Hub Officine Giovani

May 18, 2023
3 min read

Hub Officine Giovani is based in a peripheral area of Udine (Italy) next to a public park which has become over the years a creative and cultural alternative symbol of the city.

We re-opened a public space for youngsters, which has been closed for years, strongly believing that art, creativity and places in which youngsters can connect and share contents are milestones for an improvement and empowerment of the society.

Especially after the pandemic, we think that the importance of having a place outside schools and homes where people can catch up is essential for a restart and personal growth.

In our space, people can create, read, play music, record, attend workshops, help to organize events and be part of a chang

"Especially after the pandemic, having a place outside schools and homes where people can catch up is essential for personal growth."

The power of “ Hub Officine Giovani '' is creating connections between people: youngsters, professionists and coordinators are actively living our space.

In this year we planned some actions to link, educate and give the opportunity to our followers to create and organize together something big: a festival!

We’ve mapped their necessities and desires, after that we created a group “la nuvola” (the cloud) which is actively involved in all the processes of the event: brainstorming ideas, scouting of talents, planning the activities, managing local bureaucracy etc, etc.

The festival will host the winners of a live music competition, some theater shows and much more to create a two days creative summer explosion inside the park “Ardito Desio” which is a symbol of alternative street culture in Udine.

The output is the Festival, the core is the work done together to make it possible and real.

Youngsters describe the Hub as a safe place, stimulating, empowering and with these activities they are part of a change in their city, which most of the time they don’t feel to belong to.

A Catalyst for Change: Hub Officine Giovani's Role in Udine's Cultural Landscape

How old is it?

The hub is publicly owned and was run by another association until 2018.

This project started in May 2022.

Which are the main activities you do?

Officine Giovani is a multifunctional space with two rehearsal rooms, one recording room, a bigger room in which youngsters can creatively express themselves (music, theatre, art, meetings), share their achievements, interact and improve their skills (now a team of youngsters is organizing a 3 days festival in the area), be oriented in working fields and possibilities.

How many people are working in the organization?

Lorenzo Donati de Conti and me are responsible for the opening hours, three collaborators are helping in the organization of activities, communication and administration plus some external collaborators or professionals for workshops, trainings and conferences.

What came first in your life? Creativity or social work?

I graduated in Education and collaborated with organizations linked with social work, i would say social work.

Can you describe the first work you have done, which connected social topics with creative tools?

I worked for “Puntoluce” a project from “Save the Children” contrasting educational poverty. The mission is giving free labs for children between 6 and 17 years of age in peripheral and disadvantage areas of the cities.

"Linking social and artistic fields strengthens the spread of messages youngsters want to share and listen to."

Can you describe your relationship to creativity.

Creativity is a powerful link, a “connection creator” between people.

I would not descrive my self as a creative person, but i can perceive the potential and the attraction which creativity can have.

What about your relationship to social work?

Social work is essential for me and means caring for something.

Being a social worker means contributing to the future of youngsters.

Which of the fields, social or artistic, fulfills you more?

I would say social for my studies and working experiences.

Can the combination of the two be problematic in any way?

No, I think on the other hand, it’s strengthening to link social and artistic fields to broaden the spread of messages youngsters want to share and listen to.

Art can be very catchy and can be a useful tool to use to impress and point out social issues.

How do you determine your target audience?

16-35 years of age

Do you think art has the ability to address pressing social issues? And if so, how?

Absolutely yes.

Art is a powerful media to reach people because it’s intense, interesting, and catchy; it easily captures the attention and reaches lots of people who can even not be interested in arts.

On the other hand, sometimes it’s easier to express creatively instead of speaking or writing contents, so it can be a useful tool to express even heavy social issues.

Can you describe your relationship to social work?

I think social work is caring for others, for ourselves, for the planet, for the future.

It has an important role in our lives and can determine the conditions of life of single individuals and whole communities; it’s powerful and essential over time and places.