In the heart of old Rome sits a small shop among many others. Its window overflows with flowers and hand-painted ceramics, rendered with cheerful, artless charm. Nearby stands a small round portico. A plaque reads: CERAMICS WORKSHOP. We ring the bell. The door opens onto a narrow staircase climbing three flights. Signora Fiumi greets us warmly at her apartment door—we were expected and welcomed like friends. The entryway is lined with shelves holding ceramics of every kind: some terracotta, some white, some painted. As we move deeper into the apartment, we glimpse a room with a ceramic kiln. Now we enter one of two workshop spaces. Marco and Alessandra work intently around a large table, calm and focused, their quiet chatter filling the room. Others move about. Between two windows sits an open piano. Beautiful photographs hang on the walls; drawings and jars of paint are scattered about. A workshop like any other.
The director receives us, makes introductions, and explains. "You're in the ceramics workshop La Stelletta—the name comes from the street where we're located. The project began in 1981. We had just freed up one of our apartments. If Sergio had been able to study and live independently, we would have given it to him. So it made sense to use it for him instead." The speaker is Sergio's mother. She began by gathering three young people roughly her son's age, then hired a teacher from an integrated cooperative, COSPEXA. Everyone set to work. COSPEXA specialized in ceramics, so ceramics it would be. "This work also had the advantage of being among the best suited to our young people."
In 1985, the "Production and Labor Cooperative" was formally created with nine young handicapped adults and an instructor (actually three instructors, working in shifts). The following year, the cooperative organized a professional training course financed by the European Economic Community. All the young handicapped participants earned a diploma recognized by the regional government and joined the cooperative as certified ceramics workers—not as handicapped individuals, but as skilled professionals.
"You must never stop fighting"
"You must never stop fighting."
In 1988, the shop opened on the ground floor, and the workshop began selling its products. An employee now manages it mornings; the young people's parents run it in the afternoons on a rotating basis.
This year, the shop launched courses in porcelain painting, where members of the cooperative occasionally come to help.
Today, thirteen young adults with intellectual disabilities come to the workshop daily. Some are brought by parents; one mother, for instance, gives rides to three neighbors from her area. Most, though, come on their own.
The workshop's main activity is ceramic painting. To diversify the work and meet different interests, four of the young people spend three afternoons a week at a plant nursery called "The Mustard Seed," run by another social cooperative. Besides an operator sent by the public health authority, the work is supervised by workshop staff and an agricultural surveyor who is himself physically disabled. Other activities include schooling, music, and yoga.
A psychologist visits once weekly for individual and group work.
The workshop runs from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Tuesdays, after lunch and an afternoon outing to the neighborhood shops, work continues. Wednesdays, everyone brings a snack and work extends until 4 p.m.
The psychologist meets with families once a month, on a rotating basis, in her office. Signora Fiumi stresses the value of this collaboration and tells us how precious it is for fostering connection among cooperative members and resolving specific problems. Once monthly, all members gather—the young people with disabilities, parents, and staff—to discuss challenges, initiatives, and plans. The founder serves as president. Department heads meet weekly to discuss the young people's progress, difficulties, and aspirations.
Administrative work is handled by the father of one of the young men, who is an accountant. Signora Fiumi manages day-to-day operations. Two or three volunteers are present daily in the workshop, working alongside everyone else, lending a hand where needed, and offering their friendship.
Now to finances. Expenses are significant, especially staff salaries. Income, however, is minimal. The only regular funding comes from parent contributions: 100,000 lire monthly. But there are other occasional sources:
- The Bellarini Foundation provides an annual grant.
- The regional government supports specific projects based on available annual funding.
- The Province contributes for targeted initiatives and reimburses invoices at fifty percent.
- Shop sales bring in modest revenue, used mainly to pay sales staff.
The financial situation remains fragile. Yet thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of cooperative members, and thanks to the tireless effort of the founder—who insists, "You must never stop fighting"—La Stelletta continues to thrive and sustain. Together they harbor many beautiful dreams, including a plan for a week-long retreat in the countryside, a time simply to be together and experience life as a community.
- Nicole Schulthes, 1991
N.B.: The center remains active. For more information, visit www.lastelletta.it