Matera 2019: Fashion and Integration through Silent Academy and Increa Project

In Matera, designated as the European Capital of Culture in 2019, two projects aim to enhance the integration of migrants through culture and education. The Silent Academy, a local branch of Ahmet Ögüt's Silent University established in 2012 at Tate Modern, connects migrant talents with local craftsmen. Ibrahim Savane, an Ivorian tailor born in Abidjan in 1990, escaped civil war in 2010 and now instructs sewing at the Academy. On January 19, 2019, during the official inauguration of Matera, Savane and the Academy unveiled a collection of 40 gold garments crafted from emergency blankets used for rescued migrants, collaborating with street artist BR1 from Turin. Additionally, the European Increa Project will conduct training sessions in July 2019 in Matera for educators and social workers focusing on language, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and management skills, with partners including Coopération Bancaire pour l'Europe and others. These initiatives challenge Italy's strict immigration policies and emphasize culture's role in promoting social inclusion.