THE ACQUA DELL'ELBA FOUNDATION PRESENTS THE NEW EDITION OF SEIF, THE FESTIVAL DEDICATED TO SAFEGUARDING THE SEA: FROM 30 JUNE TO 2 JULY ON THE ISLAND OF ELBA

SEIF 2023 (the Sea Essence International Festival), the first international festival dedicated to safeguarding and enhancing the sea and its essence, will once again come to the Island of Elba from 30 June to 2 July with the theme "Transitions": the key focus for the debate is the need to integrate the ecological transition into a new environmental, economic and social equilibrium.


To achieve full sustainability in the marine ecosystem, we need to question how the environment, economy and society can operate individually and synergistically. For this reason, to mark National Sea Day which is celebrated on 11 April, the Acqua dell'Elba Foundation is presenting the fifth edition of SEIF - Sea Essence International Festival, the first international festival dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the sea and its essence, which will return to the Island of Elba from 30 June to 2 July 2023.


The setting for the event will be Marciana Marina, an ancient fishing village on the Island of Elba, in the heart of the Tuscan Archipelago, which is a favoured observation point for the sea and its themes.


Organised by the Acqua dell'Elba Foundation, the event has also received this year the endorsement of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) and the patronage of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, the Coast Guard - Port Authority, Ispra, ASVIS, Federparchi, the Tuscany Region, the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, IULM University, the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, Symbola, Legambiente, Marevivo, VisitElba, the Elba Island Youth Forum, the Municipality of Livorno, the Municipality of Marciana Marina, Pro Loco Marciana Marina, the Municipality of Marciana, the Municipality of Portoferraio, the Municipality of Campo nell'Elba, the Municipality of Capoliveri, the Municipality of Porto Azzurro, and the Municipality of Rio.


The key theme running through SEIF 2023 will be "Transitions": through activities and meetings, it will focus on the need to integrate the ecological transition into a new environmental, economic and social equilibrium. The intention is to delve into considerations, proposals and planning designed to achieve the sustainability goals of the 2030 Agenda, applying them to the marine and island eco-system, whose characteristics can launch new challenges and opportunities on a national and international level. Thanks to its geography, economic tradition, history and culture, Italy can be a forerunner in a real sustainable revolution starting from the sea: SEIF's 2023 edition focuses precisely on this, with workshops, laboratories, meetings, themed evenings and shows.


"Through SEIF, we want to give back its importance to the sea, starting from a renewed commitment of the economy, politics and society and promoting the protection of its environment, biodiversity, species and beauty, history and its contribution to the growth of cultures and societies", explains Fabio Murzi, Chairman of the Acqua dell'Elba Foundation.


SEIF 2023
prides itself on being a multifaceted event, which aims to reveal the depths of the essence of the sea and to bring out all its aspects through a multidisciplinary approach that involves history, economics, the arts, anthropology, culture, politics, music, cinema and society. The event will therefore address the role of the sea in climate change, but also the value of the Blue Economy for Italy and for the entire Mediterranean basin, as well as conveying the sea from a cultural and social point of view, through tales from those who navigate it and experience it on a daily basis.


The festival will be held over three days and includes educational and recreational activities for children, as well as experiences for adults on issues relating to the sea, and its protection and enhancement, with in-depth seminars and themed evenings featuring music and exhibits.


Starting from the theme "Transitions", the activities during the three days will focus on the steps needing to be taken to achieve full sustainability for the marine ecosystem, bringing together the environment, economy and society.


On Friday 30 June, Environmental Transition will be the key theme: the sea is a testimony to climate change but at the same time it is vital for our Planet and our life on Earth, and must be protected. Goal 14 of the 2030 Agenda aims to significantly reduce all types of marine pollution by 2030 and to reduce ocean acidification to a minimum. Marine and coastal ecosystems will need to be managed and protected sustainably, and fishing will need to be regulated effectively.


On Saturday 1 July, there will be a special focus on Economic Transition: the Blue Economy model aims to create a sustainable economic system through technological innovation and the development of physical principles. It deals with a vast range of activities connected to the marine sector: the bioeconomy, sustainable fishing, port activities and seaside tourism, but most importantly, the production of renewable energy obtained from the sea. It is estimated that wind and thermal energy from waves and tides could generate a quarter of the EU electricity in 2050. Each of these activities are fundamentally linked to the commitment to preserve the marine ecosystem. Sunday 2 July will be all about Social Transition: the sea is also the stories of people and populations. They are tales of commitment, passion and adventure, which defend and promote the blue giant. The third day will therefore be a journey through the history of individual characters, also through their points of view as they narrate the extraordinary resource of the "sea", with the aim of raising awareness about respecting for environment and the sea.


What's more, there will be a full calendar of preparatory events for the 2023 edition that will take place between April and June, which will lead up to and run alongside the traditional festival events. These will be an opportunity to learn about the initiatives that the Acqua dell'Elba Foundation is carrying out on Elba, starting with the new activities in education, with the direct involvement of the island's schools. The latest developments in "La Via dell'Essenza" will also be displayed, a project which is creating a coastal trail on the Island of Elba in collaboration with the Tuscan Archipelago National Park.


The Acqua dell'Elba Foundation is a non-profit organisation launched in 2022 by Acqua dell'Elba to give greater strength to its long-standing commitment to the island, with a dedicated structure to increase the impact of activities in the area and to help improve the quality of life of the people who live there. The Foundation is engaged in national and international programmes in five key areas - Environment, Education, Culture, Health and Art - to help protect the island's ecosystem and enhance its social and cultural heritage.


Acqua dell'Elba - Società Benefit
is a family business, an artisan workshop founded 23 years ago by Fabio Murzi, Chiara Murzi and Marco Turoni. Created with the idea of enclosing the essence of the sea in a bottle, the company became a "Società Benefit" (Benefit Corporation) 2021, and is based in Marciana Marina on the Island of Elba. It is now present on the market with 31 single-brand stores in Italy and a distribution network that includes around 1,000 perfumeries. Acqua dell'Elba is committed to sustainability with multiple projects: SEIF - the Sea Essence International Festival - is the first festival dedicated to the protection and promotion of the sea and its essence, and Elba 2035 is a project aimed at listening to and engaging the local area to launch specific initiatives to make the Island of Elba even more attractive and sustainable by 2035. In 2021, Acqua dell'Elba launched the Sustainability Manifesto, a single document that gathered inspiration and ideas directly from the local area through the participatory process of Elba 2035 with the aim of creating a shared vision for the future of sustainable development on the island. In 2022, Acqua dell'Elba strengthened its commitment to the Island of Elba with the launch of the Acqua dell'Elba Foundation, a non-profit organisation engaged in national and international programmes with five key areas: Environment, Education, Culture, Health and Art.