A Starting Point
Reading Jean Vanier's reflections on this particular kind of maturity, we begin to see something striking: young people with intellectual disabilities are not, as we might assume, less ready for the spiritual journey he describes. In many ways, they are more ready than we are. They accept their limits with a serenity we rarely achieve, without chasing impossible goals. They understand friendship as a precious gift—perhaps the only truly indispensable one—and they give and receive it freely. They open themselves to others without pretense or reserve, knowing nothing of rivalry or ambition. Few people know, as they do, how to treasure small things and offer genuine thanks for simple kindnesses.
If these qualities come naturally to them, there is every reason to believe that in the right setting, guided by attentive people who respect who they are, they can move toward the fullness of person that Vanier calls the only authentic path. As a kind of blessing for the new working year, and to make clearer what we mean by "places of growth," we visit the Stelletta—a ceramics workshop and much more.
We are back on the little street called Via della Stelletta. Beyond the small shop with its multicolored window display, a new workshop has opened across the small plaza: a studio for decorating ceramics and wood, for decoupage and stenciling, for drawing and various other crafts. The activities have grown and diversified over the years as the young people have revealed their talents, abilities, and preferences. What has stayed the same is the atmosphere itself—the light, the colors of the ceramic pieces, the trust between teachers and students, the pleasure of making things carefully, without rush or worry.
"Doing things well develops the mind," says Liliana, who runs the workshop. And these young people have worked well. They have refined their skills and brought their gifts into focus. One discovered a gift for color. Another has learned to blend and layer glazes in subtle ways, creating beautiful effects. Two young women found they could draw—both from life and from imagination—inventing original decorative patterns. "One in ten people can really draw," Liliana says matter-of-factly. "The secret is recognizing the gift in each person." Giovanna, for instance, has a gift for teaching. For three years she has been leading ceramics classes with the children at the neighboring preschool.
Today fifteen young people work here, guided by three teachers. Together they have overcome obstacles and tried new directions. They think of themselves as an experimental group moving toward fresh possibilities. For now, they are not bringing in new disabled workers—that would mean starting the learning process from scratch. Instead, they plan to hire nondisabled staff members with proper training to execute the ceramic decorations based on designs created by the more creative students. "So it's integration turned inside out?" we ask. "Exactly. We have confidence in the creative abilities of some of our young people. We have seen that pieces they design entirely on their own are popular with the public. So we want to increase production in this direction—to bring in more revenue and eventually achieve financial independence."
We tour the kiln room where three ovens fire the ceramics, the storage space, and the dining room with its long wooden table and benches in light wood, blue ceramic pieces, sheaves of wheat on the walls, as white as the lamps and the curtains framing the wide window. These are spaces added over the years as the workshop has grown.
But young people cannot grow by developing only their skills as artists and decorators, however well. The needs and wishes of these friends are many. Some want to listen to music and do theater. Others want to improve their writing and ability to express themselves. Many want to take walks and visit important places. The Stelletta workshop seeks to answer all these desires through afternoon activities from two to four o'clock, with help from specialized staff.
The young people have grown, but their journey toward maturity continues. Like ours, it demands time, diverse experiences and knowledge, difficulties to recognize and overcome when possible. Growth also happens through a balanced relationship with teachers—in fact, everyone grows together. The students are pleased by earned praise. They accept fair criticism and correction. But they can also calmly tell their teacher, "You seem a bit tense today. Why are you shouting so loud?" There is also the young man who did not find his place here, who could not accept the pace of work required, and was redirected by the same teachers to another workplace where he has flourished. And there is Giovanni, who came to the Stelletta not long ago. He does not work with ceramics, but here he has found peace, making himself useful in many ways: running errands, tidying the rooms, taking photographs, simply resting now and then among all these colorful objects he loves.
We admire the latest project: for the Holy Year, a guide to Rome is being prepared, illustrated with wonderful imagination by these young "artist-creators." We are delighted. We make our first agreements for future illustrations in our magazine, while Rosa Bianca, one of the veteran students, searches the archive with quiet efficiency, finding small ceramic pieces and commemorative postcards—gifts for us.
- Tea Cabras, 1999
The Stelletta
FACT SHEET
1) The Stelletta is a social cooperative of type B. (Two-thirds of its members are people with disabilities).
2) Members include:
- all the young disabled workers.
- 2 staff members;
- several volunteers.
Parents may become supporting members.
3) The staff:
- 3 ceramics teachers;
- several specialists in general education, theater, and other activities;
4) Leadership consists of:
- President Fiumi;
- a board of directors (9 people appointed by the member assembly);
- a vice president;
- 3 audit committee members.
The assembly meets once a month. 5) Funding comes from:
- sales of objects in the shop
- monthly contributions from parents (600,000 lire);
- work grants from the Region, for one year, for new members (currently 2);
- occasional regional funding covering 50% of machinery purchases.
For more information:
La Stelletta Piazza Campo Marzio, 44 00186 Rome Tel. 06/69923771