Those who undertake a migration journey are, first and foremost, bearers of intellectual and professional skills and abilities, passions and desires, but often do not find the space to let their fantasies emerge, stifled by the priority of social integration.
Artistic expression is rarely supported and encouraged by projects aimed at refugees, preferring to provide more immediate responses to the most basic needs, sacrificing aptitudes and interests that instead characterised the experience refugees had in their countries of origin.
"I do not give up on my dreams", a Mosaico - Azioni per i Rifugiati's project
The lack of appreciation of artistic skills undermines full personal fulfilment, the expression of individuality and confidence in one's talent. Moreover, the lack of opportunities to express oneself through art prevents the direct telling of one's experience of uprooting, as well as one's personal view of the world.
The aim of Mosaico's project is, therefore, to enhance the artistic talent of refugees through a call for entries dedicated to poetry and painting, fostering positive social inclusion and the dissemination of a culture of reception that is not welfarist, but based on the value of encounter and mutual knowledge.
"I do not give up on my dreams" intends to support the aptitudes of each person involved, reinforcing their self-esteem and fostering an experience of active citizenship and the realisation of their work projects in the artistic field. Furthermore, the beneficiaries of the project will have the opportunity to meet refugee and Italian artists already established in Europe and Italian experts curating art exhibitions during three Masterclasses, during which they will have the opportunity to discuss the world of Art and receive valuable advice also with a view to a possible job placement.
The beneficiaries
Direct beneficiaries of Mosaico's project will be four refugees selected through a public call for applications that aims to enhance their painting and poetry skills.
The winners will receive a cash prize of EUR 800 which can be used to finance artistic skills or alternatively to reinforce training for entry into the world of work in the artistic field through a trip to Paris to meet the painter René Bokoul, a member of the selection jury, and to visit his gallery in Limoges.
Finally, it will be possible for the winners to meet European institutions, in particular the ECRE (European Council for Refugees and Exiles) within the framework of one of the meetings expected by the Executive Director of Mosaico who sits on the Board as Representative of the Mediterranean area.
The indirect beneficiary of the project is Italian society, in which those who participate and win the competition will be able to express themselves and integrate, bringing added human and economic value.
Project's name: Ai miei sogni non rinuncio (I do not give up on my dreams)
Proposing organization: Mosaico - Azioni per i Rifugiati
Area of intervention: Inclusion & Social Development