Focusing on the largest publicly accessible and usable open area within the Don Bosco neighbourhood in Bolzano, the project concerns life in public space, its perception and inspiration for the use of a community.
“Tutto un passo – Alle einen Schritt” invites the neighbourhood community to rediscover space through dance and movement; it explores how the common can be experienced in alternative ways and how perspective on a place can be challenged. The fundamental objective is to transform squares into lively scenarios, making them stages of connections and creativity. Through the design of several activities, the Piazza Don Bosco becomes the central place of an artistic exploration, inviting the community to reclaim the often-underestimated resource of public space.
Dance can break social barriers and gather individuals of a diversity of age groups, ethnicities, and cultures. The interventions we did gave us just a glimpse of what the topic of movement and dance could achieve, when implemented into a certain context. We noticed people from all diverse backgrounds and age groups dance and interact together, creating a collective occasion that broke out of the everyday usual habits. Our aim was to enable situations like this and to research on the interactions we fostered.
While our research relied on past projects and theory, we allowed ourselves room for experimentation as well. For us this seemed the right method of working in an unfamiliar context and with an unfamiliar topic. The topic of dance, and individual expression especially, relies heavily on experience. Starting out in orienting us on past works we soon started to set foot in the Don Bosco neighbourhood. Spending time in the area with the project but also with the course helped us in gaining an understanding of the dynamics, the actors around and the community. After the midterm presentation we focused mainly on active project work in Don Bosco and developing the different interventions. The result was a constant progression and building upon our new learnings and experiences.
The project was developed together with Carlotta Gambino and Chiara Belpassi in winter of 2023/24.