Behind Bars. CCO – Puntozero Exchange

CCO and Puntozero have been carrying out artistic activities for several years in juvenile penal institutions and share the belief that meetings between shared realities (which are often not known) and the creation of synergies are fundamental to increase the value of the resources available.

From a desire to understand and create networks, CCO organized a first national meeting between associations involved in artistic activities in juvenile penitentiaries (March 2018) financed by AMI. The Theatres and Juvenile Justice Association was the outcome of this meeting, to which the major associations offering artistic workshops in the IPMs adhere and were involved in the 2020 exchange with reciprocal visits between two associations. In 2021, the two associations strengthen this exchange via the realization of some videos that show the routine of their work, talking about it with the protagonists in a light and modern way in episodes of approximately 8 minutes each, enabling a new meeting/comparison between the two experiences via an outside view, that of Kento, a rapper with great experience inside juvenile prisons.

The first 4 episodes tell about a day with Puntozero in the IPM in Milan, dealing with the dreams but also the challenges and difficulties of the inmates. The successive 4 episodes take place in the IPM in Airola (BN), where Kento meet Lucariello who, together with CCCO, holds workshops in rap writing (and more) for the inmates.

Video is a useful instrument to stay close to the inmates even when it is not possible to do so physically. It shows what happens in the theatrical and rap workshops and the importance of that experience, providing the inmates with some easy practical rap and theatre exercises to do on their own. The videos also help youths who have just arrived in the IPM to participate in artistic workshops and understand the pathway to the creation of a song or a theatrical production.