A stage, many stories. Stories of suffering and courage, of mistakes and rebirth, of illness and hope. It is from this extraordinary tapestry of lives that the event promoted by the association Acsa&Ste ETS and the Camera Penale di Catanzaro, in collaboration with the Juvenile Penal Institute (Ipm) of Catanzaro, the Teatro Comunale, the agency Present&Future and with the valuable support of the “Renato Dulbecco” University Hospital, led by the extraordinary commissioner Simona Carbone, was born.
A special, deeply human initiative, which saw the young inmates of the Ipm of Catanzaro as protagonists, engaged in staging a play by Eduardo De Filippo. But the show – fun and successful thanks to the “touch” and sensitivity of director Rodolfo Calaminici – was only the vehicle for a much deeper message: through culture, art and social responsibility, it is possible to build bridges between life paths that seem far apart.
The idea to organize the event came from the Ipm youths themselves, eager to contribute concretely to the project “We Will Make Your Dream Come True”, which for years has been making dreams come true for children hospitalized in the pediatric wards of the “Renato Dulbecco” University Hospital, offering moments of joy and normality to those facing the difficult path of cancer therapies.
“It is a project that brings together education, culture, empathy and social responsibility,” said Dr. Giuseppe Raiola, president of Acsa&Ste ETS, and lawyer Francesco Iacopino, president of the Camera Penale “Cantafora” –. We help sick children, but we also restore dignity to young people who are too often labeled and forgotten. It is an educational battle that we must all fight together.”
The profound meaning of the evening is encapsulated in the beauty of reciprocity: young people who have made mistakes and are now on a path of re-education give their commitment and talent to children fighting illness. Two vulnerabilities that meet and support each other, in an embrace that restores dignity and hope. As Dr. Maria Concetta Galati emphasized: “This mutual helping hand between people who have experienced suffering is wonderful and gives hope for the future.”
The event, presented by the artistic director of the Teatro Comunale Francesco Passafaro, also represents the result of an extraordinary synergy between justice, healthcare, volunteering, and institutions. A network that, as extraordinary commissioner Simona Carbone recalled, “increasingly consolidates the bond with the territory, integrating health services with paths of humanization and social responsibility. The new Dulbecco Hospital wants to be more and more a place of care but also of community, able to stand by people not only as patients, but as citizens.”
On stage, at the end of the performance, one of the young people, Alex, wanted to specially thank some Ipm officials who accompany them daily on this difficult but precious path of re-education, including officer Antonio Trapasso and Dr. Alessandra Mercantini. Operators and educators who, thanks to the project of the “Veliero” Association Aps, chaired by Francesca Gallello, take the stage, becoming an active part of the performance, staying even closer to the young people they help every day.
Alex also introduced the performance of Abdul, aka Baby Blanca, who sang "Corri", a song symbolizing his journey.
The proceeds from the evening amounted to 5,885 euros, entirely destined for the young patients of the pediatric oncohematology department of the AOU “Renato Dulbecco”. “We have created not only a show, but the beauty of feelings and generosity,” emphasized Giuseppe Raiola, while the director of the Ipm, Francesco Pellegrino, recalled the constant commitment alongside the young people: “We accompany them on this journey of suffering, with the aim of returning to society people who are new, different from those we welcomed.”
During the evening, lawyer Francesco Iacopino gave symbolic gifts to the young protagonists and announced new future projects, including professional training courses and proximity adoption paths for the many foreign youths without family references in Italy: “We have concretely realized article 27 of our beloved constitution. We are launching two more projects dedicated to the young people of the penitentiary, one to give them a baker’s certificate, another to activate adoption in the city: half of the inmates in our juvenile prisons are non-EU citizens with no one in Italy, we want to give them a territorial reference. We will start with a pilot project and if it goes well, we will create another initiative that we hope can spread throughout Italy.”
A special thanks to those who contributed to making the evening possible with their support: the Regional Council of Calabria, Banca di Montepaone – Credito Cooperativo, Italian Medical Wives Association, Lions Club Catanzaro Host, Brulli Energia, as well as the Teatro Comunale and the Present&Future Agency.
Making the evening’s message and participation even more impactful was the presence of institutional figures, starting with the police chief Giuseppe Linares, the head of the Lamezia Terme State Police Commissariat Antonio Turi, the president of the Juvenile Court of Catanzaro Teresa Chiodo, the president of the Calabrian Solidarity Center Ets Isolina Mantelli, and the mayor of Vibo Valentia, Enzo Romeo.
What took place at the Teatro Comunale di Catanzaro was much more than a show. It was a powerful message of restorative justice, humanity, and hope. It was proof that even in the most difficult contexts, beauty, awareness, and generosity can blossom.
Because behind every mistake there can be a rebirth. And behind every smile given to a child, there is a future that regains its color.
And as it reads at the foot of the stage dedicated to Nino Gemelli: “Eduardo’s dream... together it’s possible.”