Oltre la maschera: an art therapy journey for the boys of the IPM in Florence
Oltre la Maschera is the winner of the 2026 “Sottoponici un progetto” - the Fondazione Prossimo Mio supports the project’s initiatives capable of generating a concrete impact on the people and the community
The project, proposed by the APS PROGRESS association, will accompany a group of young inmates in the Istituto Penale per i Minorenni “G.P. Meucci” in Florence in an art therapy journey dedicated to exploring identity, self-awareness, and the possibility of imagining a different future.
A journey that goes beyond labels
Adolescence is a fundamental moment for the construction of one’s own identity. For a boy living the experience of an inmate, this process can become even more complex. The risk is to identify with the role of inmate or with the mistakes made, thereby losing sight of one’s own resources, capabilities, and the possibility of changing.
Oltre la Maschera was born to offer a protected space in which the boys can express themselves, reflect on their own history, and experiment with new ways of talking about themselves and their lives.
The project offers 10 group encounters of two and a half hours each, conducted with a psychodynamic approach by two professionals specialized in art therapy. Through painting, working with their hands, and other artistic languages, the participants will be accompanied in a journey that is centered on the creative process, and not the aesthetic result.
A symbolic element of the workshop that will be realized is a 3-D mask in papier mâché. The mask will represent the images of self that everyone constructs to protect oneself, to adapt, or to respond to the expectations of others. During the encounters, the masks will be transformed progressively, becoming an instrument for reflecting on what is shown to others, what is hidden, and – above all – what the boys can become.
The journey will conclude with representations of animal guides, chosen and constructed by the boys as symbols of their own resources, qualities, and abilities. They won’t be prearranged interpretations, rather, they will be personal images thanks to which it will be possible to recognize positive aspects of themselves, as well as new possibilities.
An experience that continues through time
PROGRESS has been working for more than twenty years in the field of social inclusion using art therapy as an instructive tool and for personal growth. In the IPM of Florence, it has run artistic workshops, art therapy journeys, and therapeutic horticultural activities for the young inmates for years.
Oltre la Maschera is part of an already tried-and-true experience and could be a model to realize in other contexts of fragility and of the justice system for minors.
