Working towards the workshop on the history of psychiatry in Imola
A well-structured participatory process is able to address complex issues about which a community feels particularly strongly, allowing it to be actively involved in promoting the shared heritage and historical memory of the area.
This is the case of La Città dei Matti project, promoted by the Nuovo Circondario Imolese in agreement with the Comune di Imola, Con.Ami and AUSL Imola to revive the historical memory and shared heritage of the former provincial asylum, the Complesso dell’Osservanza, with the aim of returning a place that is symbolic for the history of psychiatry in Imola to the community.
We at BAM! supported the Nuovo Circondario Imolese in the conception and management of the process, in which the project’s main strategic stakeholders took part. The organisation and facilitation of four meetings led to the definition of the foundations for the creation of the workshop on the history of psychiatry in Imola, which will be housed in Pavilions 10-12 of the Parco dell’Osservanza.
The project concluded on 15 October 2024 with a public event organised on the occasion of World Mental Health Day initiatives (10 October), during which the results were presented and future steps illustrated.
But what are the key points for creating an effective co-design process?
The roadmap
Identifying stakeholders
The first step in building a successful participatory process is the identification of stakeholders who can contribute different perspectives and skills to the project, while maintaining active relationships within the community.
A set of fundamental aspects to enrich the project.
Together with the Nuovo Circondario Imolese and the Comune di Imola, we mapped the main institutions and associations active in Imola in the fields of art, culture and, above all, mental health, with a special focus on those bodies directly linked to the history of the Osservanza.
Listening to facilitate co-design
We organised and facilitated four meetings, each dedicated to a specific theme: dynamic meetings to identify all those aspects fundamental to the design and management of the workshop.
The subject of psychiatry in Imola is complex and deeply rooted in local history. However, as often happens with such important topics, a rift has been created over time: the new generations experience the Complesso dell’Osservanza less actively, as a place distant and disconnected from what it has meant to the city. Listening to stakeholders and residents, who were invited and interviewed during the last meeting in the process, was fundamental in drawing attention to this issue.
The collaborative approach fostered the development of innovative ideas, making it possible to think of the workshop as a dynamic and inclusive space, also capable of hosting events, meetings and open discussions.
The results: a workshop for breaking down stigma
One of the most important results that emerged from the process is the awareness of how important it is to address the stigma still present around mental health, thereby overcoming prejudices and taboos. A clear need emerged from the process: the workshop should not limit itself to recounting the history of asylums in Imola, but should become an active space for reflection and awareness-raising on psychiatric and mental health issues, accessible to different audiences: schools, families, researchers and those working in the social sector.
The shared goal is to create a place not just for exhibitions, but for experiences too, with which the community can actively engage, and not just as spectators. Events, workshops and testimonies will be the beating heart of the workshop, allowing for the development of participatory and interactive use, in which historical memory becomes a tool for education and collective awareness.
The workshop that will emerge from this project will therefore have the task of keeping the historical memory of the Osservanza alive, but also of promoting awareness and education on mental health issues. It aspires to become a reference point for the Imola community, which will continue to be involved in this path of growth and awareness.
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