Artemisia: a property confiscated from the mafia for the socio-labor integration of young adults
Artemisia Academy, a villa confiscated from the mafia, is an innovative model of housing, residential and tourism-social mix. A part of the Villa was destined to an apartment group for Italian neo-adults and former unaccompanied foreign minors, allocating the additional spaces to catering activities, tourist-hotel reception co-managed by the same boys; a place where the young inhabitants of the house will have the opportunity to start from scratch, giving themselves a second chance.
Local
Italy
Puglia Region - Municipality of Bari
Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Yes
ERDF : European Regional Development Fund
Avviso Pubblico n. 2/2015 per il finanziamento di strutture e interventi sociali e sociosanitari per soggetti beneficiari privati (approvato con a.d. n. 368 del 6 agosto 2015) - APQ “Benessere e Salute” – FSC 2007-2013.
Public notice n. 2/2015 for the financing of social and socio-health structures and interventions for private beneficiaries (approved with administrative decree n. 368 of 6 August 2015) - APQ "Wellness and Health" - FSC 2007-2013.
Puglia Region
No
Yes
2020-12-03
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Social Cooperative C.A.P.S. Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Marcello Last name of representative: Signorile Gender: Male Nationality: Italy Function: Legal representative Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Via Vincenzo Ricchioni n. 1 Town: Bari Postal code: 70132 Country: Italy Direct Tel:+39 335 731 7476 E-mail:segreteria@coopcaps.it Website:https://www.coopcaps.it
Inside the most prestigious and extensive property confiscated from organized crime in Bari, thanks to massive renovations, a reception facility for young adults "Care Leavers" is now active, a training facility for young people welcomed, in the catering sector, of tourist and hotel reception, called "Artemisia Academy" and a Bistro/Cafeteria/American Bar with a B&B open to the public, with large green spaces and swimming pool, entirely co-managed by young people trained within the Artemisia Academy. Within Artemisia, young Italian or immigrant 18-year-olds, who have left the reception facilities for minors in which they were previously placed, are welcomed for a year, during which they participate in an intensive and quality training course, to learn how to work within the Bistrot and B&B, receiving a paid work grant. In the initial reception phase, they receive transversal training in the Ho.Re.Ca. sector, to then specialize in a specific job, based on the inclinations they have shown. During their training, they are supported by a staff of industry experts, cooks, waiters, receptionists, who teach them the skills necessary to manage the Bistrot and B&B activities and, at the end of the course, help them find work in the sector, in other restaurants, cafés or accommodation facilities in Bari or in the rest of Italy.
Artemisia is today one of the most interesting realities in the local catering scene and is frequented every year by thousands of customers, who choose Artemisia for its social activities and purposes, thus helping to support the reception and training courses promoted in favor of young people welcomed.
Artemisia also hosts social initiatives, cultural events and private events every day, offering young adults the opportunity to live a socially stimulating experience that allows them to fully integrate into the area, finding valid housing and work solutions, thus making themselves independent from the support of Social services of the city.
Integration
Generativity
Self-sustainability
Social innovation
Regeneration
Artemisia is a fully self-sustainable initiative.
After an initial loan, useful for carrying out the renovations of the asset confiscated from organized crime in which the activities are based, today the initiative is fully supported thanks to the income from the bistro, the cafeteria and the B&B co-managed with young adults.
Artemisia, experimenting with an innovative welfare mix model, of a social and commercial nature, in the catering and tourist-hotel hospitality sector, manages to promote six courses every year to accompany young adults to autonomy and professional training, offering them a dedicated reception facility in which to live for a year, but above all a set of initiatives useful for providing them with the skills necessary to manage the activities of the bistro and B&B. At the end of the reception process, the young beneficiaries are helped to enter the job market in a rewarding and valid way, thanks to the proven experience gained within Artemisia and an advanced and professional training path.
The sustainability of the initiative therefore derives from the contribution of the many citizens of Bari who spend their free time in Artemisia every day, for dinners, aperitifs, events and private parties, or who participate in the extensive catalog of cultural and social initiatives promoted at the inside the confiscated property.
Artemisia is therefore a socially sustainable project, which activates public and private contributions to promote paths of social emancipation of young adults in difficulty. Artemisia also favors the use of food and wine products from the Puglia Region, thus evaluating local raw materials and local producers.
Through the ERDF loan received and contributions from private banking foundations and profit organizations (Ikea), the C.A.P.S. has carried out impressive renovations of the confiscated property in which the initiative is carried out (Artemisia), through which it has been possible to completely renovate the internal and external spaces of the building, through prestigious architectural interventions, designed by one of the most ambitious and innovative local architectural studios, which have defined a complete reorganization of the spaces, safeguarding the typical architecture of the building (built in the 70s) and the characteristic vegetation of the territory present in the green areas. Through the interventions carried out, it was possible to refunctionalize the central body of the building (where the reception structure for newly-adult beneficiaries and the bistro rooms are now located), the external portico (where the external room of the bistro and the cafeteria are now present), the three outbuildings (which now house the rooms of the B&B), the swimming pool and green areas, where there is a solarium open to the public and a stage for concerts and public events.
Artemisia now represents a point of reference for relaxation and leisure for the citizens of Bari, who find in Artemisia a relaxing and comfortable space, sheltered from the daily frenzy and noise and environmental pollution of the city, where they can spend pleasant days, contributing to paths of integration of the beneficiaries and living in contact with a socially stimulating and lively reality.
Artemisia responds to the unprecedented challenge connected with the integration of young Care Leavers, i.e. Italian or foreign neo-adults who, upon reaching the age of majority, leave the educational communities in which they were previously welcomed, despite not having completed their socio-economic integration path and working in the area and being completely devoid of family references.
Before the birth of Artemisia, for these young beneficiaries (aged between 18 and 21) there were only two alternatives: either to stay (when possible) in the educational community for minors, until they turned 21, but in a poorly suited context with respect to their needs for autonomy and not very useful for job placement and economic independence; or, ask for the support of the network of dormitories and low-threshold reception facilities in the city, which were totally inadequate for them, as they came into contact with homeless people in chronic conditions and in contexts where there was a high risk of involvement in organized crime.
Artemisia, on the other hand, proposes an intervention model designed specifically for this user target and offers a training and job placement path useful for effectively entering the catering and tourist-hotel hospitality market. Artemisia aims to enhance the skills, experiences and motivation of the beneficiaries, providing them with useful and proven work skills, through which they can quickly achieve the goal of personal and economic autonomy, avoiding that the beneficiaries are forced to access network of low-threshold reception facilities in the city, thus risking encountering problems of chronicity and deviance.
Artemisia was born at the request of the municipal Social Services, but also of the reception services of the territory and of the local institutions, in order to respond to an urgent problem that until a few years ago had no answer.
The citizens of Bari are both indirect beneficiaries of the activities carried out within Artemisia, but also essential supporters for the full sustainability of the initiative.
Since 2019, in fact, the citizens of Bari have enjoyed a welcoming and aesthetically appealing space for their free time and leisure activities and inside Artemisia they find a relaxing and comfortable space for their lunches or dinners, for aperitifs or parties and private events, in a place protected from the hustle and bustle of the city and the daily frenzy. By using the services offered by Artemisia and participating in the numerous cultural and social initiatives promoted in this space, citizens contribute significantly to supporting the integration and training paths of the 6 beneficiaries welcomed every year, also on an economic level, who are guided by a of experts in the Ho.Re.Ca. to manage the activities promoted within Artemisia and acquire skills that can be used in the catering and tourist-hotel hospitality market, once the reception process and the training offered within the Artemisia Academy have been completed.
On the other hand, Artemisia represents a point of reference and an incubator of social and cultural initiatives, carried out in collaboration with the numerous associations, non-profit organizations and social realities of the territory, aggregating civil society and offering a free and equipped space for the realization of initiatives open to citizens. Until now, Artemisia has in fact hosted awareness-raising events on the issues of contrasting the mafia, the prevention of pathological addictions and related risks, also in terms of road accidents; initiatives were also carried out to combat violence against women and to promote the integration of immigrants and intercultural issues, in collaboration with important local partners engaged in social work, recording the involved participation of thousands of citizens.
The model of redevelopment and reuse of a confiscated asset, returned to the local community for the realization of a structured intervention of reception, training of young adults could only be achieved through the support of various stakeholders, drawing on public and private funding of various kinds, useful for the implementation of structural interventions and the start-up of the initiative.
In particular, the Puglia Region has made ERDF resources available, through which it has been possible to create and activate the structure dedicated to welcoming young beneficiaries; funding from two important private foundations (“Fondazione con il Sud” and “Fondo di Beneficienza Intesa San Paolo”) have instead allowed the redevelopment of the spaces intended for bistro activities and the adaptation of the outbuildings dedicated to the B&B, as well as the activation of the first training experiences of the beneficiaries.
The Municipality of Bari, in addition to collaborating in the initiative through the identification of the beneficiaries, selected by the municipal Social Service, has also contributed financially to the purchase of equipment for the training of young adults.
Furthermore, Ikea Italia supplied the furnishings for setting up the B&Bs inside Artemisia, for a total of 9 beds.
All the funding flowing into the initiative, now depleted, allowed the construction of the architectural works within the confiscated property and the start-up of the initiative; currently, although collaborations and interlocutors with stakeholders persist, Artemisia's activities are self-sustaining through the income from the bistro and the B&B. Furthermore, the activation with the Municipality of Bari and with various other Municipalities of the Puglia Region remains constant, which still take care of signaling potential young adults in favor of which to promote the integrated reception and training path.
For the realization of the initiative, a multidisciplinary work and a close collaboration between professionals belonging to different disciplines were necessary, among which above all architects and engineers, technicians of the catering and hospitality sector, social professionals, experts in the communication sector and social marketing.
In particular, the close interaction between engineering-architectural professionals and catering technicians has made possible the most congenial configuration and arrangement of the laboratory spaces intended for the beneficiaries and of the bistro/cafeteria; in the same way, the constant dialogue between the architects and the hotel reception technicians was essential for the creation and preparation of the B&B rooms and for the more efficient organization of the available premises. The interaction between the staff of the Ho.Re.Ca. and social professionals (educators, social workers, psychologists), has made it possible to identify the criteria for selecting the beneficiaries, the prerequisites and the necessary inclinations, thus outlining a training course calibrated on the needs, resources and fragility of the beneficiaries, able to offer them the necessary skills to carry out their internship at Artemisia and to place themselves satisfactorily on the job market, at the end of the course within Artemisia.
Furthermore, the connection between the communication and social marketing experts, the social professionals involved and the technicians of the Ho.Re.Ca. sector, has made it possible to create an incisive and impactful promotional campaign of Artemisia activities, capable of reaching the entire citizens of Bari and to make the Artemisia model and the catering and tourist-hotel hospitality activities promoted within it captivating and interesting in the eyes of the public.
Since the start of the Artemisia experience (2019), despite the significant obstacles produced by the Covid-19 pandemic, 20 training courses have been activated in the catering sector. The training courses carried out so far have been particularly valid and encouraging, they have made possible the training and professionalization of the young trainees, who have been directed, on the basis of their inclinations and aptitudes, towards the specific sectors of Artemisia's activity (cooking, service , cafeteria and American bar, hotel reception). At the end of the course, the young people were supported by Artemisia's technical and social staff in finding valid alternative work solutions in the local and national labor market.
Furthermore, three most deserving young people were hired directly within Artemisia, having demonstrated a particular propensity in the sector and currently contribute to the training activity of the new beneficiaries subsequently included in the project, thus experimenting with a circular and cyclical training model, in which the beneficiaries can in turn contribute to transferring the skills acquired to the new beneficiaries.
The activities of the bistro and B&B have recorded a very favorable response from citizens and visitors, as evidenced by the average ratings obtained by the activity both on Google (4.2 out of 5 stars), and on Booking.com (8.2 stars out of 10); to date, hundreds of public and private events have been held, registering the presence of over 300 guests in the B&B and thousands of customers of the bistro/café/American bar.
The Artemisia model has also registered the interest of numerous stakeholders and institutional representatives, who have seen in the experience an innovative way to promote social inclusion, effective use of assets confiscated from organized crime and a virtuous system to promote sustainability and participation of civil society in integration processes and local social policies.
From a social point of view, Artemisia offers an alternative model to traditional interventions in favor of "Youth Homeless" and young Care Leavers, experimenting with an integrated path of reception, training and new and effective job placement; in fact, young people are empowered and actively engaged in acquiring marketable skills in the Ho.Re.Ca. sector, through an engaging and structured path, with pre-determined deadlines and clear objectives, thus avoiding any risk of welfare or lack of responsibility. The experience of Artemisia is in fact very stimulating for the beneficiaries, because it not only responds to a housing or economic need, but offers the possibility of living for a year in a socially lively context rooted in the local area, thanks to the various cultural events held and the possibility of interacting and relating with the participants in Artemisia's activities and with the customers of the bistro and B&B.
Even in terms of training, Artemisia differs from the traditional training experience and internships widely used in Italy, which often translate above all into the availability of poorly paid apprentices for the host companies; on the contrary, Artemisia offers real on-the-job training, in which young people experience an immersive journey within an "Academy of tourism and catering", continuously exposed to stimuli and new teachings, alternating moments of observation and theoretical training, in phases of practical activity. Furthermore, Artemisia intends to innovate the Ho.Re.Ca. sector, promoting a socially oriented activity, which has objectives of social equity, integration and generativity, going beyond the logic of the profit market of the sector. Finally, by promoting self-sustainable entrepreneurial initiatives, Artemisia intends to revolutionize the traditional model of reuse of assets confiscated from the mafias, often used in Italy only to host traditional welfare interventions, sustainable only through continuous public funding.
Artemisia offers a new and generative approach in supporting young Care Leavers.
The social generativity of the intervention is inherent in the way in which the asset confiscated from the mafia is reused, which from a luxurious fortress of a local boss has been transformed into an ethical activity, open to the territory for hospitality, training and integration of young people in difficulty; generative is also the method of involving the beneficiaries in their paths of integration and autonomy, which aims to avoid risks of lack of responsibility and calls for a direct commitment of young people, also by providing services in favor of the local community that welcomes them.
The training methodology, based on the "learning by doing" approach, offers the beneficiaries an active and dynamic learning method, in which the acquisition of skills takes place directly through work experience, in the management of the bistro and B&B, by relating with citizens and customers. The course lasts one year, during which the young people participate in a first phase of training and transversal internship, in all the activities promoted within Artemisia (kitchen, dining room, cafeteria, hotel hospitality); once the transversal phase is over, based on the inclinations and aptitudes identified by the technical staff, or on the preferences expressed by the beneficiary, a specific specialist training sector is identified, in order to provide the young person with the advanced skills useful for placing himself on the local job market or national.
During the entire process, the young people receive a salary according to the standards envisaged for the internship and are supported also on a social and bureaucratic level by the staff of educators, psychologists and social workers, in the fulfillments useful for their personal autonomy (application for residence, housing and job search, education, socialization), preparatory to starting a path of full independence.
The Artemisia model is fully replicable and scalable.
Although the availability of a confiscated property of high architectural value and large extension made it possible to activate very diversified actions and sectors of activity (bistro, cafeteria and American bar, B&B, reception facility for young adults), it is nonetheless possible to reply the integrated model of reception and training of people in conditions of serious marginalization also using smaller spaces, focusing the intervention on specific activities, based on the resources and available spaces.
On the other hand, the need to promote effective integration experiences for people in difficulty (immigrants, homeless people, young adults without family references, disabled people, etc.) is common to many territorial, national or European contexts and therefore the model of Artemisia is fully useful, since it combines the social dimension of the intervention with elements of sustainability, work inclusion and openness to the territory, which can flexibly be declined in various ways, based on the needs of the territory and the organizations involved.
The learning methodology, based on the "Learning by doing" approach, is on the other hand much more effective than traditional theoretical or laboratory training models and can be applied in many situations and with different target beneficiaries.
The integration of the contribution of civil society, of local, national and community public institutions, but also of non-profit organizations and profit realities, in supporting the initiative and the social aims of the intervention, may also be applicable in many territorial contexts , grafting onto the social policies adopted by the various European countries.
Artemisia's model responds to two urgencies and priorities of contemporary society: on the one hand, the need to promote effective and valid integration processes for young immigrants present in the area (in 2022, 15,595 unaccompanied foreign minors were registered in Italy); on the other, responding to the need to support and accompany the so-called "Care Leavers" to independence, i.e. young adults who have been removed or left their families of origin and who, upon turning 18, have lost the forms of help and support that the State guarantees during the minor age. In Italy, there are about 3,000 young people who come of age every year, after a process of child protection and alternative care, at the end of which they are deprived of housing, work or a family support network. Artemisia contributes to tackling these important problems, proposing an integrated reception process for young people, Italian or foreign, between the ages of 18 and 21, who are housed for a year in a structure dedicated to newly adults, within an asset confiscated by the mafia and within the same building, participate in the management of a bistro and a B&B, open to the public, thus acquiring the professional skills to enter the job market, with the help of the Horeca staff and professionalism social networks of Artemisia, at the end of the itinerary.
The city of Bari is very interested in the issues of welcoming immigrants and "Care Leavers": in the city there is a "Reception Center for Asylum Seekers" and numerous Educational Communities, in which Unaccompanied Foreign Minors and Italian Minors are welcomed Senza Famiglia, who find hospitality within Artemisia, when they come of age.
