Rathaus
Basic information
Project Title
Rathaus
Full project title
Rathaus: can rats make art?
Category
Regaining a sense of belonging
Project Description
The artistic collective Rathaus prioritizes creative expression, equity, and active participation. Through cultural events and projects hosted at our multifunctional arts space in Piacenza, we seek to stimulate engagement and collaboration within our community.
Geographical Scope
Local
Project Region
Piacenza, Italy
Urban or rural issues
Mainly urban
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
EU Programme or fund
Yes
Which funds
Other
Other Funds
ENCC's "Lights On" Fellowship, 2022 (zero funding)
Description of the project
Summary
Rathaus prioritizes creative expression and offers opportunities for discovery, encounter, and dialogue through cultural experiences.
The non-profit arts center (250 m sq.) opened in July 2022 after a series of works to bring the previously disused space up to code. The project was ideated and is spearheaded by five women, all under 36: three from Italy, one from Greece, and one from the US. The team’s diversity mirrors their vision to foster the latent transculturality of Piacenza.
Rathaus is open six days a week, 10am–10pm+, and hosts an average of five events per week. The primary activities include concerts (from jazz to singer-songwriter to punk), film screenings, visual arts workshops, and book presentations as well as more participatory socio-cultural monthly activities including bookclubs, a chess club, a feminist meet-up, and a group to address eco-anxiety. We also offer a space for students and young professionals to work during the day.
Central to our mission is the objective to co-develop cultural programming with local residents in a manner that prioritizes active participation and engagement with the public. Adopting a process of collective decision-making to develop programming, this project harnesses the city’s potential as an artistic laboratory by promoting collaboration between artists and creative residents and using the arts as an instrument to stimulate connection, empathy, and empowerment among individuals.
“Rathaus” stems from a series of word play: 1) we are inspired by the collaborative and transdisciplinary aspects of the original (and new!) Bauhaus; 2) despite being a private entity the organization is envisioned as a place that serves the public (a nod to the German translation); and with “rat” being the same in English and in the Piacenza dialect, Rathaus is envisioned as a bridge between the global and local community—one rooted in tradition but also quickly becoming more internationally diverse.
The non-profit arts center (250 m sq.) opened in July 2022 after a series of works to bring the previously disused space up to code. The project was ideated and is spearheaded by five women, all under 36: three from Italy, one from Greece, and one from the US. The team’s diversity mirrors their vision to foster the latent transculturality of Piacenza.
Rathaus is open six days a week, 10am–10pm+, and hosts an average of five events per week. The primary activities include concerts (from jazz to singer-songwriter to punk), film screenings, visual arts workshops, and book presentations as well as more participatory socio-cultural monthly activities including bookclubs, a chess club, a feminist meet-up, and a group to address eco-anxiety. We also offer a space for students and young professionals to work during the day.
Central to our mission is the objective to co-develop cultural programming with local residents in a manner that prioritizes active participation and engagement with the public. Adopting a process of collective decision-making to develop programming, this project harnesses the city’s potential as an artistic laboratory by promoting collaboration between artists and creative residents and using the arts as an instrument to stimulate connection, empathy, and empowerment among individuals.
“Rathaus” stems from a series of word play: 1) we are inspired by the collaborative and transdisciplinary aspects of the original (and new!) Bauhaus; 2) despite being a private entity the organization is envisioned as a place that serves the public (a nod to the German translation); and with “rat” being the same in English and in the Piacenza dialect, Rathaus is envisioned as a bridge between the global and local community—one rooted in tradition but also quickly becoming more internationally diverse.
Key objectives for sustainability
As part of our transdisciplinary approach, an environmental focus is deeply rooted into our regular programming and special projects, especially in terms of building awareness amongst our residents. Many of such projects are developed in collaboration with local activist groups and organizations whose work targets climate change.
In collaboration with Fashion Rebellion, “Faster than the Planet” confronts fast fashion by educating and encouraging individuals to make ethical decisions about clothing. This project involves a series of clothing exchanges, the creation of a fanzine in collaboration with local residents, and a series of workshops to teach participants basic sewing and repair skills.
“Un Po’ di Plastica” (“A bit of plastic”, a pun in Italian) was a project in collaboration with Legambiente and Plastic Free Piacenza to address the impact of plastic in the ocean and waterways. This project involved the screening of the documentary “Plastic Free Ocean,” a community trash pick-up day near the river, and an exhibition of objects of plastic that were found in the Po’ by a resident.
The “Eco-Ansia” group also held meetings to address the anxiety many young people feel related to various aspects of the climate crisis. For the second part of this project this fall, the participants will work on developing policy actions to deliver to the municipal government.
As a logistics hub for Italy, Piacenza is plagued by air pollution. In this context, global climate change is felt at a local level. To pragmatically address this problem, we are committed to integrating environmentally focused programming into our calendar of events through the year.
In terms of consumption, we prioritize sustainable art-making processes. We value repurposing materials for different projects, and we have a variety of donated materials available for artists leading workshops to use. If other materials are needed, we try to find used materials first before purchasing materials.
In collaboration with Fashion Rebellion, “Faster than the Planet” confronts fast fashion by educating and encouraging individuals to make ethical decisions about clothing. This project involves a series of clothing exchanges, the creation of a fanzine in collaboration with local residents, and a series of workshops to teach participants basic sewing and repair skills.
“Un Po’ di Plastica” (“A bit of plastic”, a pun in Italian) was a project in collaboration with Legambiente and Plastic Free Piacenza to address the impact of plastic in the ocean and waterways. This project involved the screening of the documentary “Plastic Free Ocean,” a community trash pick-up day near the river, and an exhibition of objects of plastic that were found in the Po’ by a resident.
The “Eco-Ansia” group also held meetings to address the anxiety many young people feel related to various aspects of the climate crisis. For the second part of this project this fall, the participants will work on developing policy actions to deliver to the municipal government.
As a logistics hub for Italy, Piacenza is plagued by air pollution. In this context, global climate change is felt at a local level. To pragmatically address this problem, we are committed to integrating environmentally focused programming into our calendar of events through the year.
In terms of consumption, we prioritize sustainable art-making processes. We value repurposing materials for different projects, and we have a variety of donated materials available for artists leading workshops to use. If other materials are needed, we try to find used materials first before purchasing materials.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Locals often lament that Piacenza lacks cultural opportunities, describing the city as "sad" and "boring," and few events the city offers are not developed for young people and are rarely accessible or informal. Despite this context, we believe that Piacenza has the potential for change. Our contribution is to offer a regular calendar of cultural programming that is free of charge and primarily developed in collaboration with local residents.
We believe that people are complex beings that cannot be typecast into segmented audience groups. That being said, our target audience is the residents of Piacenza who seek informal, participatory, and left-of-center experiences in the arts. Stemming from this philosophy to avoid strict labels, our programming ranges from documentary screenings to absurd B-films, from jazz concerts to punk, from feminism talks to discussions of true crime. Many of our participants attend a variety of different types of events.
The core of our programming philosophy is to offer events that directly engage participants and foster dialogue amongst them both in terms of mediated discussion (e.g., during talks or book clubs, after film screenings) or social conversational (e.g., during a making workshop). Limited opportunities exist for individuals to strike up a conversation with a stranger in Piacenza. Rathaus is one of the exceptions, and over the past year we have been witness to a number of new friendships and collaborations that have manifested as a result of engagement between various participants.
This result is a testament to our vision to use the cultural arts as a springboard to further explore themes linked both to the self and to society. Rathaus believes that the arts are a tool to promote and expand empathy, which is essential for the understanding and appreciation of the other. Through engagement with the arts and creativity, individuals and communities can grow into more compassionate and welcoming societies.
We believe that people are complex beings that cannot be typecast into segmented audience groups. That being said, our target audience is the residents of Piacenza who seek informal, participatory, and left-of-center experiences in the arts. Stemming from this philosophy to avoid strict labels, our programming ranges from documentary screenings to absurd B-films, from jazz concerts to punk, from feminism talks to discussions of true crime. Many of our participants attend a variety of different types of events.
The core of our programming philosophy is to offer events that directly engage participants and foster dialogue amongst them both in terms of mediated discussion (e.g., during talks or book clubs, after film screenings) or social conversational (e.g., during a making workshop). Limited opportunities exist for individuals to strike up a conversation with a stranger in Piacenza. Rathaus is one of the exceptions, and over the past year we have been witness to a number of new friendships and collaborations that have manifested as a result of engagement between various participants.
This result is a testament to our vision to use the cultural arts as a springboard to further explore themes linked both to the self and to society. Rathaus believes that the arts are a tool to promote and expand empathy, which is essential for the understanding and appreciation of the other. Through engagement with the arts and creativity, individuals and communities can grow into more compassionate and welcoming societies.
Key objectives for inclusion
Rathaus supports a safe, diverse, inclusive and accessible space for all. In the progressing yet still conservative political climate of Piacenza, many marginalized groups (e.g., the queer and international communities) are often underrepresented and socially excluded. Rathaus aspires to actively welcome such groups and to serve as a refuge for them.
Italy requires non-profits that offer food/beverage service must operate as membership based groups (circoli) that are affiliated with a national network (e.g., ARCI). For circoli affiliated with ARCI, this membership costs 10eur for individuals and is valid for the entire year at all of the nearly 5,000 centers in Italy. Despite this modest financial obstacle, 99% of the events Rathaus offers are free to its members. This programming is supported by grants and our small bistro.
Located in an ex-working space of a 17th century palazzo, a third of Rathaus is at ground level, but the other part of the space (visual arts studio, library, co-working, presenting room) requires surpassing four steps. For those who use a wheelchair, the elevated area is reached via a ramp (portable and on-site) from the back entrance which has a shorter difference in height from the ground level. The space also has a new accessible bathroom. While this height difference is not ideal, we mitigate these challenges as much as possible.
Rathaus open to all ages (we have participants from 18 to 88), but we primarily focus on people under 40. Another primary target is the international community (both university students and residents with an immigration background). We offer events in both Italian and English, and all our staff communicates in at least these two languages. The founders manage Rathaus as a flat hierarchy and our programming is also structured based on our values of the democratization of culture through which decisions from residents directly and indirectly inform our programming and special projects.
Italy requires non-profits that offer food/beverage service must operate as membership based groups (circoli) that are affiliated with a national network (e.g., ARCI). For circoli affiliated with ARCI, this membership costs 10eur for individuals and is valid for the entire year at all of the nearly 5,000 centers in Italy. Despite this modest financial obstacle, 99% of the events Rathaus offers are free to its members. This programming is supported by grants and our small bistro.
Located in an ex-working space of a 17th century palazzo, a third of Rathaus is at ground level, but the other part of the space (visual arts studio, library, co-working, presenting room) requires surpassing four steps. For those who use a wheelchair, the elevated area is reached via a ramp (portable and on-site) from the back entrance which has a shorter difference in height from the ground level. The space also has a new accessible bathroom. While this height difference is not ideal, we mitigate these challenges as much as possible.
Rathaus open to all ages (we have participants from 18 to 88), but we primarily focus on people under 40. Another primary target is the international community (both university students and residents with an immigration background). We offer events in both Italian and English, and all our staff communicates in at least these two languages. The founders manage Rathaus as a flat hierarchy and our programming is also structured based on our values of the democratization of culture through which decisions from residents directly and indirectly inform our programming and special projects.
Results in relation to category
The category that is most aligned to the mission of Rathaus is “Regaining a sense of belonging.” Fostering a close-knit and collaborative community in which existing members feel like family and new members are instantly welcomed is essential to our success.
Our efforts to expand the offer of cultural events in Piacenza is coupled with the goals to 1) further promote opportunities for participants to express themselves and connect with their peers to form new friendships and collaborations for future projects, 2) encourage locals to propose their own empower local residents as leaders and change-makers, 3) stimulate the integration of the foreign community and that of local residents and to foster greater empathy for the other.
Nurturing such belonging and community building is coupled with our practice of integrating proposals from our members into our programming offer. The opportunity to propose and co-organize events and activities permits citizens to assume the role of cultural practitioners, thinkers, and leaders. We believe that such engagement encourages residents to continue to propose cultural projects and activities in the future for the community, through Rathaus as well as through other organizations in Piacenza.
Over the past year, a number of new youth-led organizations (formal and informal) have been developed, and many of these have developed as a direct result from “cultural contamination” with other individuals and organizations through both programming and informal socialization at Rathaus.
Our efforts to expand the offer of cultural events in Piacenza is coupled with the goals to 1) further promote opportunities for participants to express themselves and connect with their peers to form new friendships and collaborations for future projects, 2) encourage locals to propose their own empower local residents as leaders and change-makers, 3) stimulate the integration of the foreign community and that of local residents and to foster greater empathy for the other.
Nurturing such belonging and community building is coupled with our practice of integrating proposals from our members into our programming offer. The opportunity to propose and co-organize events and activities permits citizens to assume the role of cultural practitioners, thinkers, and leaders. We believe that such engagement encourages residents to continue to propose cultural projects and activities in the future for the community, through Rathaus as well as through other organizations in Piacenza.
Over the past year, a number of new youth-led organizations (formal and informal) have been developed, and many of these have developed as a direct result from “cultural contamination” with other individuals and organizations through both programming and informal socialization at Rathaus.
How Citizens benefit
A perception exists for many people, especially young people and the international community, that certain barriers limit access to the cultural sector. Rathaus actively confronts this challenge by developing opportunities to welcome people to participate, raising the voices of individuals and incorporating their aspirations, values and motivations into the opportunities offered.
Central to our mission is co-developing projects with local residents, non-profit arts organizations, artists, and musicians. Pursuing a more horizontal approach to programming has three primary effects:
1) Offering programming that arises directly from proposals by and collaborations with local residents allows us to offer a wide variety of cultural opportunities that better reflect the diversity of Piacenza. In turn, residents are more encouraged to attend and actively participate as a member of Rathaus.
2) The opportunity to propose and co-organize events and projects allows citizens to assume the role of cultural leaders. By involving our participants in the collective decision-making process to propose and lead events, we foster the empowerment of the residents of Piacenza.
3) Prioritizing events/projects that involve active participation and public engagement in a homey, welcoming atmosphere has allowed us to make strides to strengthen community building in Piacenza. Even prior to the pandemic many residents of Piacenza were conscious of how difficult it was to make new friends and connections in the city. The creation of Rathaus as a cultural living room, where social connections can be fostered through the participation in arts programming has offered a pragmatic response to the need of many residents to feel belonging and community.
Central to our mission is co-developing projects with local residents, non-profit arts organizations, artists, and musicians. Pursuing a more horizontal approach to programming has three primary effects:
1) Offering programming that arises directly from proposals by and collaborations with local residents allows us to offer a wide variety of cultural opportunities that better reflect the diversity of Piacenza. In turn, residents are more encouraged to attend and actively participate as a member of Rathaus.
2) The opportunity to propose and co-organize events and projects allows citizens to assume the role of cultural leaders. By involving our participants in the collective decision-making process to propose and lead events, we foster the empowerment of the residents of Piacenza.
3) Prioritizing events/projects that involve active participation and public engagement in a homey, welcoming atmosphere has allowed us to make strides to strengthen community building in Piacenza. Even prior to the pandemic many residents of Piacenza were conscious of how difficult it was to make new friends and connections in the city. The creation of Rathaus as a cultural living room, where social connections can be fostered through the participation in arts programming has offered a pragmatic response to the need of many residents to feel belonging and community.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Innovative character
The concept and activities of Rathaus are completely innovative in the local context of Piacenza (100,000 people). Rathaus serves as an example of a polyfunctional, economically sustainable cultural center for other organizations in non-metropolitan spaces.
What sets us aside from other institutions is that our team manages the project through a completely flat hierarchy, and this democratic structure allows changes to be instituted and immediately tested. Furthermore,
This aspect is linked to the innovative commoning movement.
Furthermore, this project also involves tailoring a sustainable business model in the context of a complicated bureaucratic environment (e.g., Italy), which can be applied to other similar contexts where nimbly and pragmatically navigating such obstacles is essential for survival.
We offer the residents of Piacenza a meeting point where they can express themselves without prejudice and be involved in cultural stimuli through events developed by other residents.
What sets us aside from other institutions is that our team manages the project through a completely flat hierarchy, and this democratic structure allows changes to be instituted and immediately tested. Furthermore,
This aspect is linked to the innovative commoning movement.
Furthermore, this project also involves tailoring a sustainable business model in the context of a complicated bureaucratic environment (e.g., Italy), which can be applied to other similar contexts where nimbly and pragmatically navigating such obstacles is essential for survival.
We offer the residents of Piacenza a meeting point where they can express themselves without prejudice and be involved in cultural stimuli through events developed by other residents.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
Rathaus incorporates a multitude of disciplines, spanning the visual arts, theatre, music, literature, and more, reflecting the varied interests and passions of our participants.
The team of five share a wealth of experience in managing cultural projects prior to Rathaus and successfully managing Rathaus over the past year (over 200 events) with other 4,000 members; a strong network with local individuals/associations/government officials; and a wide international network of artists, cultural managers, and institutions. The members of our team have different artistic backgrounds (e.g., woodworking, mosaics, graphic design, literary arts, the culinary arts) which are incorporated to our wide array of programming. Aside from our artistic pursuits, the team also has a wide range of interests, including environmental activism, feminism, mental health, pop culture, and social justice. Furthermore, our varied experience in administrative, management, and communication backgrounds (in both the non- and for-profit sectors), has been essential to the development, launch, and continued management of Rathaus. Given our team’s proven dexterity and ability to balance pragmatic planning and implementation with courageous ambition, we are confident of our ability to continue to steer Rathaus alongside our co-conspirators.
The team of five share a wealth of experience in managing cultural projects prior to Rathaus and successfully managing Rathaus over the past year (over 200 events) with other 4,000 members; a strong network with local individuals/associations/government officials; and a wide international network of artists, cultural managers, and institutions. The members of our team have different artistic backgrounds (e.g., woodworking, mosaics, graphic design, literary arts, the culinary arts) which are incorporated to our wide array of programming. Aside from our artistic pursuits, the team also has a wide range of interests, including environmental activism, feminism, mental health, pop culture, and social justice. Furthermore, our varied experience in administrative, management, and communication backgrounds (in both the non- and for-profit sectors), has been essential to the development, launch, and continued management of Rathaus. Given our team’s proven dexterity and ability to balance pragmatic planning and implementation with courageous ambition, we are confident of our ability to continue to steer Rathaus alongside our co-conspirators.
Methodology used
The focus of this project is the active engagement of local residents through collective decision-making to value the voices of the community. This methodology is based on a range of academic approaches and best practices from the cultural sector that focus on the empowerment of participants, including 1) "Youth Program Quality Assessment" and 2) “Audience Centered Experience Design” by Adeste+. These methods emphasize cyclical improvement by integrating feedback into subsequent activities. The quantitative response (e.g., average number of participants) is also monitored to analyze the satisfaction of the various events.
Furthermore, Rathaus aims to empower individual citizens as cultural leaders. The collective decision-making process (via proposals from members and co-managing events with them) further favors the empowerment of residents, which leads to their growth as citizens and as a community.
Being grassroots oriented is also integral to our approach. We regularly engage in informal conversation with our members, and this practice fosters close relationship building. As these relationships grow, our members are further encouraged to both attend our programming and to make their own suggestions to improve programming events and to propose new projects. By operating in an informal capacity, many project proposals are initially made by individuals/associations through informal conversations with the team, and then we organize more structured meetings to further plan the initiative. Other proposals are received via mail and social media pages.
Such proposals are also managed in scaffolded manner: our staff offers as much direct support as needed to our collaborators. In some cases, proposals are co-led with staff, and in other instances members are fully capable of managing their own projects. Each proposal that is made is also evaluated in terms of its adherence to our mission and values as well as feasibility.
Furthermore, Rathaus aims to empower individual citizens as cultural leaders. The collective decision-making process (via proposals from members and co-managing events with them) further favors the empowerment of residents, which leads to their growth as citizens and as a community.
Being grassroots oriented is also integral to our approach. We regularly engage in informal conversation with our members, and this practice fosters close relationship building. As these relationships grow, our members are further encouraged to both attend our programming and to make their own suggestions to improve programming events and to propose new projects. By operating in an informal capacity, many project proposals are initially made by individuals/associations through informal conversations with the team, and then we organize more structured meetings to further plan the initiative. Other proposals are received via mail and social media pages.
Such proposals are also managed in scaffolded manner: our staff offers as much direct support as needed to our collaborators. In some cases, proposals are co-led with staff, and in other instances members are fully capable of managing their own projects. Each proposal that is made is also evaluated in terms of its adherence to our mission and values as well as feasibility.
How stakeholders are engaged
While Rathaus was conceived by the determination of five citizens and persists today in thanks to the efforts of stakeholders at various levels.
The development of the project is indebted to various entities. In October 2021, we officially began our affiliation with ARCI, the national network of circoli, and the local branch helped us immensely to legally register the organization and address various permits required to open the center. During this same time frame, we worked directly with a team of architects to renovate and revise the center—we signed a lease with a private landlord in October 2021; we paid 25k toward the renovation, and we were allowed to provide input into the process. In November 2021 we won the regional grant Incredibol!, which offered us an essential startup investment but most importantly consulting support to navigate various bureaucratic challenges as we advanced closer to opening the doors to the public. From July to October 2022 co-founder Lesley McBride had the opportunity to participate in the ENCC’s Lights On staff exchange program, through which she learned from cultural managers from Greece, Poland, Slovenia, and beyond. The idea-sharing, the new approaches to common challenges, and the camaraderie stimulated through this experience was invaluable to our team as it offered perspectives on what we were getting right, and how we could improve Rathaus. In July 2022 we were awarded a 30k grant Fondazione Vismara, and their financial and moral support was essential to allow us to elevate the offer of concerts, workshops, and film screenings in the first 17 months of the project.
Rathaus’ success is hinged on our engagement with and support from the local community, composed of associations, informal groups, and individual residents and artists. The union of this expansive network of collaborators, partners, and participants brought together through Rathaus has nurtured a strong sense of community and cultural synergy.
The development of the project is indebted to various entities. In October 2021, we officially began our affiliation with ARCI, the national network of circoli, and the local branch helped us immensely to legally register the organization and address various permits required to open the center. During this same time frame, we worked directly with a team of architects to renovate and revise the center—we signed a lease with a private landlord in October 2021; we paid 25k toward the renovation, and we were allowed to provide input into the process. In November 2021 we won the regional grant Incredibol!, which offered us an essential startup investment but most importantly consulting support to navigate various bureaucratic challenges as we advanced closer to opening the doors to the public. From July to October 2022 co-founder Lesley McBride had the opportunity to participate in the ENCC’s Lights On staff exchange program, through which she learned from cultural managers from Greece, Poland, Slovenia, and beyond. The idea-sharing, the new approaches to common challenges, and the camaraderie stimulated through this experience was invaluable to our team as it offered perspectives on what we were getting right, and how we could improve Rathaus. In July 2022 we were awarded a 30k grant Fondazione Vismara, and their financial and moral support was essential to allow us to elevate the offer of concerts, workshops, and film screenings in the first 17 months of the project.
Rathaus’ success is hinged on our engagement with and support from the local community, composed of associations, informal groups, and individual residents and artists. The union of this expansive network of collaborators, partners, and participants brought together through Rathaus has nurtured a strong sense of community and cultural synergy.
Global challenges
Rathaus aspires to serve as a national and international example of a progressive arts space that is radically rooted in the local community with a global outlook.
Piacenza is a paradigm of many smaller Italian cities: it is often overshadowed by larger cities; the cultural offerings for young people are minimal; its population is characterized by a diverse and growing community of immigrants (28%) who lack full social integration into the community (often exacerbated by structural and economic obstacles); and such cultural diversity is often (intentionally) hidden. To address these challenges, we offer a wide range of programming that is primarily developed through proposals from our members and we aim to foster an inclusive and diverse environment for all local residents.
Our programming is open to everyone, and our primary target is young people ages 18–40, which includes a mix of young people originally from Piacenza as well as members of the international community that is composed of university students, coming primarily from Iran, Turkey, and Eastern Europe, as well as workers who have moved here from abroad, and asylum seekers. A growing number of these non-Italian citizens residing in Piacenza express the desire to stay long-term, but they highlight that full integration into the community is often hindered. This challenge is commonplace in many other Italian cities and likely in many European cities as well. The intentional engagement of such groups in our programming as both participants and leaders of events/projects valorizes the latent cultural wealth of the city, empowers the individuals’ voices, and nurtures residents who are originally from Italy to have greater empathy for the other.
Regarding our programming, we also keep a focus on global issues and other cultures to foster empathy and activism where possible. The primary global topic we focus on is climate change, covering various facets such as plastic use, veganism, and consumerism.
Piacenza is a paradigm of many smaller Italian cities: it is often overshadowed by larger cities; the cultural offerings for young people are minimal; its population is characterized by a diverse and growing community of immigrants (28%) who lack full social integration into the community (often exacerbated by structural and economic obstacles); and such cultural diversity is often (intentionally) hidden. To address these challenges, we offer a wide range of programming that is primarily developed through proposals from our members and we aim to foster an inclusive and diverse environment for all local residents.
Our programming is open to everyone, and our primary target is young people ages 18–40, which includes a mix of young people originally from Piacenza as well as members of the international community that is composed of university students, coming primarily from Iran, Turkey, and Eastern Europe, as well as workers who have moved here from abroad, and asylum seekers. A growing number of these non-Italian citizens residing in Piacenza express the desire to stay long-term, but they highlight that full integration into the community is often hindered. This challenge is commonplace in many other Italian cities and likely in many European cities as well. The intentional engagement of such groups in our programming as both participants and leaders of events/projects valorizes the latent cultural wealth of the city, empowers the individuals’ voices, and nurtures residents who are originally from Italy to have greater empathy for the other.
Regarding our programming, we also keep a focus on global issues and other cultures to foster empathy and activism where possible. The primary global topic we focus on is climate change, covering various facets such as plastic use, veganism, and consumerism.
Learning transferred to other parties
Piacenza is not unlike many other smaller cities in Italy, Europe, the world, in the sense that cultural engagement (both as a leisure pursuit and as a profession) is rendered minimally accessible. Furthermore, Piacenza tends to be rather conservatively minded, and the rich cultural diversity of the city is often (intentionally) hidden, which is also true of many other European cities.
To expose and celebrate such cultural wealth, the general model of Rathaus could be successfully replicated by engaging residents in the development of programming that reflects the diversity of a given city/area/territory.
The model of directly engaging residents in the collective decision-making of cultural programming is also replicable. The challenge therein is to authentically and gradually nurture relationships with other partners, both residents and organizations. Such process must be developed over time in a scaffolded manner.
Through these guiding objectives, other cultural centers can also harness their city’s potential as an artistic laboratory by collaborating with residents to co-develop cultural happenings and stimulate social engagement and exchange.
To expose and celebrate such cultural wealth, the general model of Rathaus could be successfully replicated by engaging residents in the development of programming that reflects the diversity of a given city/area/territory.
The model of directly engaging residents in the collective decision-making of cultural programming is also replicable. The challenge therein is to authentically and gradually nurture relationships with other partners, both residents and organizations. Such process must be developed over time in a scaffolded manner.
Through these guiding objectives, other cultural centers can also harness their city’s potential as an artistic laboratory by collaborating with residents to co-develop cultural happenings and stimulate social engagement and exchange.
Keywords
connection
community
collaboration
engagement
empowerment
