Rome (Fides Service) – Painting as a form of expression and rehabilitation. This is the objective of Il mattone Art Workshop sponsored by the “St John of God Institute” in Genzano not far from Rome which will show its works during a Regional Art Festival 17 to 20 November.
The initiative is significant also because this is the European Year for the Disabled. The presence of the St John of God Brothers is a sign, a testimony of concrete assistance and care for persons with a disability, especially mental disorders, a vocation and mission inherited from its founder St John of God.
Il Mattone art workshop was opened in 1993 as part of a rehabilitation programme run by the St John of God Institute in Genzano. It aims to offer space for expression. In fact daily artistic activity helps stimulate, increase and valorise expressive abilities and the symbolic productivity of the disabled. With a creative process these singular artists have a chance to affirm their identity, discover their potential relate to new objects and persons. In this way art valorises their unexpressed personalities and the paintings and other works assume an interesting character for immediacy and originality
“ Persons with a disability have intelligence of heart visible in gestures, words and every day life – says Brother Gerardo D’Auria, Superior in Genzano – They are people who need the help of others for many things, but they too can help others, they can be happy and live a normal life”. Mattone art workshop artists have already taken part in various exhibitions and the funds raised by the sale of their work has often be donated to support initiatives of solidarity to help distant sick and international health cooperation AFMAL (Associazione Fatebenefratelli per i Malati Lontani).
The Regional Art Festival will be an occasion to reflect and above all to testify great hope in a special diversity, diversity which is concretised in normality. (AP) (19/11/2993 Fides Service; lines: 31 words: 363)