Pirates of beauty – Reprint – Culture – Viterbo – Giulia Pappalardo of Nou Group who supported the initiative: “Pages full of meaning and which also teach us that the prince does not necessarily save a princess, but that even a woman, the blue fairy, can save a man”
by Maurizia Marcoaldi
Viterbo – Collodi’s Pinocchio given to elementary schools – 3000 copies donated – The presentation at Unitus – The entrepreneur Giulia Pappalardo
Viterbo – The Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi with unpublished illustrations by Chiara Narduzzi from Viterbo, donated to 3 thousand primary school children in Viterbo, it has recently arrived in all the primary schools of the city. On this occasion we publish the interview with Giulia Pappalardo, communication and event manager of Nou Group who supported the initiative, unique in Italy.
The Nou Group company supports, together with other entities, the Piattaforma 2.0 initiative to give away a copy of the Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (Galeotti Editore) to all the children of primary schools in Viterbo. Would you like to tell us about the type of work your company does, the target audience it addresses, how many employees do you have?
“The company deals with architecture, sustainable engineering and photovoltaic parks and therefore renewable energy. We are a design studio that aims to create environments tailored for humans, giving as much space as possible to sustainable creation. Our designs mostly relate to large buildings and we work a lot for the public, for example dealing with environments for hospitals and schools. Among our interventions is that for the civil protection center of Capena. At the moment we are around 45 people, including internal employees and external collaborators. Our headquarters is in Viterbo, then we also have one in Rome. Without forgetting another one in Miami, where at the moment there are no operations”.
Why did your company decide to support the initiative to give a paper book to 3 thousand primary school children in Viterbo?
“First of all because our company is very attentive to the social aspect. We have three major fields we deal with which are sustainability, high design and human centricity. At the center of our interests is design but always on a human scale, taking into account their needs. The fact of being able to support the education of girls and boys with a book therefore fully fits with our way of thinking. It made us completely happy to be able to give away an object that can be the basis for the growth of those who are the future of our society and perhaps also the future of our profession.”
We now live in an increasingly digitalized world. Children and young people have a direct relationship with the digital image from an early age, thanks to the stimuli coming from tablets, computers and smartphones. In this constantly evolving picture, how important is it for the little ones to experience direct contact with printed paper and with books as physical objects?
“It is very important that our children and young people continue to experience direct contact with printed paper. Receiving a book as a gift is a wonderful gesture, for those who give it and for those who are the recipient. A book is immediately striking first and foremost because it has its own specific smell. This is in fact its distinctive sign, on every page you browse. If I close my eyes, I can still smell the books and the handbook I had at school or the fairy tales my parents told me as a child. A book is a wonderful gift. You touch it, read it, browse through it, you can give it the intonation you want. You make it your own in a way. And when you have a book you are part of the story that is told within it.”
Viterbo – Collodi’s Pinocchio given to primary schools – 3000 copies donated – Presentation at Unitus
What do you think and how did you experience the idea that the book given as a gift was Collodi’s Pinocchio, a universal book, a text translated into all the languages of the world and a disseminator of timeless values?
“It was important that the book that was given as a gift was Pinocchio itself due to the strength of the values it conveys, starting from loyalty and altruism. It is in fact a story full of timeless messages, which can be a reference for a lifetime. It is a text that pushes you to believe in dreams, but not only that.
I believe that inside there is also another message that makes me particularly love it. I am referring to the fact that Pinocchio is a fairy tale that is not about princesses who were saved by the prince. An element that can be particularly significant especially for girls and boys. In fact, we need to tell them that princesses don’t necessarily need to be saved by princes, but very often they save the princes or save themselves. There is obviously nothing wrong with being saved by principles, but it is important to keep in mind that it is not the only option. In fact, in Pinocchio, for example, it is the blue fairy, who is a woman, who saves the protagonist. Then there are other messages that are very significant, such as the one embodied by the figure of the cat and the fox. They are a reminder that not all that glitters is gold, that it is always good to watch your back and understand who you are dealing with.”
The book given to schools is enriched with 40 images by the illustrator Chiara Narduzzi, a tribute to Antonio Rubino. An extra stimulus for kids and their imagination?
“The illustrations in the book are wonderful. I believe that Chiara Narduzzi has a truly innate talent. The strength of those illustrations is in the fact that they are beautiful both in the eyes of the little ones and those of the older ones. They are designs for all ages and well done. They could easily be small paintings to hang at home.”
The Platform 2.0 project not only looks to the past but also remains in step with the times. In particular, the illustrated cover is enriched by augmented reality. An idea that somehow links “traditional” reading to digitalized reading. Did you like this idea?
“I think it was a winning idea, an extra incentive to read the book. In this way, children are further encouraged to leaf through the pages because it could be very interesting to see the cover in augmented reality and compare it with what they have read or when they will next read. It is an extra element that enriches the book and that combines tradition with innovation.”
The adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi – Published by Galeotti editore – Download the Artivive app (Apple – Android) on your phone and frame this image with your smartphone and you will see a small wonder made of beauty and imagination
How important is it nowadays to have the courage to continue investing in culture and training, particularly to support the new generations?
“It is very important for our company. In our company, 60% of employees are women and 40% of them are mothers. Many of us have children and there are also many fathers. We are therefore in close contact with the world of the little ones and for this reason we fully realize how important culture, reading and information are. I always say that there are three things that will save the world: children, curiosity and communication.”
The project to give a book to girls and boys brought together the world of schools, institutions and entrepreneurs. How important is it to network in the area to promote its growth and enhance it?
“I believe that networking is always important, not only in this field. Especially when you have a valuable message to convey. In my opinion, the more we are, the better off we are. An individual can easily carry forward their beliefs, but together they can convey their message better and be more incisive. Furthermore, with a common purpose but different communication methods, even more people can be reached.”
Do you think it could be educational to extend this project to other schools, besides that of Viterbo?
“I think that giving a book as a gift is always educational. It is therefore important to give it to as many people as possible, especially because Pinocchio, as we have said, is a book that has a profound meaning and strong morals. A book that the more children read and understand, perhaps even with the help of their parents, the better.”
Many children participated in the presentation of the Piattaforma 2.0 initiative, an event that particularly involved them. What was the strongest emotion in experiencing the entire initiative and that day?
“The day of the presentation of the initiative was certainly very emotional for the children, but also for me because I wanted to convey a message to them. It was nice to see their curiosity and joy in sharing. Particularly touching was the moment when all those little hands took the book and held it up. Very engaging to see them all there together, for a common purpose.”
Maurizia Marcoaldi
The adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, donated to 3 thousand primary school children in Viterbo by institutions and businesses, is a large and unique cultural event conceived and created by Piattaforma 2.0 in collaboration with the Carivit foundation, Unitus, province of Viterbo, Nou Group, Eleonora Bonucci, We-Com, Wise constructions. And with the patronage ofLazio regional school office – territorial area of Viterbo, of the diocese of Viterbo, of the Viterbo consortium library, of the Santa Rosa porters association, and of Majakovskij communication and design studio.
Articles: Luca Provvedi: “Pinocchio for 3 thousand children: the paper book allows direct physical contact with the word” – Sergio Saggini: “Pinocchio for 3 thousand children: the paper book leaves room for imagination and enriches the vocabulary”
June 17, 2024
