A workshop and a communication campaign conceived by Design students presented at the “Palpitare di Nessi” festival
Two projects dedicated to educator and nonviolence activist Danilo Dolci, developed by nine students from the University of the Republic of San Marino to highlight his work, were presented on Friday, June 27, in Trappeto, Sicily, as part of the "Palpitare di Nessi" Festival. The feedback was positive: one of the ideas presented could soon become a reality, involving the local community in the pursuit of artisanal crafts.
The initiative was organized by the Borgo Danilo Dolci company in collaboration with the Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo association and a number of national and local socio-cultural organizations. Now in its second edition, the festival hosted theatrical performances, roundtable discussions, photography exhibitions, and more, all under the banner of a message of peace.
Against this backdrop, the University of San Marino first presented a communications campaign to promote Dolci and the festival through design, storytelling, and motion graphics, to be featured online and beyond in publications and billboards. The campaign, the authors reported, embodies "a visual balance that combines human warmth and reflection."
There's also the possibility of a workshop in which the community of the village where the association is based will be involved in the creation of two special chairs designed by five students from the University of San Marino, along with a free-access "house" where books and comics can be dropped off or picked up, for an exchange of knowledge, culture, and shared living.
Karen Venturini, professor of the Product and Project Economics course, coordinated the work, confirming the association's intention to bring the workshop to fruition. The proposed pieces are "furniture made with locally sourced raw materials, primarily wood, developed within" an initiative open to "the participation of the local population." According to the students, "collaboration with artisans who will contribute to the production of the semi-finished products needed for the final product" is planned.
The findings "will be placed within the village and, if necessary, can be put up for sale" thus contributing "to a dedicated fundraiser."
In addition to organizing the festival, the Borgo Danilo Dolci company is involved in the restoration and revitalization of the area where the event took place. For its part, the Center for Creative Development is involved in local, national, and international projects and initiatives, identifying synergies and opportunities for cooperation with individuals, schools, institutions, and organizations. The goal is, among other things, to create the conditions for nonviolent community development by activating participatory processes and supporting education as a lever for social change, a tool for enhancing the interests and potential of each individual.
In addition to participating in the festival, the University of San Marino recently highlighted Dolci, described as the "Italian Gandhi," with a conference held last October, on the centenary of his birth. Among other things, the conference explored the Sicilian's work in the 80s, when he worked on a pedagogical manifesto with the intention of establishing a University of Peace on San Marino. Although the project never materialized, its intentions and goals remain relevant today.
Venturini was supported by tutor Chiara Amatori. The communications campaign was developed by students Rocco Forlano, Luca Bartolucci, Simone Amadori, and Filippo Gabrielli. The workshop was designed by Luca Daidone, Alessia Federici, Riccardo Migani, Andrea Petroni, and Alessia Ragaglia Annaloro.