Since 1991, Spes contra Spem has been dedicated to serving the most vulnerable individuals, dreaming of a world where no one is left alone. Over the years, the organization has built four family homes in Rome named CasaBlu, CasaSalvatore, L’Approdo, and Semi di autonomia, and has initiated numerous projects. They prioritize the individual before disability, recognizing opportunities and the beauty in those they care for before their challenges. Spes contra Spem is a social cooperative made up of people caring for people. They serve individuals, families, and the community.
Their mission is to design, implement, and manage community-based residential services and socio-cultural integration services for youth, at-risk minors, and individuals with disabilities. They connect the potential and resources of their cooperative members with the needs of the community. Spes contra Spem strives to provide quality and humanity in their services, maintaining open interactions with all stakeholders—services, institutions, families, volunteers, supporters, and sponsors—ensuring excellence in quality, cost-effectiveness, and transparency in management. They believe that every member, whether a partner, worker, or volunteer, should be respected and involved in the cooperative’s management, feeling co-responsible and engaged in their mission. They see themselves primarily as “community operators,” whose main goal is to welcome individuals in distress, valuing their richness and uniqueness, supporting them through their fragility with affection and trust, and helping them overcome obstacles to express their potential and showcase their unique gifts. They believe that today it is essential to “learn to hope,” and they work to make the possibility of a more equitable, fraternal, and humane society tangible for all. Spes contra Spem aims to distinguish itself in the Roman territory through the quality and humanity of its services, responsible and transparent management, and openness to new projects, striving to connect the needs of the entire community. They seek to contribute to cultural debates that inspire a desire for improvement among citizens, groups, and the wider community. They encourage participation and shared responsibility as a guiding principle of their social action, involving all actors in the welfare process they aim to realize: institutions, service providers, supporters, sponsors, workers, and volunteers. They want everyone to feel respected in their identity and roles, engaged and co-responsible in fulfilling their mission.
“Magic Carpets” project: Belonging Project
Crossing the dragon | Attraversare il drago (UCCI UCCI)
The Magic Carpets Italia 2024 project was developed in collaboration with a local artistic duo and an artist in residence. The portion of the project carried out with the Spes Contra Spem Family House was created in partnership with the artistic duo UCCI UCCI (Gloria Zeppilli and Salvatore Crucitti), while the other part was led by Lithuanian artist Ilona Mikneviciute. Both strands of this year’s project focused on strengthening the sense of belonging in the outskirts of Rome.
The work with UCCI UCCI began with a personal reflection inspired by the Italian novelist Dino Buzzati’s tale L’Uccisione del Drago which resonated deeply with the project. The aim was to foster connections between people and their environment. At the “L’Approdo” family home, a welcoming place for migrants, the team worked closely with the young residents, blending storytelling with their personal experiences. In the short film Attraversare il Drago (Crossing the Dragon), the teenagers reimagined Italian literary tradition in a contemporary light, creating a narrative about challenges, dreams, and the magical sense of belonging. Filming took place in evocative locations such as Parco Talenti del Tufello and the Travertine Caves of Guidonia, where the collective effort came to life through the imagination and creativity of the participants. From costumes to screenplay, every detail was shaped by the young people themselves. For them, visiting and filming in the Guidonia Caves — a place they had never seen before — was an emotional and incredible experience. The opportunity to explore and shoot in such an unfamiliar and distant location added an element of adventure and wonder to the project.
This collaboration formed a deep connection between the artists and the young people, turning the project into a true community. It provided the teens, many of whom had faced difficult migration journeys, with a safe space to explore their identities and transform the dragon of their fears into a symbol of strength and resilience. Through this artistic journey, they not only shared their stories but also embraced their place within a larger context, feeling seen and heard in ways that transcended cultural and personal boundaries.
Number of community members included in the project: 15 + Giuseppe Scarvaglieri (Responsible for the “Approdo” Apartment Group)
Latitudo Art Projects about the community:
We decided to involve the Spes Contra Spem Family House in the “Magic Carpets” project because of the strong connection we had already built with the teenagers and migrants there. Through our previous collaborations, we witnessed their enthusiasm and eagerness to engage in activities and workshops. They were full of energy, always excited to try something new. Additionally, they had expressed a strong interest in exploring new media and creative forms of expression. This led us to partner with the artists of UCCI UCCI to bring the “Magic Carpets” activities to life. Together, we saw a unique opportunity to combine the teenagers’ curiosity and passion with the innovative potential of art and new technology. It was the perfect way to create something extraordinary that reflected their voices and creativity.