June 25, 2026

S4 Ep.10 - When Freedom Sounds Like Jazz in Venice. A chat with Women for Freedom

S4 Ep.10 - When Freedom Sounds Like Jazz in Venice. A chat with Women for Freedom
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In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica Cesarato welcomes back the story of Women for Freedom, an organisation dedicated to supporting women, girls and children living in situations of poverty, violence, exploitation and fragility.

After the first conversation in 2023, this new episode takes the story forward with Sara Memo, part of Women for Freedom, to understand what has changed, what has grown, and what still needs to be done.

The conversation begins with the heart of the organisation itself: dignity, protection, freedom, and the concrete projects that help turn compassion into real action. From there, Monica and Sara move into one of the most powerful cultural expressions of this mission: Women for Freedom in Jazz, the Venetian festival founded by Elena Ferrarese, now celebrating 10 years of music, solidarity and women’s voices in Venice.

This is an episode about listening. Listening to stories that are difficult but necessary. Listening to women whose voices deserve space. Listening to jazz as a language of freedom, resilience and connection.

Because in Venice, sometimes freedom does not arrive as a speech. Sometimes, it arrives as a song.

Show keynotes

  • What Women for Freedom does and who the organisation supports
  • Sara Memo’s connection with the mission of Women for Freedom
  • What has changed since the 2023 Venice Talks interview
  • How to speak about poverty, violence and exploitation while protecting dignity
  • The difference between charity and true solidarity
  • How emotion can become concrete action
  • The role of culture in raising awareness
  • Women for Freedom in Jazz and the vision of its founder, Elena Ferrarese
  • Why jazz is such a powerful language for women, freedom and resilience
  • The 10th anniversary of Women for Freedom in Jazz in Venice
  • Venice as more than a backdrop: a city that listens, hosts and amplifies stories
  • The future of Women for Freedom and the next chapter of the festival

If this conversation moved you, please subscribe to Venice Talks, leave a review, and share the episode with someone who believes that culture can still make a difference.

You can follow Venice Talks for more stories about Venice, its people, its voices, its hidden layers, and the projects that keep the city alive in ways visitors do not always see.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you tune in.

✨ Credits:

Hosted by Monica Cesarato

Produced by Monica Cesarato, Sentire Media

Guest: Sara Memo for Women for Freedom

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