Association Harp aps wins “RilanciAmo” call for proposals

Abrussels asbl, the association of Abruzzo people in Brussels and Abruzzo Smart Ambassador, has published the call for proposals “RilanciAmo” with a 3.000 euros reward for a nonprofit project, addressed at nonprofit, nonpolitical associations operating in the Abruzzo region. The underpinning idea is to contribute to the furthering, conservation, protection and prizing the artistic and cultural Abruzzo heritage, in particular in the areas heavily hit by 2009 and 2016 earthquakes.

“I am very proud to say that this year’s call for proposals has encountered great success for the third year in a row”, states the president of Abrussels Claudio Vernarelli, “22 proposals have been received and examined. Following a thorough examination, the Project ‘Officina Manuzio – I Mestieri del Libro’ (the book crafts, by Harp aps from Fontecchio (AQ) has been selected.”

Officina Manuzio is a new project dedicated to train and educate young professionals in the field of book production, who will specialize in archive research, text translation and promotion of the book culture. This project is expected to have positive repercussions both on the Abruzzo’s young entrepreneurship and the satellite activities in the hinterland.

The project is addressed to a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 30 students of the 4o and 5o year of high-school, young people with a high-school diploma, university students, unemployed looking for a job. Furthermore, an agreement with high secondary schools in L’Aquila and Sulmona, as well as with L’Aquila’s University is envisaged in order to offer the young professionals a vocational education.

The main aim of Officina Manuzio project is to provide young participants from the hinterland the necessary knowledge and skills to enter the publishing world and establish professional partnerships also remotely. The project is also intended to raise public awareness about book culture and counter the effects of secondary illiteracy, starting a participative creative process with the local community. This will lead to the establishment of a publishing workshop to promote and prize the cultural and literary heritage of the Abruzzo region, which was one of the several initiatives launched after the L’Aquila earthquake in order to boost the economic development.

Abrussels’ president, Claudio Vernarelli recalls that “Although the reward is a symbolic amount, it is a strong, encouraging and concrete message from the Abruzzo community living in Brussels, the capital of Belgium and Europe.”

“This funds have been collected by means of the voluntary activities of Abrussels’ members, who engaged in different initiatives and unanimously decided to finance a project with a high socio-cultural value. I would like to thank all the members who selected the projects and Cristiana Marchitelli for the graphic design”.

Click here to read the text of the Officina Manuzio project