AVANGUARDIA: RE-USE OF MATERIALS AND TRAINING IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE

On 1 and 2 December 2015, at the Officine del Volo in Milan, the first large-scale national event on eLearning for businesses “exploring eLearning” took place, created and organised by Skilla – Amicucci Formazione with the support of Hdemia – LUISS Guido Carli and the collaboration of Italian and international Universities. The event can also boast another record in that it was fitted out with totally eco-sustainable furnishings, by AVANGUARDIA: 1,500 m², 2 floors, over 300 seats (upholstered stools and rocking chairs, small armchairs with cushions for the relaxation area), over 260 soundproof panels, coffee tables, tables, counters, benches, partitions and platforms. Everything made out of recycled materials: from pallets, planks of wood from farm buildings, barrels, waste coffee sacks and cloths. AVANGUARDIA is an association for social advancement working to promote products made with materials recycled by the IL MAGGIOCIONDOLO cooperative which plays a dual social role: the recycling of used pallets, otherwise destined to be discarded as waste, and the offer of employment (integration back into employment) of those suffering and coming from especially difficult situations, such as withdrawal from alcohol and drugs or imprisonment (more specifically, we work with detainees in alternative forms of punishment). As well creating the furnishings for “exploring eLearning”, some time ago we at Avanguardia were contacted by FABEREST, a start-up company offering experiences in the Italian excellence sector created this year by H-FARM Italia. They asked us to work with them on a team building project devised for company managers a half day spent in our workshop in Verona making stools from recycled planks of wood. Recently, two internships were also embarked upon in our company by two young men of 22 and 25 years old: Elia, a student of Architecture at the Polytechnic and Zeno, a Design graduate at the Verona Academy. Strangely enough it was they who sought us out, who put themselves forward and expressed the desire to commence an educational course with us, on recycling and creative craftsmanship: they feel the need to learn a manual skill to complete their intellectual preparation. Their placement in the company, given the social sphere in which the cooperative works, makes the training even more complete because it originates from a need for survival, with regard to the type of people it is made up of as well as because with this type of work the activity is maintained: they were immediately set to work on real projects with a brief to follow. In both cases the training starts from a need to learn a manual skill, and it is precisely this that remains in the centre of our memory. Click here to find out more about AVANGUARDIA Giuseppe and Francesca Padovani www.avanguardiaverona.it