Engaging volunteers in national meetings is a pivotal opportunity to actively promote civic participation, by strengthening national network, showcasing and giving value to the volunteers’ action.

The importance of volunteering for social cohesion, logistic and cultural success in carrying out big events has been pointed out by the President of the Materan Association, Ferdinando Trotta, upon his participation in “Volunteers as ambassadors of engaged citizenship”. He has also stated the importance of sheding new light on the role played by citizens as Cultural Volunteers and their future actions.

Rita Orlando, Director of “Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019”, underlined the impact of strategic investment in cultural volunteering on the whole path leading to the declaration of Matera as a European Capital of Culture. The volunteering process, characterised by enthusiasm and collective participation, gave birth to the creation of an official association of cultural volunteers back in 2021 which is a role model for other European and Italian Capitals of Culture today.

As stated by Gianleo Iosca, CSV Basilicata Director, the Trento meeting has ignited an important, enriching conversation on the cultural welfare and on the role played by the volunteering centres in the big events management in terms of well-being, hospitality and promotion of exemplary communication between volunteering associations and the establishment.

Open Culture 2019 Volunteers, thanks to their collaboration with CSV Basilicata and Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019, are actively involved in a networking project focusing on exchanges with local, national and international places in the cultural sphere.

The importance of volunteering for social cohesion, logistic and cultural success in carrying out big events has been pointed out by the President of the Materan Association, Ferdinando Trotta, upon his participation in “Volunteers as ambassadors of engaged citizenship”. He has also stated the importance of sheding new light on the role played by citizens as Cultural Volunteers and their future actions.

Making citizens and volunteers the real protagonists of their communities is the ultimate goal.

The Volunteers at Matera 2019

The cultural programme of Materia 2019 was also made possible by the citizens who volunteered on behalf of the city, cooperating to ensure the success of over 300 events, handling welcoming and information, and participating in educational activities. A total of 1540 people answered the call to become volunteers, filling out a form online that was launched as early as 2012, following the event held on Materadio that year, and remained open through 2019. Approximately 590 people out of the total were the most active, accumulating over 1800 hours of active volunteer work.