A corridor in Rebibbia separates two worlds: the one outside and the one inside the prison. Each time it is crossed, it becomes a threshold to a place where dialogue, creativity, and teaching offer new opportunities, transforming a group of inmates into students, collaborators, and sometimes friends.
This spirit underpins the pilot project that RUFA has launched in collaboration with the Rebibbia Prison. Thanks to a memorandum of understanding signed by the Academy’s director, architect Fabio Mongelli, and promoted by professors Luigi Iacobelli and Enrico Parisio, the university has offered two courses for inmates: one in Graphic Design and one in Editorial Graphics. This project is not just an educational offering but a true act of social responsibility, aligned with the sustainability values that RUFA promotes and embraces.
These courses have not only taught techniques and principles of graphic design but also served as a tool for redemption and personal growth. Guided by the professors and through collaborative work, participants were at the heart of a process that led them to create an internal magazine: Non Tutti Sanno. The final result was also made possible by the donation of three Macintosh computers from RUFA, which enabled the participants to work with professional tools like InDesign.
Overcoming the logistical and material challenges of the prison context was achievable thanks to the determination and positive spirit of the participants, who approached the program with commitment and creativity. Each lesson was a moment of dialogue, exchange, and construction, where the art of graphic design served as a bridge between different worlds.
Marco, one of the inmates involved, also proudly recounts this experience: “Thanks to the graphic design course, ‘Non Tutti Sanno’ has become something we can truly call a magazine. Not just valuable content, but also an aesthetic form that conveys professionalism and care.” The program culminated with the awarding of certificates by director Fabio Mongelli, a symbolic moment marking the success of a project that transcends academic teaching.
A look to the future
The initiative does not stop here. In agreement with the Prison Directorate, RUFA plans to expand the project with new courses, involving other disciplines and integrating contributions from students and faculty. Among the future proposals are a Comics and Illustration workshop to transform inmates’ stories into graphic novels and talks with organizations and companies to enrich the program.
Through this project, RUFA demonstrates that social sustainability is not just a principle but a concrete commitment to making creativity a tool for inclusion, dialogue, and transformation. Rebibbia is not just a place of detention but a space where a better future can be built, one page at a time.
«We are firmly convinced – explained director Fabio Mongelli – of the educational role that art, and especially contemporary art, can play. Facing situations outside the ordinary allows RUFA faculty not only to help broaden the horizons of the inmates but also to enrich their own educational and human approach».
In this initial phase of collaboration, two courses were offered, in Graphic Design and Editorial Graphics. At the end of the program, RUFA issued participants a certificate of attendance.
«The courses – concluded the Director – aim to provide professionalism in the fields of visual arts, design, and applied arts. The goal is to expand, over time, the range of educational offerings, best reflecting the cultural and social vision of the Third Mission».
