Eclettica Street Factory

Eclettica is a skate park, urban garden and street art gallery in Caltanissetta, in the heart of Sicily. Due to recession and misgovernment, this area is affected by ongoing abandonment of former industrial and commercial areas and entire districts. A global strategy to urban redevelopment is much needed, around here. Resolved to give their contribution and make things better in their hometown, five young people developed a project for the regeneration of a skate rink – a long neglected public space – and in May 2015 they decided to submit it to a competition called "Boom – Polmoni Urbani", where their idea was awarded with the first place and financial support amongst 200 projects all over Sicily. It took eight months and the massive help of many volunteers to clean up the place and bring it back to the community. The skate rink was officially opened in June 2016 and the locals’ response was huge. In a town that barely counts 60.000 inhabitants, Street Factory Eclettica has already nearly a thousand members, and running. Main goal of the project is to create a place for people of all ages where to practice street sports in a safe way, socialize and create bonds between the community of Caltanissetta and surroundings. One of its main strengths is its sustainability: for instance, 90% of the outdoor furniture was made from the reuse of waste materials or donated by locals. So far, Eclettica has gathered both kids and adults for a great number of summer and festive events, such as concerts, artistic performances and cultural happenings. Part of the project sustainability also relies on an urban garden where vegetables are harvested seasonally and sold to the nearby restaurants and pubs, with a positive impact on the way the garden caregivers think about the care of the environment or how to maintain an healthy and balanced diet. In the near future, Eclettica team aims to harvest further nearby spots, seized to the criminal organisations. Much is done on the artistic level, as well: the skate rink walls and fences were painted by international street artists, such as Rosk&Loste, Gue, CrazyOne and many others. Restoring the skate rink and its facilities on an area as wide as 3000 square metres has been a huge opportunity for kids and families to practice sports and arts while enjoying a pleasant and green environment: it seems like even a small town in the middle of Sicily can be a happy place to live.