La solitudine ai tempi del Covid-19

"<< Background >>The Covid-19 crisis until December 17, 2022, has caused the death of 6,664,842 people worldwide. Neither Bergamo nor Valencia or Barcelona were spared. These cities have recorded a very high number of victims and have seen their social fabric deeply torn apart. A demand arose in these cities: for someone to take on the task, with sensitivity and expertise, of processing grief, the loneliness in the face of the death of family members, but also the stories of those who, in healthcare facilities, communities, and nursing homes, accompanied these individuals until their last moments. Death has left its mark on those who were there, professionally and committedly, as well as those who couldn't be there due to health restrictions. Injured and suffering voices and universes, in need of dialogue and sharing to move towards a path of regeneration. The scarcity of resources and pandemic containment measures, in fact, have accentuated vulnerabilities and inequalities, disrupting individual lives, especially those of adults. There was a need to release the vibrations that have matured during the long solitude imposed by the pandemic.<< Objectives >>SELENE, the solitude in the times of COVID-19, aimed to promote greater social awareness and universal values such as empathy, closeness, and solidarity among the communities of adults affected by COVID-19, through art and humanistic mediation. The sadness and loneliness of patients hospitalized in intensive care, the anguish of their families, and the healthcare personnel who have been on the front lines are something that cannot be described unless one has experienced it firsthand. We wanted to give them, and ourselves, the opportunity to tell their stories; therefore, we collected testimonies of something that has deeply remained within each one of us, little known outside of those who have experienced the tragedy. The fear of contracting the virus, the awakening after being intubated unable to speak or move, without knowing whether it would be temporary or not. The testimonies of healthcare workers who became channels of communication between the families and the hospitalized patients to alleviate the paralyzing anguish. There are numerous stories of what happened to these individuals, and we have shared them through the SELENE project.<< Implementation >>The activities of the project were divided into 3 main phases:1.Testimonies during COVID-19: 50 interviews were conducted with individuals who personally experienced COVID-19. Numerous videos were created using the collected material, along with brochures, publications, and 2 documentary videos, which were released at various stages of the project and during the final events.2.Regenerative memory workshops were established to allow communities/neighbourhoods to discuss and process the traumas that affected their members. There were 20 beneficiaries, adult individuals from Valencia/Barcelona, Bergamo, Mexico, and New York, coordinated by facilitators and humanistic mediators. The workshops took place in a blended format. Artists were invited to listen to the stories and reinterpret the material, creating shared artistic interventions in Italy and Spain.3.Patchwork of memories: Two exhibitions titled ""SELENE: Retrospective on COVID-19"" were organized, one in Valencia and the other in Bergamo, along with a final conference to present all the products and distribute the toolkit for resilient communities. The toolkit was co-created with the involved communities.<< Results >>The project activities aimed to raise awareness in society, through testimonies, about the collateral effects caused by COVID-19 and the resulting needs. This contributed to creating more resilient and cohesive communities in facing obstacles, even in unfavourable circumstances that generate a sense of vulnerability. We utilized art as both a therapeutic resource and a tool for mediation and transformation, promoting the emotional well-being of the participating adults.The concrete results of the project were:•Project website and social media presence: https://selenesolitudine.wixsite.com/website•4 newsletters published on the website in Italian and Spanish and widely distributed•2 exhibitions titled ""SELENE: Retrospectives on COVID-19""•50 testimonies from adult individuals•5 artistic workshops•4 Empathy Circles•3 guided tours: 2 visits to the exhibitions and 1 mindful guided tour, in Italy and Spain•2 documentary videos•6 regenerative memory workshops•2 theatrical performances•1 toolkit for resilient communities in Italian and Spanish•1 magazine on the retrospective of COVID-19•4 project roll-ups (2 in Italian and 2 in Spanish)•6 short films"