"We create devices that remain available to the community." This is how Paola Salvadori, representative of Officine Condivise, explained yesterday in Sassari, at the Poliss Center on Via Baldedda, the underlying intent behind the creation and return to residents of a cinema area, also dedicated to readings and performances. This project came to life thanks to Work in Poliss, the five-year urban and social regeneration project launched recently, conceived by Officine Condivise and funded by the Baggio Sisini Foundation and the Fondazione per il Sud. Fifty people were needed to set up the self-build project, participating in workshops ranging from construction to carpentry, led by local experts in small groups with a tutor.
Architect Nasrin Mohiti Asli of the Orizzontale collective was responsible for the masterplan and executive plans. "For the structure," she explains, "we used Swedish pine wood, PVC sheeting, and nets woven in the sewing workshop by the students." The result is a work where recycling plays a key role, and which fits the project's primary objective: regenerating the facility's entrances. But the equally important goal is also to offer potential employment opportunities to the participants. "These were heterogeneous groups," says Silvia Sbarra, a psychologist by training, "both in terms of background and vulnerability." "Some migrants also worked," adds Silvia, whose job is to demonstrate how to make the workshop useful. Many young people were present, enthusiastic about the initiative. "You learn to trust others and build a community," says Sara, a 25-year-old from Terralba. Elisa, Stefania, Luca, and Giulia, from Sassari and the surrounding area, talk about the importance of the circular economy and building "something that will last."
Yesterday, the Poliss Center came alive as part of the Wip Nic event, with DJ sessions and a display of the work of 140 young people, aged 14 to 17, following the Connecteen project, also promoted by Officine Condivise in collaboration with Le ragazze terribili. This project, which aims to combat educational poverty and school dropout, has involved several local schools, including Devilla, Castelvì, and Pellegrini.