FROM THE GARDEN TO NATURE

From the Garden to Nature was created with the aim of contributing to the education and social rehabilitation of young female inmates through cultural and practical activities designed to awaken interests and motivations, strengthen key competences (such as linguistic, scientific, social and civic, cultural awareness and expression, and citizenship skills), and offer moments of well-being, relaxation, positive social interaction, and creativity.

These goals are pursued through workshops that include scientific themes and observations, artistic performances, group work, and individual and social reinforcement activities — including collective singing and dancing. The project also provides a relational and educational model that can be applied to the often uninspiring and limited prison schooling system, offering an orientation and motivational path toward a change in life perspective.

The theme of the garden is generally very engaging, rich in historical, aesthetic, and cultural implications, and full of creative potential. It evokes beauty, art, and the human relationship with natural elements. The workshops are conducted through an experimental approach, bringing flowers, plants, and animals to be observed and studied — but also to serve as stimuli for self-reflection, as symbols of memory and traditional knowledge, as inspiration for collective dance and singing performances, and as opportunities for socialization.

Scientific observations, literary reflections, and experiences that bridge art and science are carried out. In agreement with the teaching staff, workshops are also organized on the use of plants in food and nutrition — particularly valuable for these young women, some of whom are already mothers. The workshops adopt a cross-disciplinary approach, offering meaningful moments of sociability and exchange.

Artistic materials are provided to the participants so they can create a series of “artworks,” inspired by natural elements, famous works, or their own creativity and imagination. The proposed activities have a powerful impact on their engagement and competences; they deeply involve the participants and create moments of dialogue and social bonding that are rare within the prison context.

The project also produces a positive impact on the teachers, who report not only an increase in their knowledge but also a better understanding of the girls and the discovery of hidden potential. For the prison staff — who live under constant tension and have few opportunities for relaxation — the workshops represent a chance to see the inmates from a different perspective and even to share creative experiences with them. Some of the artworks, in fact, are produced by the correctional officers themselves or in collaboration with the inmates.