resina is a platform for research based in Ferrara. Resina's work is invested in developing slow-paced alternative education experiments and residencies, with a particular focus on themes related to ecology and  the need to rethink the relationship between people, ecosystems, and the stories of the surrounding territories. Through the organisation and programming of slow-paced artistic and research residencies, as well as non-formal educational projects, resina supports emerging practitioners working across various forms of art, research and writing.  Since 2023, resina is part of Wunderkammer Consortium: a center for research, education and cultural, social and environmental production on the Ferrara river docks.


︎︎︎ Team and collaborators



CONTACT
︎ resinacollective@gmail.com
RADICI




May 2021 - January 2022



A research period supported by an Arts Council England DYCP grant, to specialise in working with ageing adults and people living with dementia, exploring in particular programmes that combine art and gardening activities and their potential in fostering community wellbeing and addressing issues of isolation. 

The first phase of this reserch d consisted in training in horticulture at the School of Horticulture at Walworth Garden (Southwark). This gave me the opportunity to bring new gardening skills and horticulture knowledge to my practice, and to shadow programmes such as Growing to Grow, a therapeutic horticulture programme for those experiencing loneliness, anxiety,  depression or other challenges, designed in response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic to fight emotional difficulties with weekly gardening sessions.

The second phase consisted in undertaking training with specialised charities such as Arts 4 Dementia and Created out of Mind, which were crucial to deepen my understanding of dementia and of the important role that art can play in challenging stereotypes, taboos and improving the quality of life for people living with different dementias. They also increased my skills and confidence in communicating and working creatively with people experiencing the early stages of dementia and their carers both in real life and online.

Throughout this research period I  met with experts in the fields of arts, gardening and dementia care and explored best practices in various London-based institutions such as Museum of the Home, Garden Museum, Studio Voltaire and others. The project culminated in a collaboration with Alzhaimer’s society Islington, where I am currently working on the Cecilia's Cafe programme, and will continue through collaborations with AMA Associazione Alzhaimers Ferrara (upcoming, 2022) and S’ALA Sassari (upcoming, 2023) - where I will be delivering a series of plant-based storytelling workshops.

This research project was supported by Arts Council England and developed in partnership with Studio Voltaire.