The This Ability Pride Veneto, which is regularly held in the city of Padua, is an opportunity to promote awareness and understanding of inclusion. The event was established three years ago through the initiative of a Padua-based association, “Muoversi in libertà”, led by Claudia Frizzarin, a person with a disability who is well known in the city. As part of this event, which this year took place from 17 to 20 September, the performance Un altro mo[n]do by Ludovico Lancia was staged. It is a production that is somewhat unconventional in its creativity and originality. Ludovico, an autistic person, is a member of a well-known group in Padua called “I Talents”, which carries out various activities in the field of disability. In 2023, I Talents came into contact, almost by chance, with the CAM, the “University Centre for Museums”, and this encounter led to the creation of a project called “More than Words”, through which the young people in the group were introduced to the museum institutions of the University of Padua, which had been unknown to them until that point.

The collaboration between CAM and I Talents created an opportunity for Ludovico to undertake a training placement at the Museum of Nature and Humankind, the largest university museum in Europe, which opened in 2023. Over time, together with his educator Sebastiano, they began to envisage the development of a pathway that would allow Ludovico to challenge himself, bringing out his potential and abilities while, at the same time, ensuring that he felt protected. Within this project, considerable emphasis was placed on his boundless passion for history and for everything creative. Ludovico undertook a training placement in the Geology section, where he carried out an inventory of specimens. Initially, the experience was not easy for him, but, once the project had begun, Ludovico was able to successfully complete his placement and, above all, to draw inspiration from this wonderful experience, which he subsequently transferred into the world of theatre by writing the performance described above.

The performance More than Words was staged by the Teatro Nove Vite theatre company, which succeeded in conveying the pedagogical meaning of the story in a simple way through words, sounds and music. The added value of the experience lay precisely in incorporating into the performance the images and evocative power of certain objects, such as a spear or a cooking pot, which had particularly impressed Ludovico during the time he spent at the Museum of Nature and Humankind. His vivid imagination, which in other working contexts might be identified as a challenge, was, in this case, transformed into a strength through the writing and staging of this theatrical performance. Before the performance began, the Teatro Nove Vite company, in collaboration with CAM, also organised a tactile workshop focusing exclusively on the stage materials; spectators were therefore able to explore and touch some of the objects that would subsequently be used during the scenes.

In this sense, it can be argued that the performance was an important example of inclusion and, more specifically, a good example of employment inclusion for Ludovico, who will be able to continue his collaboration with the Museum. Following the staging of the performance, a talk was then organised with various representatives of the educational services of several city institutions, including the Municipality of Padua, ULSS 6 Euganea and CAM itself. The concept that emerged from the various contributions was the importance of culture for everyone and the role that museums can play in promoting not only knowledge, but also awareness of good inclusion practices. Moreover, this performance was a positive example of excellent collaboration between different professional figures and the University. In conclusion, this experience can be described as a good representation of Claudia Frizzarin’s motto: “I do not want to be included, but to be anticipated.”