South Learning: Architecture Students Live and Learn in Belmonte Calabro

The South Learning project, initiated by the association La Rivoluzione delle Seppie, brings architecture students from London Metropolitan University to live and study in Belmonte Calabro, a small town in Calabria, Italy. The program, which started in October 2020, was originally intended to last until Christmas but students have requested to stay until May 2021. They reside in local homes and work from Casa di BelMONDO, a coworking space undergoing renovation. A crowdfunding campaign on Eppela supports the renovation. Rita Elvira Adamo, co-founder of the association, explains that the project emerged from earlier workshops with the university and was adapted due to COVID-19, allowing students to stay longer. The students engage in remote academic work, community activities, and cultural exchanges, such as film screenings and local tours. The project aims to revitalize the depopulated area, with tangible impacts like the installation of the town's first ATM. Future plans include a similar initiative in Mendicino and the development of an 'Academy not academy' program for non-formal education.