Italian Emigration Museum online
The project was strengthened in the following areas:
Realization of "Didactics" section with publication of worksheets aimed at educational paths for use by primary and secondary schools
Online posting of short clips from interviews with Italian emigrants and immigrants
Enrichment of existing entries with additional insights into various topics
English translation of the virtual tour of the exhibition "Along the wake of a propeller"
Realization and development of the new website of the Paolo Cresci Foundation
The Foundation's new website visible at. www.fondazionepaolocresci.it.
The site, which was built according to modern computerized devices, is easily managed by the Foundation's staff, resulting in cost savings, and also allows for speedy updates and insertion of event news, press releases, etc.
A "Visit the Paolo Cresci Museum" section has been created, with photos and text, in Italian and English.
Museum Didactics
Promoted and managed museum education activities with schools in the Lucca area, the organization of workshops and guided tours of the museum.
Elsewhere. Journal of history and interculture.
Online publication of a single issue dedicated to the publication of the entries received as part of the On the Roads of Europe Competition. (in progress)
Series "The Foundation Notebooks"
The following volume has been published:
G. Baccelli, Emigration to Lucca from 1876 to 1913 and notes on the genesis of migration in the first half of the 1800s.
Publication of the "Bulletin of Italian Emigration"
The Emigration Bulletin, published from 1901 to 1927, edited by the General Commissariat of Emigration, is an indispensable source for scholars of Italian emigration.
In 2014, digitization was completed and by the end of the year it will therefore be possible to put it online in the Foundation's website and in the "Museum of Italian Emigration on line" website
Contest " On the routes of Europe"/"On the routes of Europe"
The beauty of integration and acceptance, but also the difficulties related to cultural differences and the fear of starting a new life in an unfamiliar land, are some of the themes addressed, with freshness and great attention, by the children and young people from all over Italy who participated in the contest dedicated to emigration entitled "On the Roads of Europe. People walking across borders to conquer the future." The initiative was sponsored by the Paolo Cresci Foundation for the History of Italian Emigration, the Province and the City of Lucca with the contribution of the Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca.
The award ceremony at the Ducal Palace was attended by many students, over 180; the awardees They came from Lombardy, Liguria, Tuscany and Campania. Eleven classes, from elementary to high school, who took the top three places on the podium thanks to their original entries . .
The competition, aimed at schools of all levels throughout Europe, featured the Participation of as many as 40 Italian classes (from Calabria, Campania, Emilia Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Puglia, Veneto and Tuscany) and 4 from Turkey, Romania e Poland. To participate, elementary school children were invited to compose poems or carry out written interviews and historical research while older middle and high school children could choose between writing a text, making a video or a graphic work.
A special prize went to some students from Turkey, a nation that is not part of the European Union but was equally eligible to participate in the competition.
Also presented during the event was the new issue of "Elsewhere," the journal of history and interculturalism. published by the Cresci Foundation. This is a monographic issue dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the walls of Lucca, written by a group of Italian, French and Spanish students who worked as part of the "COMENIUS" project comparing the history of Lugo (Spain), Saint-Malo (France) and Lucca, three European cities with ci walls.
Exhibitions and displays
As part of the Culture Week of the Region of Tuscany, the exhibition "When the Tuscans Discovered la Merica" a 20-panel journey with documents , images and explanatory texts through 100 years of Tuscan emigration around the world.
Production of a play on the themes of emigration-immigration
The "Migrants" project resulted in the creation of a multimedia show, a record with original music and a network on the theme of global migration.
The show, debuting for the opening of the Roccella Jazz Festival on Dec. 26, 2014, is based on the interaction of multiple artistic languages and has a component of improvisation in the "jazz way," with pieces specially written and performed by internationally renowned musician Nicola Sergio, in the performance of the music, in the live management of the video projection as well as in the text, so each play will be a different and unique experience every time.
The project, developed by the Lyiriks Association, with the collaboration of various social and cultural realities, makes use of archival materials and scientific advice from the Foundation and boasts the collaboration of Don Ciotti's Libera Association. The debut performance is also enriched by the special participation on stage, with acting voice and texts, of Jean René Bilongo, Trade Unionist- Publicist- Essayist.
The music, performed on solo piano by the composer and written specifically for the project, is inspired by research, news and experiences of migrants and will be collected in the album titled "Migrants," with release scheduled to coincide with the debut of the show.
The set design and video projection are created by stage director Nino Cannatà with images, historical documents, words and meaningful messages in different languages.
The images and footage with the testimonies that will be presented were sourced with the involvement of professional journalists and by drawing on the banks of video material kindly provided by the General Command of the Guardia di Finanza, the Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies engaged in the "Mare nostrum" program of patrolling the nation's coasts.
Participation in cultural events
The Foundation participated in the regional events "Amico Museo" and "La notte dei Musei" and the Lucca event "Lucca notte bianca," with the evening opening of the Museum and entertainment with music and reading of letters and memories of emigrants.
Acquisition of documentary material and objects related to the history of emigration - The Marks Collection of plaster statues and artifacts
The company Toskanischen Industrie, established by Archimedes Nannetti with partners Marchi and Mariani of Bagni di Lucca at the end of the 19th century, as well as that of Felice Martinelli "Felix Martinelli & co Kunst-Anstalt" constituted flourishing businesses as shapers of statues, decorative elements and plaster furnishings in Munich. Their production, which had as its cultural references the 15th- and 16th-century Florentine period, was a great success among the cultured Bavarian bourgeoisie. The activity continued until the first decades of the 20th century when the protagonists of these important commercial and at the same time artistic events returned home.
The sample books, catalogs, photos and other important documents of this activity flowed into the Nannetti - Vincenti collection, heirs of these dynasties; thanks to the generosity of the custodians of this collection, the Cresci Foundation is enriched with this important heritage that testifies to the creativity and resourcefulness of Lucca's figurine makers.
The material will find appropriate placement within the museum's exhibition itinerary in the coming months.
Archive
The project of digitizing paper documents with contribution of CIP funding continued, in addition, new documents were computerized filing.
Communication plan
Action to promote the Foundation's activities through local and national generalist and trade media. This work was developed through the drafting and sending of dedicated press releases and contact with editorial offices...
Activation of internships
During the year 2014, 2 training internships were activated at the Cresci Foundation with staff appropriately selected under the Tuscany Region Giovani Si project.