A new path of “Storytelling for places of culture” promoted by the Labrosciano Study Center with Mazzotta’s story illustrated by Filippo Paparelli

John

By John

Knowing the territory and the cultural, artistic and natural assets it preserves: this is the leitmotif of the “Storytelling for places of culture” project promoted by the Gianfranco Labrosciano Study Center and which recently concluded with great participation.
Supported by the Youth Policies Fund promoted by the Calabria Region – Youth Policies and Sport Sector – Equal Opportunities and by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Department for Youth Policies and Universal Civil Service, the project consisted of the organization of ten meetings through which the participants had the opportunity to learn about the historical-cultural assets of the Calabrian territory.

The objective of the intervention was to create a collaboration between young people, encouraging integration and individual creativity, through a cycle of creative writing and innovative storytelling activities of the territory aimed at developing, in the choice of places to narrate, a governance participatory to strengthen social conscience and active citizenship, so as to orient youth policies with a view to culture and valorisation of assets, local resources, history and local traditions.
At the same time, the search for urban regeneration was pursued, through the study of good management practices for the chosen assets, also placing emphasis on the entrepreneurial aspect of the context.
The aim of the intervention is to respond to new social needs, encouraging the emergence and development of youth creativity, ensuring that a new agora is created to experiment and carry out activities of participation and social commitment, intercultural education, valorisation processes and territorial redevelopment with a view to valorising one’s territory starting from places of culture.
The laboratory, held by the journalist and writer Andrea Mazzotta and the cultural manager Anna Infante, through frontal lessons and laboratory experiences, highlighted on the one hand the basic narration techniques that support any type of text, on the other, examining public cultural and private cultural assets also intended to develop the sense of entrepreneurship and good practice, necessary for the sense of growth and planning of one’s future.

The course – entirely free for young participants – included laboratory activities, brainstorming, analysis, comparison, restitution and dialogue, taking advantage of new digital technologies.
A significant part of the project was developed “in the field”, through exploratory and dialogic actions.
The places of culture examined were selected not only for their value, but also to show the participants good management practices: Norman Svevo Castle of Cosenza (public asset managed by private individuals – now again managed by the Municipality), Museum Paterno Project opened (Paterno Calabro, private museum recognized by the MIC), G. Labrosciano private library (Rende) and Rende Museum of the Present (public good), San Lorenzo Bellizzi archaeological area (managed by the Enzo de Medici speleology centre) , Mother Church of San Nicola di Mira which houses a jointed wooden Christ from the 17th century in Trebisacce (Trebisacce).
The initiative was carried out thanks to the precious collaboration and active participation of the following entities: Open-air Museum – Progetto Paterno cultural association (Paterno Calabro); Alt Art cultural association (Rende), the experimental agricultural company Fondo Vitale (Paterno Calabro), the Green Project, the SOS ART (Rende) as well as the l’Arte delle Nuvole Association (Trebisacce) which made it possible to involve participants from from various cities in the Province of Cosenza.

The final work will consist in the development of a creative illustrated text capable of giving citizens a re-reading of the places examined, also a vehicle for valorising and promoting them, edited by Filippo Paparelli (Cartoonist and illustrator, he has collaborated with the artistic collective since 2014 Becoming