Atelier dell’Errore BIG

The Atelier dell’Errore BIG project offers young adults who have ended their participation under the care of the Neuropsychiatric services the possibility to engage in art in an “Alta Scuola di Arti Visive” (high school of visual arts) one day a week, morning to evening. The Atelier dell’Errore BIG takes place in a big room in the Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia and youths participating in the workshops are able to visit the museum and be inspired by the contemporary works of art exhibited there.

Since 2002 the Atelier dell’Errore Assocation, guided by a visual artist, has been offering children and youth participating in the Children’s Neuropsychiatric services of the AUSL in Reggio Emilia and the Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo (from 2013) art workshops of a high cultural and artistic level along with their therapy. At the Atelier they can work with pencils, coloring pens, highlighters, chalk and huge sheets of white paper. The only thing missing are erasers. Over time, simple rules have been established: “no erasing” and “only draw animals,” so there are no mistakes in the drawings made by the young artists that have been diagnosed with psychiatric and psychopathological illnesses. Whatever the outcome, the result is always greeted as a transformation of “mistakes” into a necessary step towards the final product.

Artistic activities are a big discovery for many children, who find they love to draw and often reveal extraordinary talent. Drawing, expressing their interior landscape their own way and on their own time without being evaluated or judged or (as has been the case for so many) excluded, enables these children to feel rewarded and valued for who they are. For some of them, the Atelier becomes a real motivating force and when they turn 18 and their care by the Children’s Neuropsychiatric services comes to an end, the Atelier dell’Errore BIG project becomes a huge opportunity to continue to engage in art. Furthermore, young adults who have worked with the Atelier dell’Errore in Bergamo are taken to the Association of the Atelier dell’Errore BIG in Reggio Emilia.

Since  2019 some youths of Atelier dell’Errore BIG are involved as tutors of the younger kids in every activity and workshops of the association.

The association exhibits the work created by the children through exhibits, installations and demonstrations in prestigious, international contemporary art venues, museums and hospitals and presents video-theatre performances at major international festivals.