Presented today at Palazzo Butera "QuattroPuntoZero", the first widespread school of traditional arts and crafts that aims to enhance cultural heritage through the activation of sustainable local development processes.
A three-year project supported by Fondazione con il Sud, Fondazione Mon Soleil, Fondazione De Agostini, Enel Cuore Onlus, Associazione Luigia Tincani per la promozione della Cultura, Fondazione Palazzo Butera, Fondazione Peppino Vismara, Fondazione Sicilia, and Fondazione per l'Arte e la Cultura Lauro Chiazzese.
Social inclusion and innovation are the two keywords of the initiative, which has the ambition to give rise to new collaborations between research centers, artisan enterprises and production chains, capitalizing on the experience of the regeneration operated in the Kalsa district starting with the restoration and reopening of Palazzo Butera.
Having completed the research and mapping phase on artisan knowledge, the first workshops have already started, and soon the training courses, internships and apprenticeships distributed throughout the territory will begin, with the aim of contributing to the development of an artistic-craft ecosystem capable of generating new micro-enterprises, while strengthening social ties in Palermo's historic center and in some of the hinge districts. The training workshops will be complemented by activities to support self-entrepreneurship with advisory services and digital promotion to encourage the regularization of already active craft businesses as well as incentivize the creation of new 4.0 enterprises.
All thanks to the collaboration between Third Sector entities, businesses and institutions that have been working in Palermo for years sharing objectives and tools: with the lead partner Palermo Mediterranean Gateway, Next Nuove Energie X il Territorio, Butera Società Immobiliare, Wonderful Italy, Centro Servizi Sistema Museale di Ateneo (Unipa), Comitato Addiopizzo, Booq, Centro Studi Opera Don Calabria, Lisca Bianca, Ruber Arte Contemporanea and USSM Ministero della Giustizia operate in partnership. "Increasing and enhancing creativity and innovation in the field of artistic-craft production can be the key to a change of course in the development of our city"-explains Simone Lucido, coordinator of the project-"Palermo's historic center, with its widespread cultural heritage, has enormous potential in this regard, but it is necessary to begin to rehabilitate the immense capital inherited from the past by considering it an essential part of our socio-economic future."
QuattroPuntoZero, A widespread school for the community.
Educating for beauty to stimulate citizens to believe and invest in their territory is the first step in a larger project that aims to make the Sicilian capital a socially and economically dynamic and attractive reality. More than 700 hours of free training courses, 20 internship grants for underprivileged youth, 10 job placements at artisan workshops, more than 100 professionals involved, including local artisans, artists, restorers, designers, and architects, and more than 200 expected participants: these are the numbers of QuattroPuntoZero. "We want to offer the young people of our city, with an eye to the most fragile groups as well, the opportunity to generate growth and value for themselves and their community"-explains Aloisa Moncada di Paternò, head of the strategic direction of the diffused school-"We want to do this by recovering in an innovative way traditional arts and crafts at risk of disappearing, in sectors such as restoration, gardening, and the production of ceramics and furniture accessories, so as to bring new lifeblood to the socio-economic fabric of Palermo. A goal that goes hand in hand with supporting artisans so that they can work safely and regain the dignity associated with their uniqueness and valuable knowledge."
The professionalizing courses and workshops will begin in April and will take place in the workshops of qualified artisans. For information or to apply, simply write to info@quattropuntozero.org.