A recreational project designed to introduce young girls and boys to cultural venues in an engaging and accessible way.
Where we started
The ‘Lucciole – facciamo luce sulla cultura’ (Fireflies – let’s shed light on culture) project was created as part of the ‘Alla Scoperta della Cultura’ (Discovering Culture) call for proposals issued by Fondazione Cariplo, which aims to encourage young girls and boys to visit cultural venues in their local area.
The project was carried out in partnership with MUBA – Museo dei Bambini di Milano (Children’s Museum of Milan) and involved Milan’s Municipality 3 (Ortica, Lambrate, Casoretto, Città Studi and Cimiano districts), focusing particularly on young girls and boys with disabilities.
The main objectives were:
- providing young girls and boys with the skills and tools to participate more independently in cultural activities, thereby fostering links with the community;
- enhancing the ability to enjoy and appreciate cultural venues, while also supporting the critical development of young girls and boys and their families;
- promoting local cultural initiatives in order to meet the specific needs of the target audience.
What we did
The project ran for 13 months, from 1 January 2024 until 31 January 2025. During the first eight months of the project, we carried out the following activities:
- we aligned and held discussions with partners and collaborators regarding subsequent activities: visitor itineraries, a communication strategy and accessibility planning were finalised;
- we participated in four training sessions on monitoring and impact assessment, led by Cecilia Pennati of Cooperativa Codici;
- we set up two local informal networks: one consisting of families and local parents’ associations, and the other consisting of local cultural venues and organisations involved in the visitor itineraries;
- we provided training on cultural accessibility issues for the organisations involved in the project;
- a series of cultural and urban itineraries of specific neighbourhoods within Municipality 3 were planned and organised into four distinct itineraries, with each itinerary repeated twice (for a total of eight itineraries), for groups of 15 children aged 6 to 11 (and their families):
- Parco Lambro – Cimiano: the first event, which was part of the ‘Dire, Fare, Comunicare’ (Say, Do, Communicate) initiative run by Fedora, took participants on a sensory journey from Lambro Park to the Cimiano neighbourhood. Led by musician and music therapist Mattia Airoldi, they explored the area through sound, touch and smell.
The young girls and boys listened to and recorded the soundscape, establishing a direct connection with the natural environment.
As part of the experience, sensory platforms that convert sound into vibrations were used, enabling deaf children to enjoy it too.
The itinerary concluded with a workshop in which participants were invited to share their personal reflections on the experience. - Lambrate – Casoretto: the Dittico Elalù actors accompanied the young girls and boys on a guided tour in costume, showing them some of the cultural venues in the two neighbourhoods.
The experience ended with a reflection workshop held in the library. - Parco Lambro: a second event was held at the Lambro Park, in a different location to the first: the farmhouse library. Participants were able to enjoy listening to sounds through sensory platforms and to attend the final workshop where they shared their thoughts on the experience. The itinerary and the ways in which people interacted with the environment and landscape remained unchanged from the first itinerary in Lambro Park. The event was attended by a group of children, predominantly girls and boys of foreign nationality.
- Ortica: The Succo d’Arte guides led the young girls and boys on a journey of discovery, exploring the neighbourhood’s street art and the Teatro Martinitt.
The experience ended with a reflection workshop held in the theatre, led by actress and educator Veronica Franzosi.
- Parco Lambro – Cimiano: the first event, which was part of the ‘Dire, Fare, Comunicare’ (Say, Do, Communicate) initiative run by Fedora, took participants on a sensory journey from Lambro Park to the Cimiano neighbourhood. Led by musician and music therapist Mattia Airoldi, they explored the area through sound, touch and smell.
- The collaboration with MUBA resulted in the creation of an accessible exploration kit containing materials designed to enhance the accessibility of the cultural experience: tools for observation, creation, recording and storytelling.
- aAt the end of each itinerary, the young girls and boys gathered at the Valvassori Peroni Library to reflect on and discuss their experiences with their teachers and produce content for a future guide to cultural venues.
The second phase of the project ran from September 2024 to January 2025. The following activities were carried out:
- organisation of the final visitor itineraries:
- Ortica: the young girls and boys were given the opportunity to explore the public spaces and street art of the Ortica neighbourhood accompanied by the Succo d’Arte guides, discovering various locations and stories about the local area. They then took part in a workshop at Teatro Martinitt, led by Veronica Franzosi, in which they reflected on their experience;
- Città Studi: over the course of two days, the young girls and boys explored the Città Studi neighbourhood with researchers from Laboratorio Lapsus, uncovering historical evidence of the Resistance and how it contributed to securing constitutional rights. They then took part in a creative workshop to draft the Constitution of the Young Girls and Boys of Zone 3;
- Lambrate – Casoretto: the young girls and boys visited the Valvassori Peroni Library, Campo Teatrale and Spazio Tadini through a guided tour in costume led by the Dittico Elalù actors;
- a guide to exploring the cultural venues of Milan’s Municipality 3 was created using materials produced by the young girls and boys during workshops in which they reflected on their experience.
ANS – Associazione Nazionale Subvedenti (National Association for the Visually Impaired) played a key role in the project, helping Fedora to develop an accessible product for the widest possible audience; - At the end of the project, the guide was produced – in accordance with the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAMs) – and distributed to the various locations of the organisations that participated in the project (schools, associations, cultural venues, Municipality 3 headquarters, etc.);
- tactile maps showing the itineraries covered were produced in collaboration with La Girobussola APS. These maps make itineraries more accessible for blind people;
- monitoring and collecting feedback directly from those who participated in the itineraries.
Result: greater engagement and participation among young girls and boys in cultural venues and activities.
The project encouraged young girls and boys, particularly those with disabilities or vulnerabilities, to visit cultural venues in Milan’s Municipality 3, thereby enhancing their independence in enjoying cultural activities and enabling their families to participate too. Sensory itineraries, guided tours in costume and workshops were developed, along with exploration kits, tactile maps and accessible materials, including an itinerary guide.
The children displayed a high level of interest and engagement, and both families and schools reused the kits and said they would like to return to the places they visited. The initiative strengthened the local network of schools, families and cultural organisations, thereby fostering a deeper connection to the local area and extending the project’s reach.
Lucciole received two awards as part of the 2024 Fondazione Italia Patria della Bellezza call for proposals, including the EssilorLuxottica Special Prize, in recognition of the project’s social and cultural commitment.
