Starting in 1999, the former public Slaughterhouses were excluded from possible real-estate development as a result of the choice of turning them into a focal centre for youth policies, maintaining their public character, and favouring participatory governance of the organization. This is how Officina Giovani - Youth Workshop - was born. It occupies an area bordering the historical centre, across what will be the Central Urban Park (www.ppprato.it). It consists of four industrial buildings accessed from the arched entranceway, where the office and the Punto Giovani Europa information point are located. There is an event room that can accommodate 500 people, a dance room, a theatre room, an open space, rehearsal rooms, a co-working space, a bar-bistrot, web-radio, a space for associations and - last to be set up and different from all the rest - the space called "Le Celle".
Officina Giovani is a place where live performances take place. Officina Giovani is also a place for project development, in connection with associations and different kinds of expertise: the Teen Workshop labs, the regional, national and European Civil Service, participation in national and other competitions, and cross-border exchanges. All this in an area that bears strong signs of its original vocation.
For more information:
www.portalegiovani.prato.it
www.pentolone.it