Those years were wonderful. Fiorenzo Croci leaves Il Cavedio

 Seventeen years have passed since Fiorenzo Croci decided to mark a turning point in his life and, with a bit of healthy audacity, in that of his town. There are many cultural associations in Varese, but Il Cavedio is the proof that you can make a living from culture and contribute to the growth of the community. Over the years, 6 young people have found permanent employment in the association, whose operating headquarters are in a former music high school; one part follows the activity of VareseCorsi, which has an agreement with Varese Town Council, and the others deal with a variety of cultural initiatives, which include the publication of books, the creation of a new network called Insubria Rete, for organising courses in Malnate and in Gallarate, and a great deal of training.

(photo: in the foreground, Fiorenzo Croci, with Stefano Frigo)

So Fiorenzo, why have you decided to step aside?

“Because there’s a time for everything, and when you’ve given your best, it’s right to step aside. I’ve done my bit, now it’s up to the next generation. I appreciated the fact that the young people have found their own space, so I’m leaving room to the new things that are coming up. In any case, there’s already a new chairwoman, Francesca Rigano, and a group of smart young people, namely Stefano Frigo, Francesco Ferrara, Giovanni Dacò, Sara Grippo and Stefania Veneroni. The order is purely random.”

What’s changed in the association over the years?

“We began in 1997, as a yoga centre. Over the years, we’ve done a bit of everything, but the most prolific period was between 2000 and 2005, when the premises in Via Cavallotti were a genuine breeding ground for ideas, and things happened naturally. Writers, music groups, poets and cultural operators were formed there. Those years were wonderful. We’ve done a lot of training lately, because it was the time to capitalise on all that experience, and turn the various opportunities into real jobs.”

Why did the Cavedio model work, also from an economic point of view?

“Basically because the moment of culture became a moment for the community; we satisfied an existing need. And then, I don’t make a distinction between the economic and the cultural sides, that would be a mistake. The vision of a project has to include both.”

What did you do to build your network of relationships?

“Somehow, we anticipated what experts today call the weconomy; if you want to work, you have to look for partnerships, as we did for VareseCorsi. For us, work is synonymous with relationships, which today means collaborating with about 90 associations and an enormous number of people aged between 20 and 40, who are our observatory on reality.”

Could you give me an example of a relationship that becomes work?

“As the young people are further ahead than me, at a certain point, they understood that if we continued to speak about multiculturalism and not start out from its defining characteristic, namely, languages, we wouldn’t get anywhere. So they came to an agreement with SSML- the School for Language Mediators, in Varese, to bring the best students to Il Cavedio, to give them a chance to teach on the courses. Well, they’ve proven to be very qualified, motivated and careful. We’ve also used them to translate our publications.”

What will you do, now that you’re leaving Il Cavedio?

“I’ve got a few projects in mind, starting with expanding the online school of writing, which is my real passion, and then the publication of a new book. The title is still top secret.”