremendous creativity for the growth of the ADA.” He added, “Invaluable to the future of the school are her theatre and dance networks, as well as her understanding of the US undergraduate student and education abroad.”

“I am honored and humbled to be chosen to serve as the next Executive Director of the Accademia dell’Arte. To say this institution is important to me is a huge understatement. As an ADA Alumna, former faculty member and administrator, I look forward to collaborating with the ADA faculty and staff as we create a path into the next chapter of our journey,” said Dory. “I am most excited to work directly with our amazing students who continue to inspire me today and every day. A presto Arezzo!”

As the next Executive Director of the Accademia dell’Arte, Dory is dedicated to holding space for diverse voices and fostering the expression of deep truth through the artist’s experience. Dory will be joined in Arezzo by her “two beautiful, wacky children” and her “jack-of-all trades husband who remains her rock and biggest supporter.”