Milan, October 29 (Askanews) – How can we make live performance a more accessible, participatory, and meaningful experience for young people under 30? How can we move from listening to co-creating new ways of relating? These were some of the questions at the heart of "PRENDIAMO POSTO," the event held on Monday, October 26 at BASE Milano, promoted by Fondazione Cariplo and Stratagemmi Prospettive Teatrali as part of "THE YOUTH CLUB," a system project and innovative model of collaboration between cultural institutions (10 in Lombardy and VCO) created with the aim of transforming the theatrical experience into a lively and engaging space for young people under 30. The afternoon was conceived as a true workshop for discussion and co-design, in which young people, cultural workers, artists, teachers, representatives of institutions and organizations involved in the live entertainment sector were asked to jointly reflect on the future of the relationship between young people and theater. The goal was to listen to the needs of those under 30 and transform them into concrete proposals.
Giovanni Azzone, President of Fondazione Cariplo, emphasizes the importance of investing in the relationship between young people and culture: "Young people are our future, and culture is our country's strongest asset. Having young people attentive and interested in culture is therefore the most positive prospect for the future of our community." Collaboration between cultural institutions is the core of The Youth Club, the alliance supported by Fondazione Cariplo with an investment of €7,5 million.
Azzone also highlights the value of networking in bringing new generations closer to culture: "The problems we face are so great that no one can address them alone. Therefore, networking diverse skills and knowledge becomes a way to create value for everyone.
Three themes emerged from the preliminary workshops that prepared the meeting: community, spaces, and languages. Maddalena Giovannelli, founder of Stratagemmi Prospettive Teatrali, stated: "The purpose of an initiative like this, now more than ever, is to truly listen to the younger generations. We often talk about young people without actually talking about them; we, however, will start with their questions and requests, listening first. It's crucial that leading institutions and foundations like Cariplo choose to listen to the younger generations: a goal that can't be taken for granted. The goal is to overcome the barriers that can make theater feel distant. Lorenza Gazzerro, Deputy Director of the Art and Culture Department at Fondazione Cariplo, commented: "The Youth Club is a systemic project that, over the course of three years, will invest resources in supporting young people under 30, networking ten of the leading theater institutions in Lombardy and the VCO region to design and develop synergistic and innovative activities aimed at this audience segment. Culture can be a fundamental lever for promoting a sense of citizenship in new generations, and theaters can offer an important contribution to this growth path." The proposals collected in the afternoon – a true laboratory for discussion and co-planning – will help guide the upcoming activities of The Youth Club to make theaters increasingly engaging places for young people.
Askanews