The pin symbolising opposition to the appointment of Beatrice Venezi as music director of Venice’s Teatro La Fenice has quickly spread beyond the opera house, becoming a viral symbol of protest. Featuring a treble clef on a yellow background, around 1,200 pins were distributed during the New Year’s concert, and within days requests had exceeded 3,000.
Demand has come not only from La Fenice’s audience and staff, but also from other Italian theatres and musicians abroad. In response, the theatre’s workers’ representatives arranged a reprint and launched a self-funded PayPal collection, with a minimum donation of two euros per pin. The initiative was temporarily suspended after donations surpassed €2,000, while organisers work to fulfil existing requests.
According to union representatives, the initiative has attracted support from sections of the public who have chosen to stand alongside workers in defending the artistic identity and musical standards of the foundation. They stress that the protest is not directed at an individual, but at a management approach seen as being at odds with the theatre’s cultural mission.
The dispute began last September following Venezi’s appointment by superintendent Nicola Colabianchi and has since involved public statements, strikes and symbolic actions. The pin has become the latest visible expression of a silent but widespread protest.