The importance of comics as an educational tool

On May 1, 2021, an article in which the importance of comics as an educational tool appeared on the pages of The Lancet, the most authoritative medical journal at the international level.

The article, which you can read above, is inspired by the use of comics as a method of combating racism, subsequently extending the concept to various important aspects of medicine, health education and health promotion.

All this confirms the right vision that in 2009 led Renato Genovese, Emanuele Vietina and Doctor Raffaele Domenici to create the project “Il Giornalino della Pediatria“.

A collaboration between our Area Performance Association, Lucca Crea and the pediatric ward of Lucca that has allowed us to create a path dedicated to “informed awareness”, which had already begun between 2004 and 2007 with the Gugo and Guga books by Studio Genovese.

Dr. Raffele Domenici kindly answered some questions on this very topic:

How can we evaluate the educational importance of comics?

As an easily recognizable narrative form, comics represent a powerful tool in education, can contribute to a growth of critical consciousness and can represent a stimulus for deepening and reflection on various themes, be they social, health, ecological, etc. .
By combining textual and visual elements to create the narratives, the comic briefly communicates information and evokes emotional responses, balancing lightness and seriousness.

The immediacy with which it involves the reader forces one to confront the topics, the characters, the story; however, since the interpretation of the images is left to the viewer, it creates opportunities for personal interpretation and interpersonal comparisons.

It has long been recognized in medicine as a useful tool for its ability to represent the experience of the disease, to promote health education, health promotion, informed awareness.

How did the Pediatrics newspaper project come about?

The project was born from the need to contribute to soliciting the attention of children, with an immediate and easily accessible tool and language, on issues related to health promotion and informed awareness of choices and behaviors, to raise awareness on how to take care of itself, to increase well-being and prevent pathologies.

The stories have the same protagonist to maintain narrative continuity and are dedicated to the most important themes of prevention, to lifestyles to inform and help children take care of their health.

Not everyone still knows that the onset of the main and most disabling chronic diseases can be completely avoided or long delayed, paying attention to some determinant health risk factors, such as smoking, alcohol, sedentary lifestyle, incorrect diet, substance abuse, failure to comply with hygiene rules.

What does it mean to publish an article like this in a major magazine like The Lancet?

The Lancet is one of the most important international medical journals. The publication of a work like this is also the recognition in the scientific field of the fundamental importance of comics as an educational tool, but also as an element of reflection and discussion on even broader and deeply felt issues, such as the disparity in access to care. and the lack of equity in health care, also different according to ethnicity and cultural level, topics addressed in some comics taken into consideration in the article.

The conclusion of the work underlines how the educational action of comics can help develop a path towards justice and equality within medicine and health care.

The project, of which you can find all the numbers here, continues today and indeed in recent years, thanks to the collaboration of the North-West Tuscany ASL, it is starting to expand throughout the Tuscan territory.

Emergency and COVID-19 Outbreak

Area Performance, among the various beneficiaries, has been supporting Emergency for years. Which has carried out health interventions in the poorest parts of the world.

To find out more, you can visit our supported projects page here.

Last year, during the height of the global health emergency, thanks to the contribution of our artists and supporters, we contributed to Emergency’s interventions in response to Covid-19.

The humanitarian association has in fact launched a series of extraordinary projects linked to the emergency both on Italian soil and in the less wealthy areas of the world.

Thanks therefore to Emergency and to all our supporters who have proved, once again, attentive and sensitive to concretely help those in need of help.

Read more: Emergency Response Covid-19

Documentaries on some artists who are friends of Area Performance

During the last Lucca Changes 2020, many exclusive contents of exquisite workmanship were created.

Among all the broadcasts, the specials and the various live broadcasts, we are very pleased to report these three documentaries that see the protagonists of the great friends of our Area Performance.

Paolo Barbieri and Ciruelo on Raiplay:

Italian public TV and radio took to the field to support the great event dedicated to comics and games. Side by side, like the protagonists of our favorite sagas, in the challenge of the millennium. During the week of the festival, the group’s editors offered insights, specials, unpublished videos, and many other proposals within their schedules to enjoy the cultural contents of Lucca Comics & Games – Changes edition, from the comfort of home.

Rai Radio2 was the official radio of the Changes edition, with interviews and direct links with the protagonists of this edition. RaiPlay has dedicated an entire section to Lucca Comics & Games with an offer made up of exclusive originals, specials of Rai 4, Rai 5, Rai Italia, Radio 2, and a special selection of the best proposals for films, TV series and insights dedicated to pop culture fans.

Here are the two starring “our” Ciruelo and Paolo Barbieri:

Ciruelo: a life in Art – The life of the master of dragons

Ciruelo is a lover of nature and never misses an opportunity to represent it in his works, appreciated and exhibited in various cities in Europe, the United States and South America. Internationally recognized as the Master of Dragons, the artist impressed the general public with his “Petropictos”, works in which he has brought his powerful “high fantasy” suggestions directly to stone. From Argentina to Spain, passing through Lucca Comics & Games, this documentary tells the extraordinary life of the fantasy illustrator.

Masters of the fantastic – The story of “fantasy” illustrators

Today, artists who deal with fantastic art for publishing are called illustrators. But the definition does not matter: Italian and international “fantasy” illustrators are the heirs of a long tradition that has shaped centaurs, dragons and sirens over the centuries, the same tradition that has seen the exploits of illustrious predecessors such as Bosch, Blake, Dalì, Rossetti and many others. Luca Beatrice, art critic, and Paolo Barbieri, fantasy illustrator, talk about the arts while walking in the evocative rooms of the GAM in Milan.

The entire RaiPlay offer will be available on demand until February 28, 2021.

Luis and Romulo Royo on Youtube:

The specials went online not only on RAI channels, but also on the Lucca Changes Youtube channel.

Inside the Laberinto Gris with Luis and Romulo Royo:

An exclusive tour of the studio of one of the giants of world fantasy, Luis Royo who with his son Romulo founded the art studio Laberinto Gris, in Zaragoza. Between masterpieces of the past and juicy previews of future projects, Luis and Romulo will lead us to discover their creative processes, from the idea, to the project, to the realization.

Nigel Sade and Sarah Wilkinson’s Masks for the mutual aid fund of the municipality of Lucca

Nigel Sade and Sarah Wilkinson have decided to donate the masks designed by them to those who will donate to the mutual aid fund of the municipality of Lucca.

The two American fantasy artists, always friends of Area Performance and great protagonists of Lucca Comics & Games, have known our city thanks to the event and since then they have fallen in love with it so much to choose it as an adoptive destination.

Hence their idea of ​​offering as a reward for all those who decide to participate in crowdfunding on Eppela, the Italian crowdfunding platform, to support the Heart of Lucca, the Mutual Aid Fund set up by the municipal administration to help people and sectors most affected by the economic effects of Coronavirus.

In a video message their greeting for our city:

Hi people of Lucca, how are you? We miss Lucca, unfortunately we are stuck here in the US for quarantine. But to feel close there was an idea: we decided to make masks with our fantasy-themed printed designs and we distributed them here in America. Then we remembered that in Lucca we had left some fabrics, so we asked our friends from Lucca Comics & Games to take them and use them to sew the masks to be donated for charity activities. We want you to be well, safely. We hope to return to Lucca as soon as possible and thanks Lucca and friends of Lucca Comics & Games

Getting masks as a reward is simple:

just click here: https://www.eppela.com/it/projects/27869-il-cuore-di-lucca-ha-bisogno-di-te,

donate the amount connected to the masks and follow the instructions given to contact the distributor and collect them.

Nigel, Sarah and Lucca, a love story:

It all started in 2017, when Nigel and Sarah took part in Lucca Comics & Games, actively taking part in the activities of the Performance Area, the “playground” of Lucca Games which for over twenty years has been celebrating imaginative realism and visual arts in their plurality . They also return in 2019 and in that year they decide to make their dream come true in Lucca: to live in Italy.

The arrival of Covid-19 forces them to return to Ohio, where they are spending the quarantine, but the bond with their adopted city does not end. And that’s how Sarah invented a way to transform her art in solidarity in favor of Lucca: here the bandanas illustrated by them become washable masks, thanks to the collaboration with a group of seamstresses who is helping the two artists to satisfy the many requests received.

In Lucca solidarity widens and also involves Elena Giuli, a town in Lucca, passionate about tailoring, who has made the masks that will be distributed, via Ex-Plus, to citizens who request them after making the donation on Eppela.

Community of Sant’Egidio: solidarity in the time of the Coronavirus

Among the various projects that the Area Performance supports there is also that of the Community of Sant’Egidio.
Thanks to the funds donated to them in recent years, they have managed to purchase a van, essential for carrying out their activities.

Click here to find out more about the projects supported by the Performance Area.

The Covid-19 emergency has also influenced community activities, in fact in recent weeks one of the dramatic consequences of the pandemic is emerging: the increase in poverty.

It is a vast phenomenon, which in Sant’Egidio is touching a little more every day.

The requests for help have multiplied: more and more requests for food are many families who have suddenly found themselves unable to provide, ask for food and Sant’Egidio offers them weekly hot meals, and distributes food. shopping parcels with fresh and long-term groceries, health protection products without ever missing your personal friendship.

In fact, in the last week alone, over 350 people have reached the costs. A great job, possible only thanks to the solidarity of each.

For this reason, to continue to support many, they have started an extraordinary fundraiser, on the Gofundme platform, with the name of “Covid19 Emergency – Community of SantEgidio Lucca”, to support needy families, the elderly, the poor, homeless and foreigners.

With the money raised will be purchased food, useful aids to avoid contagion and other essential necessities to not really leave anyone alone.

For this, the Performance Area joins their appeal by asking anyone who can buy an expense for a family in difficulty by donating to this link: http://gf.me/u/xymw4k

Further information on 334 282 9034 – mail: santegidiolucca@gmail.com
Facebook page – Community of S.Egidio of Lucca

Area Performance’s support for Emergency continues

After the record auction on Catawiki in favor of the fight at Covid-19 (here you can find our article about it), the Area Performance, as promised, still made a donation of 5,000 euros to Emergency.

These funds will be used, as per agreements made in the previous months, for the Mayo Pediatric Center in Sudan. If you want to know more you can click here.

The delegate from the Emergency Lucca group is keen to let us know that:

We sincerely thank you for having, despite the current emergency, decided to continue to support Emergency’s activities which at this moment – as you may know – is also heavily engaged in Italy, as well as in the usual activities of fixed and mobile surgeries, in the special covid interventions 19.

If you want information on how Emergency has activated in Italy for the Covid-19 emergency go here.

New upgrades in hospital settings thanks to the Area Performance

We continue to update you on the interventions made possible thanks to the funds raised with the auction on Catawiki in collaboration with Lucca Comics & Games.

Here you will find the reference article.

Below you can see photos of all the panels installed at
The Citadel of Health Campo di Marte, District of S. Leonardo in Treponzio – Presidio, Triages first aid of the San Luca Hospital di Lucca.

Triages al pronto soccorso
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The first interventions were made thanks to the proceeds from the auction on Catawiki

covid versilia

Thanks to the funds raised in the auction on Catawiki, organized in collaboration with Lucca Comics & Games (here you can find the dedicated article), the first interventions have already been carried out.

In fact, the first panels for check points were installed at the Versilia Hospital. (see photo)

covid versilia

Thanks to these panels, operators can wear the simple mask and not the filtering one (difficult to find and therefore intended for COVID departments) – they explain to us from the management of the healthcare company.

If you missed the initiative you can review it on: Twich; Facebook; YouTube.

Our warmest thanks to all of you!

Area Performance and Catawiki united against Coronavirus

Given the recent events that are involving Italy (and the world), the Area Performance has decided to dedicate the annual online auction on Catawiki to the fight against Coronavirus.

As many of you will know, after the usual live auction at Lucca Comics & Games 2019, the ONLUS offers over 60 original plates of great artists, cartoonists, fantasy and science fiction illustrators.

Among these there is also a work donated directly to the fair by © Sergio Bonelli Editore, which for a couple of years has been collaborating generously with our initiatives.

This auction, which is usually in collaboration with Emergency and Collezionando, will raise funds for the Tuscan Healthcare System for the fight against Coronavirus.

Specifically, the funds raised will serve to enhance and regulate the access points (so-called check points) to hospital structures through the purchase and installation of panels that protect operators, thus relieving the hospital from purchasing protective masks and face shields , which would be destined only to hospital staff.

The auction will start on Friday 20 and end on Tuesday 31 March. To participate just register on the Catawiki website, click HERE to go directly to the auction. All this while staying at home, which we remind you, is the most important guideline to follow in this period.

Your support will be essential to help hospitals and especially the health personnel who are currently fighting for all of us.

However, this will not damage in any way the important Emergency projects for which the Area Performance Area will in any case donate € 5,000.

Great success for Area Performance

After the celebrations of the twentieth anniversary of last year, the great success for the Area Performance continues also for 2019. Also this year the auction of original works and illustrations made by the greatest world artists of fantasy and comics was held, on the occasion of the international festival Lucca Comics & Games.

In an auction that sold out around our stand, the sum of € 29,990 was collected, a sum that will be divided into the approved projects, that is, between Emergency, the Community of Sant’Egidio and the pediatric ward of the hospital of Lucca.

Also this year we have been showing great support from the authors, in fact we received the works of over 100 masters comics and fantasy as gifts, some of which will then be auctioned online on the Catawiki website.

The proceeds from the online auction will go entirely to Emergency, the humanitarian association founded in Milan in 1994 to bring help to civilian victims of wars and poverty.

So this year too we just have to thank you and invite you to continue following us on our social networks and above all subscribe to our mailing list at the bottom of the page.