Historicaly

Piazza dell'Arte started as an initiative of Marijke Seresia (who had previously established vzw Gynaika, see: http://www.gynaika.be). Based on her experience, as photographer, in the educational system and as art educator, she felt the need to start up a specific artistic project for young people. With Piazza dell'Arte Marijke Seresia wanted to offer an answer to questions like: How can you make youngsters enthusiastic about art? How can you let all youngsters discover their creative ability? How do you create equal opportunities for all young people and increase their involvement and sense of responsibility in our ever changing society?

To answer these questions, Piazza dell'Arte had to go find out themselves. Old busses from public transport company De Lijn were converted into modern mobile art laboratories with which the Piazza-team heads out to schools and suburbs to offer the youth all sorts of possibilities to be creative themselves: animation, photography, music, text, reporting, expressive work … No previous experience or knowledge is required, everyone can experiment to their hearts content.
Piazza dell’Arte's mobile art education activities have made quite an impression. Our caravan of busses has carried out our art educational mission all over Flanders and visits schools, cultural centres, suburbs due to special attention, but also attends countless events and festivals.

Because the Piazza dell’Arte project still operated under the wings of vzw Gynaika but continued to expand, it was decided in mid 2001 to establish an autonomous non-profit organisation. In February 2002 the vzw Piazza dell’Arte became a fact. From then on Piazza was no longer a project, but an independent organisation that comes up with and carries out diverse art educational projects. Since 2002 the organisation has been recognised by the Flemish Government.
With more than 50 projects per year, Piazza dell’Arte has grown into an important player in the field of art education. Aside from the established school and suburban activities, youngsters (and the adults who accompany them) experience even more highlights. Aside from our known activities in schools and collaborations with the likes of art and cultural centres, we have also realised a collaboration with Fevlado (the Federation for Flemish Deaf Schools) in various Flemish cities, which didn't go unnoticed. We are also involved in working with refugees, in collaboration with Fedasil. Further, we've seen the launch of stArt, a yearly youth festival where youngsters can work creatively in numerous artistic laboratories.
But Piazza dell'Arte also went international! In 2003 we took part in the children's film festival “CIAK junior” in Treviso (Italy) and in 2004, together with JIQ (Journal International des Quartiers), we realised an exchange-platform with international partners through which we were able to give a voice to various communities from Brazil to Africa via mixed media (internet, television, ...).
The current jewel in the crown of these new activities is the project ‘Bling Bling – De Kroonjuwelen van de Hip Hop’ in collaboration with the Diamond Museum in the Province of Antwerp. This project carried off the Golden Shot award at the end of 2007 during the 5th Day of Cultural Communication. Fine proof that Piazza dell’Arte, working together with cultural institutions, can also introduce quality and innovation in art educational projects with young people, in leisure time too.