Italy's Expo

This exhibition was made by SkillUp in Italy. Read more about this organization on our Team page.

About the national pilot and exhibition

The Italian national pilot for the ONE Culture project took place on 5 June 2026 in Mercogliano (AV), facilitated by Skill Up trainer Asia Silvestri at Museo M.I.R.A. The workshop involved 21 participants in an intergenerational group of mainly young adults (18–35) and adults over 50, all interested in creativity, civic participation and European values.

After a short introduction to ONE Culture and to previous activities developed by Skill Up, participants moved into a practical, hands‑on session where they brainstormed, exchanged stories and then co‑created the collective artwork “My Europe”. The methods combined dialogue, drawing and painting, and recorded video testimonies, so that everyone could express their personal view of Europe and connect it with shared values such as diversity, memory, and participation.

Engagement throughout the pilot was very high: participants worked actively, enjoyed the intergenerational exchange, and reported feeling more connected to the European Union and its values at the end of the workshop. 

The resulting piece, “My Europe”, presents Europe as a living community woven from roots, memories and encounters between different generations.

Overhead view of “My Europe” placed within the natural history displays at Museo M.I.R.A., linking European identity to territory, environment and community.
Overhead view of “My Europe” placed within the natural history displays at Museo M.I.R.A., linking European identity to territory, environment and community.
Participants during the first creative phase of the “My Europe” workshop at Museo M.I.R.A., discussing ideas and starting to paint the central part of the collective artwork.
Participants during the first creative phase of the “My Europe” workshop at Museo M.I.R.A., discussing ideas and starting to paint the central part of the collective artwork.
Visitors observing the completed “My Europe” artwork and reading the participants’ written reflections on Europe and shared values.
Visitors observing the completed “My Europe” artwork and reading the participants’ written reflections on Europe and shared values.
Active painting session: participants add their symbols and colours to ‘My Europe’.
Active painting session: participants add their symbols and colours to ‘My Europe’.
Final installation of the collective artwork “My Europe”, showing the vertical flow of the 27 Member States at the centre, the people on the right, and the written reflections on the left
Final installation of the collective artwork “My Europe”, showing the vertical flow of the 27 Member States at the centre, the people on the right, and the written reflections on the left

Quotes and reflections from participants

“Working on this artwork helped me understand that the European Union is not just institutions, but a community of people sharing values and stories.”

“Through the colours and symbols we used, I could finally express what being a European citizen means to me in a way that words alone never managed.”

“I really enjoyed collaborating with people from another generation; it showed me that we share many hopes for Europe, even if our experiences are different.”

“There is no future without EU”

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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Authors
© 2025 – ENCRE – European Network of Comics Representatives and Entrepreneurs (BE), Skill Up Srl (IT), Cap Ulysse (FR), Museumsverein Klostertal (AT), Complexul Muzeal National Moldova Iasi (RO), Quiosq (NE).
This publication was carried out with the financial support of the European Commission under Erasmus + Project “ONE Culture – Overcoming Nationalism and Euroscepticism through Culture”, N. 2024-1-BE01-KA220-ADU-000243645.