A project for the re-education and reintegration of prisoners at the Rebibbia Circondary House. The initiative, in collaboration with the Santa Cecilia Academy, will also open to young people in Casal del Marmo
Music as a training tool for re-education and social reintegration of prisoners is the underlying concept of "Fidelio", a project by CDP and Santa Cecilia Academy, presented during a press conference at the Italian Ministry of Justice, partner of the initiative. A team of professionals from the Academy has given a series of choral workshops for prisoners to discover and appreciate the educational and aggregating potential of musical language.
The project was inspired by Beethoven's written work on the story of a political prisoner freed from the love and courage of the beloved woman. Just like love in Beethoven's work, so too in the Fidelio project music takes on a liberating value for the detainees in the Rebibbia prison. The lessons, started last April, have had great success. The Academy's teachers have discussed topics such as breathing techniques, the operation of the phonemic apparatus, intonation, and reading of musical notation. Lessons were given in order to prepare the detainees to perform in the prison’s theater, alongside a choral band and a vocal instrumental ensemble of Santa Cecilia.
The show was a moment of collective emotion. Among the notes of Volare, Io te vorria vasà, Azzurro, the men and women of Circondary House performed a freedom song expressing the ability to overcome every barrier, physical and emotional. Along with the detainees, the Santa Cecilia Accademia Choral Group contributed with two hours of emotion, ending with emblematic Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and the gospel standard “Oh Happy Day” arrangements. The strength of music involved the audience who, singing and applauding, accompanied the choirs. Among those attending the event, were CDP CEO Fabio Gallia, Italian Undersecretary of Justice Gennaro Migliore, and President of Santa Cecilia Academy Michele dell’Ongaro.
In the future, the project will also involve the children of the Criminal Institute for Minors Casal del Marmo, thus spreading the value of music as an element of education and support. With this initiative, CDP, together with Santa Cecilia Academy and the valuable collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Justice, marks an important step in the promotion of projects with high educational and educational value, continuing to invest - such as the National Promotion Institute - in development and social growth initiatives.