Puglia allocates €3.64M for street art in largest Italian public funding

The Puglia region has approved nearly €4 million (€3.64 million from POR Puglia 2014-2020) for street art murals to regenerate public spaces and suburbs, making them more welcoming and inclusive. The measure, proposed by assessors Loredana Capone and Raffaele Piemontese, was approved by the regional council on Thursday. It is part of the broader STHAR LAB program, adopted in December 2019, which aims to recover cultural assets through workshops in street art, historic theaters, and cave habitats. Regional councilor Enzo Colonna announced the initiative on his blog, calling it the largest public support operation for urban art in Italy. Previously, a call for expressions of interest in summer 2019 (with €450,000 over three years) drew 91 public administrations; 11 immediately feasible interventions were funded with €150,000. Now, the region allocates additional resources to negotiate with interested entities. Capone stated the goal is to involve artists and citizens with municipalities to beautify cities, positioning Puglia at the forefront in Italy for resources and participation. The Territorial Valorization Section, led by Silvia Pellegrini, will invite administrations to submit project proposals combining a street art piece with a workshop activity.