Abitare Utopie – Inhabiting Utopias

ABITARE UTOPIE project, supported by Fondazione di Modena (Modena Foundation), represents the advanced prototype of an idea of cultural action which combines creativity and community, directed towards an effective social cohesion. “Moby Dick” embodies the synthesis of this methodology between training course and artistic creation, making the artistic and the social spheres interact. In this production, the communities of the territories involved (children, young people, the elderly, foreigners, local associations and artists, detainees) join the show after attending preparatory workshops and thus get to interact with complex theatrical machinery.

ABITARE UTOPIE aims to develop this relationship with the community through a diffused artistic practice, over a long period, crossing three places with different social fragilities and problems.

The period foreseen for the activities goes from 01/10/2020 to 31/12/2021.

San Giovanni Bosco area, a neighbourhood in Modena that includes a Retirement Home for the Elderly, a Recreation Centre, an Elementary School, a Parish and many Associations.

Prisons of Modena and Castelfranco Emilia.

Gombola, a hamlet in the province of Polinago (MO), in the Apennines, where Teatro dei Venti has been running the Podesteria Hostel since 2019.

Permanent actions in the 3 places

3 theatrical paths aimed at the creation of 3 collective events.

San Giovanni Bosco area: for those who live in the neighbourhood, the elderly hosted in the retirement home, the children of the elementary school and the recreation centre, the young immigrants who hang around the neighbourhood (1 weekly meeting).

Prisons of Modena and Castelfranco Emilia: for 50 male and female detainees involved in training and professionalizing courses, aimed at the production of the show ODISSEA (5 meetings per week). In this context, particular attention is dedicated to the creation of relationships with associations operating in prisons, with volunteers, with regional, national and international cultural realities, through projects promoted by the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, the European Community.

Gombola: for the locals, especially teenagers, elderly and people engaged in amateur artistic experiences (from the Choral to the Theatre Company) of Polinago and the neighbouring municipalities (1 weekly meeting). In this context, great attention is dedicated to rebuilding the relationships between the associative, cultural and productive realities of the area, as they are capable of triggering a high-quality cultural tourism with a positive impact on accommodation facilities and restaurants.

Actions that cross the 3 places

Seminars conducted by national and international artists in contact with the local communities.

These three places will also be crossed and narrated by Abitare Utopie TEEN project, aimed at teaching a group of teenagers living in San Giovanni Bosco and Gombola how to become conscious social media users. There will be both online and face-to-face meetings.

Extra actions

Professionalization of detainees through projects involving artistic production and tourist accommodation.

TRASPARENZE FESTIVAL, international event and Manifesto of ABITARE UTOPIE project. The Festival will host the results of the 3 permanent workshops, together with other works that can build a dialogue with the community.

Promote inclusive interventions aimed at the most fragile fringes of the population, for the creation of a new concept of engagement and co-creation.

Promote relationships between communities, associations, institutions, as primary actors of the socio-cultural fabric of the territory.

Promote individual and collective growth of the participants.

Contribute to a positive narration of the three places, regarded as centres of cultural production and identity, from which the entire territory can benefit.

An Observatory is in charge of Monitoring the activities of the project: this group includes the Konsulta of Trasparenze Festival, Volunteers and trainees who gravitate around Teatro dei Venti and some representatives of the partners involved.

The Observatory will cross the three venues of the project and intrude on the workshops, in order to build a narration not only based on numbers, on the analysis of the quantitative dimension and the degree of satisfaction of the direct users, but also capturing the involvement of those who don’t participate directly and the positive impact of the project on them.

We have involved a wide informal network of realities that collaborate and experiment socio-cultural actions in different territories with Teatro dei Venti.

The Network of the project includes: Comune di Modena (Assessorato Politiche Sociali, Assessorato alla Cultura), Quartiere 2 Comune di Modena, Comune di Polinago, Comune di Castelfranco Emilia, DSM-DP – Ausl di Modena, Direzione della Casa Circondariale di Modena e della Casa di Reclusione di Castelfranco Emilia, PRAP – Provveditorato Amministrazione Penitenziaria, Coordinamento Teatro Carcere Emilia Romagna, ATER – Fondazione, Cooperativa Caleidos,  Proloco di Polinago, Asineria di Gombola, Azienda Agricola Radici Felici, Appennino Hiking, Circolo Acli di Gombola, Parrocchia di Gombola e Parrocchia di Polinago, ASD Calcio Polinago, Casa Residenza Anziani San Giovanni Bosco, Ludoteca Strapapera, Parrocchia San Pio X di Modena, Banca del Tempo, Gruppo Carcere Città.