MATERA I ITALY
STREET ART I YOUNG PEOPLE I CO-DESIGN I WORKSHOP I INCLUSION
THE PROJECT IN A FEW WORDS?
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"We are water and fire" (in Italian : “ Siamo acqua e fuoco”) is the action of a project called Come together. The project, managed by the APPstart Onlus association located in Potenza (Italy), led 20 young people through co-design workshops to carry out a street art action (poster street art) in the city of Matera. The young people involved, are young Neet, who come from disadvantaged situations. The project took place from September 2021 and ended in February 2022, during the Covid period.The project included a series of workshops, which initially studied the street/poster art movement, and then proceeded to the co-design of the mural and graphic design, which was realised in Matera, at a space managed by the local association Noi ortadini. There were 20 young people involved, aged between 14 and 18.
DURATION?
6 months I September 2021- February 2022
CONTEXT OF THE PROJECT WITH THE COVID PERIOD?
The project was born in the middle of the covid period.
One of the objectives of the project was precisely to bring young people into open spaces, after two years of covid and restrictions, and to use non-formal and outdoor forms of education to promote inclusion and active citizenship, through this street culture action.
WHO ARE THE PARTNERS?
Appstart Onlus, social cooperative based in Potenza, deals with inclusion, education and informal learning.
NoiOrtadini, social association, deals with regenerating abandoned land through natural and sustainable agriculture, in order to give back suburban spaces to the citizens of Matera and make them places of aggregation.
Appstart organised the co-design workshops with the youngsters, thanks to the artist and social educator Andrea Nolè, who held the workshops.
WHAT ORGANIZATION? WHAT ARE THE STEPS OF THE PROJECT?
Andrea Nolè, is the principal artist, from Potenza. The stages of poster making were divided into several actions:
1. Tracing the design guidelines, with the help of the projector, on the paper fixed to the walls;
2. Beginning the work of filling in with acrylic paints, with several passes of colour to improve the graphic rendering;
3. Cutting out the silhouettes of the drawings.
The workshop was both a time of creation and exchange, the children gained new knowledge and interpreted, with much participation, the ultimate aim of the workshop. There were moments of mutual collaboration and support within the group.
Given that the work was very demanding and punctual in its various steps, the two groups attended each appointment with great discipline and, at times, indicated solutions to the various problems encountered. On the day of the installation of the work, the young people remained very cohesive and attentive at every step, actively participating in the poster display phase.
The partners have organized the project through co-design tables and synergies.
WHAT WORKED WELL IN THE PROJECT?
What worked was definitely the role of street culture as a driver to promote citizenship and inclusion of these young people. Moreover, on the day the posters were installed, the entire neighbourhood and population of the Serra neighbourhood on Friday was very active and participative and supported the young people.
WHAT WORKED LESS WELL IN THE PROJECT?
The difficulty encountered by the Appstart association was that of finding public spaces and connections. in fact, the decorating activity took place thanks to the permission of private citizens who allowed the young people to realise the street art poster on a private building.
PROJECT DESCRIBED BY MATERAHUB