10.6092/issn.3034-8544/16731
The Cineclub of the University of Salento is part of the Third Mission activities of the Department of Cultural Heritage, and of the University of Salento in general. Students from the Bachelor’s Degree Course in Disciplines of Performing Arts and Music and the Master's Degree Course in Performing Arts and Audiovisual Production take part in it, supported by lecturers in the L-ART/06 area.
The purposes of the project, which include the promotion of film culture and audience development, have similarities with those stated in the statute of the Fondazione Apulia Film Commission, and have fostered the relationship between these two social actors, making it possible to hold the Cineclub programming at the Cinelab – “Giuseppe Bertolucci” of the Cineporto of Lecce since 2015. The paper will present and analyze the structure of the “Cineclub Universitario” and its operation, the activities carried out over time and the impact on the territory.
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Cinema and the Third Mission. The Case of the Cineclub Universitario in Salento
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Cinema and the Third Mission. The Case of the Cineclub Universitario in Salento
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                                                      URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024              89




Cinema and the Third Mission. The Case
of the Cineclub Universitario in Salento.
PEER REVIEWED


Laura Ysabella Hernández García1

University of Calabria

lauraysabella.hernandezgarcia@studenti.unisalento.it

Alessia De Blasi

University of Salento

alessia.deblasi@unisalento.it

Chiara Renna

University of Salento

chiara.renna@studenti.unisalento.it


1.         Introduction.
In 2015, the “Cineclub Universitario” initiative was launched by the board
for the Degree Course in Communication Sciences, with the aim to build
a path for students in the disciplines of communication and
entertainment. Funded by the Apulia Region Department of Tourism and
Cultural Industry, the project was implemented by the Apulia Film
Commission—AFC—and the University of Salento, which had just entered
into an agreement. Over time, the initiative has become instrumental in
fostering cooperation between a variety of institutions dealing with film
culture in the Salento area.
Under the scientific supervision of Luca Bandirali, the project initially
focused on the screening and analysis of television series, video clips,
medium-length and feature films, shown in different slots and chosen
based on the topics covered within the Cinema, Photography, and
Television course. The introduction of both a bachelor’s degree in
Performing Arts and Music—DAMS—at the University of Salento in 2017
and a master’s degree in Performing Arts and Audio-Visual Production at
the University of Bologna in 2020 broadened such a field of education,
with courses in Audience studies, Film studies, Media studies, Film
Production and Distribution.



1
    Corresponding author.


                                                                     Copyright 2024 The Author
                                               This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.3034-8544/16731               Attribution 4.0 International License
                                                            URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024           90



The Cineclub currently complements university teaching, providing
students with a first approach to the planning of cultural events and
offering opportunities for discussion with insiders and academics. Over
the years, initiatives have been carried out that include festivals with
screenings of classic and contemporary films, workshops with
production artists and academic researchers, and collaborations with the
main film events in the area, which is in line with the Third Mission
objectives pursued by the University of Salento. The Third Mission
instrument may be said to be crucial for the academic world to engage
with social issues, adopting a strategy that aims to disseminate knowledge
among members of the community and the industry2, while
demonstrating its ability to manage public funding reserved for the
cultural development of the areas involved3. As set out in the 2020-2022
Strategic Plan4, the University aims to establish a network with public and
private bodies, promoting the economic development and cultural
growth of the area.
As Boyer would say5, the Cineclub aims to achieve a “scholarship of
engagement” that may bring about a renewal of the relationship between
the academic world and the local community, in an attempt to culturally
enrich the area and foster a more inclusive idea of the University. With a
view to rethinking the public engagement of the university as a “bridge”
that should bring the university to the area and the area to the university,
the debate on the institutional recognition of the Third Mission also
revolves around reforms based on what has been called a “third way”.
Such reforms stem from the assumption that the university should have
an “amphibious” status in order to move more nimbly in the non-
academic world6: medium- and long-term collaborations in the area may
help to deal with innovative projects characterized by a logic of sharing
and public engagement that sometimes remains outside the evaluation
grids7, or does not find full appreciation in the academic world. For this

2
  Cf. Stefan de Jong, Katharine Barker, Deborah Cox, Thordis Sveinsdottir and Peter Van den
Besselaar, “Understanding Societal Impact through Productive Interactions: ICT Research as a
Case”, Research Evaluation 23, no. 2 (2014): 89–102; Giustina Secundo, Christle De Beer, Cornelius
S.L. Schutte and Giuseppina Passiante, “Mobilising Intellectual Capital to Improve European
Universities’ Competitiveness. The Technology Transfer Offices’ Role”, Journal of Intellectual
Capital 18, no. 3 (2017): 607–624; Tommaso Agasisti, Cristian Barra and Roberto Zotti, “Research,
Knowledge Transfer, and Innovation: the Effect of Italian Universities’ Efficiency on Local
Economic Development 2006−2012”, Journal of Regional Science (2019).
3
  Paul Benneworth, Rómulo Pinheiro and Mabel Sánchez-Barrioluengo, “One Size does not Fit All!
New Perspectives on the University in the Social Knowledge Economy”, Science and Public Policy
43, no. 6 (2016): 731–735.
4
  University of Salento, Piano Strategico 2020-2022 No. 0023989 of 04/02/2021 – Rep. n. 68/2021
Decreti Rettorali (2016-) - UOR: Rettorato - Classif. III/17. 2021.
5
  Ernest L. Boyer, “The Scholarship of Engagement”, Journal of Public Service and Outreach 1, no.1
(1996): 11-20.
6
  Mara Benadusi and Roberta Altin, “Engaged Scholarship o razionalità neoliberale? Il ruolo
anfibio dell’antropologia nella Terza Missione”, Antropologia Pubblica 8, no. 1 (Bologna: Clueb,
2022).
7
  The evaluation of case studies within the framework of Third Mission activities is a significant
new feature of VQR3. These activities demonstrate the openness of institutions, as they identify
with, and understand, the needs of local residents, becoming involved in the area and offering
                                                            URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024           91



reason, the university should foster a development model fuelled by
institutions, businesses, the local community, and the university itself.
The history of the Cineclub shows how such an initiative can contribute
to actively enhancing the tangible and intangible cultural heritage crucial
for the development of the area.

2.  Networking:               the     Collaboration          with      the     Apulia      Film
Commission.

The collaboration with the Apulia Film Commission has been
fundamental to both strengthen the relationship with the Apulia Regional
Council and have a decisive impact on the development of film culture.
In the regional context, cinema is a significant economic reality: the
Apulia Region has had a Film Commission since 2007, with the primary
goal of establishing a production chain, attracting investment, and
fostering the professionalization of local workers. The Film Fund
provides production support to companies that plan to make films in
Apulia and have a budget in place, by allocating selected projects between
20% and 40% of their production budget. Furthermore, the Film
Commission plays a key role in audience development and the
dissemination of audio-visual culture, with the “Cineporto” buildings and
festival networks being essential in the achievement of such an objective.
The “Cineporto” buildings in Bari, Lecce, and Taranto are multi-purpose
structures that were set up to provide logistic support to productions and,
over time, have become part of a distribution network, hosting a film
programming that is often integrated with educational initiatives planned
by universities and schools.
In fifteen years, the Apulia Film Commission has carried out activities
that have had a beneficial economic impact on the area. The over 10
million euros allocated in its first ten years translated into a 46-million-
euro direct impact on the area, with a contribution-expenditure ratio of
five8. The impact on the Salento area has been particularly significant in
terms of some AFC guidelines, such as tourism promotion and the
dissemination of Apulian cultural identities.
The Apulian Film Commission has always prioritized education among its
goals. In this sense, the activities carried out within the framework of the

their knowledge to entire communities. The Third Mission thus encourages institutions external
to the university to participate in the complex process of research and innovation. Third Mission
activities contribute to building a relationship between institutions and the outside world by
transferring knowledge from the researcher to society. This results in a constructive bi-
directional evolution in which institutions outline new directions in research and education
through interaction with society. See Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of the University
and Research Systems, Valutazione della Qualità della Ricerca 2015-2019 (VQR 2015-2019). Final
Report – Statistiche e risultati di compendio – 21 July 2022 https://www.anvur.it/wp-
content/uploads/2022/07/VQR-2015-2019_Rapporto_Finale_EC_21luglio2022.pdf.
8
  Luca Bandirali, “Il Salento si alza. Come una regione di confine nel bacino del Mediterraneo è
diventata un’area di interesse nell’ambito del cinema europeo contemporaneo”, in Stefania Parigi,
Christian Uva and Vito Zagarrio (eds), Cinema e identità italiana. Cultura visuale e immaginario
nazionale fra tradizione e contemporaneità (Roma: RomaTre-Press, 2019).
                                              URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024   92



Cineclub have contributed to the achievement of its statutory objectives.
Some of the educational initiatives that have been carried out since 2015
will be analysed in the following paragraphs.
Cineclub students have acted as jurors and staff members at film festivals
held within the Apulia Cinefestival Network, which coordinates film
events funded by the Apulia Regional Council, including the Lecce
European Film Festival directed by Alberto La Monica, Vive le Cinéma, a
French Film Festival directed by Alessandro Valenti, Brizia Minerva, and
Angelo Laudisa, the Corigliano d’Otranto Film Festival of the Real under
the direction of Paolo Pisanelli, the Otranto Film Fund Festival directed
by Stefania Rocca, and others that have been recently established. Such
an experience has allowed students to approach film productions from a
critical perspective, which has enabled them to put into practice their
theoretical knowledge of audio-visual language. Proof of the effectiveness
of such initiatives is the fact that students from the DAMS of the
University of Salento are constantly selected to become members of the
UNIMED International Jury at the Venice Film Festival, and some of them
have recently also acted as jurors at the Collegium of the Pordenone Silent
Film Festival. On the other hand, those who have taken part in the
organization of a festival as volunteer staff members have been provided
with the opportunity to observe the different phases of event planning
from the inside, establishing valuable contacts with cultural operators
that may even turn into future job opportunities. As for the production
sector, internships have been set up on film and television sets, so as to
enable students to learn the basic technical skills related to pre-
production, production, and post-production.
Cineclub students have also had the opportunity to participate in
multidisciplinary debates, within the framework of higher education
schools cooperating with the University of Salento and the Apulia Film
Commission. Among these, the “Fata Morgana Web” magazine, under the
scientific direction of Roberto De Gaetano from the University of
Calabria, has been holding La Critica Cinematografica Summer School
since 2019. In this context, lectures are held by internationally renowned
teachers, with the theoretical analysis of the role, history and forms of
film criticism being complemented by practical experience, through
writing workshops aimed at explaining the practical aspects of a critical
reflection, especially when written for the web. In 2019, the University of
Salento also hosted the Scuola di Placetelling Winter School. Under the
scientific direction of Fabio Pollice, Rector of the same University, a
series of theoretical and technical seminars were held that focused on
audio-visual approaches to the narration of places. The expression
“placetelling” is to be interpreted as a specific approach that sees
storytelling as a social action centred on the narration of places and
capable of contributing to the production of the very sense of places.
Therefore, placetelling may be said to be the point of convergence of
different fields of research—media geography, film studies, territorial
                                              URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024   93



marketing, semiotics, narratology, ethnography—which finds one of its
most widespread and effective manifestations in audio-visual
storytelling. Working on these concepts, students specialized in the
analysis of the audio-visual representation of space. Finally, the Otranto
Film Fund Festival Summer School in Filmmaking, held in 2019, dealt
with audio-visual techniques, with a specific focus on digital storytelling.
Conceived and directed by Luca Bandirali from the University of Salento,
the Summer School adopted an interdisciplinary, multifaceted approach,
bringing together an international group of students and teachers from
DAMS courses, the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, and film
schools located in Italy, Spain, Greece, and Bulgaria.

3.     The DAMS Mondays.
As clarified in its mission statement, one of the objectives pursued by the
AFC is audience development, which has been achieved through the film
discussion and educational events planned by Cineclub students. Such
events have taken place at the “Giuseppe Bertolucci” CineLab in the
Cineporto building in Lecce, one of the venues that the AFC has made
available to host initiatives organized by third parties or the AFC itself.
“The DAMS Mondays” initiative, which took place between 2019 and 2020,
may be described as an organic process in which students could choose
the films to review, the themes to discuss, and the guests to invite, while
acquiring new knowledge of the planning of a cine-audio-visual cultural
event. The design of the events was deeply educational, which was
instrumental in both refining the learning process of the students
involved and consolidating their specific professional profile. The work
of the Cineclub benefited from the mentoring of some of the
professionals from the AFC. Thanks to the adoption of non-formal
education strategies based on a learning by doing approach, the students
were encouraged to gain field experience and achieve concrete
objectives, while developing their personal and professional skills.
The initiative took place on a weekly basis, in the 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
time slot. The content of the programming was in line with the objectives
of the DAMS degree course, with the events being intended not only for
the about 400 first, second, and third year DAMS students, but also for the
entire university and local population. The necessary funding was
provided by the Apulia Region Department of Tourism and Cultural
Industry, as part of the “Viva Cinema – Promuovere il Cinema e
Valorizzare i Cineporti di Puglia 2019-2020” action, funded through the
“Patto per la Puglia” 2014-2020 Cohesion Fund, and “Promuovere il
cinema e i suoi luoghi”, an action undertaken by the Apulia Film
Commission and the Apulia Region Department of Tourism, Cultural
Economy and Territorial Enhancement, funded through “Patto per la
Puglia” 2014-2020 Cohesion Fund.
Organized by the Cineclub and focused on film review, “The DAMS
Mondays” was the first event that directly involved students in event
                                              URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024   94



design, research, press releases, communication, and organization. The
participants were divided into specialized working groups, which allowed
them to develop professional planning knowledge and skills. Each group
also had a mentor for the implementation of the actions described in the
following paragraphs.
-      Design
The working group had to deal with the design of the event, choosing the
film to screen, the themes to discuss, and the guests to invite. It
communicated the dates of the events to the institutions and drew up the
budget plan.
-      Research
Students were responsible for finding the right film media. They selected
the version of each work to be screened—e.g., restored, dubbed,
subtitled, soundtracked editions—, providing a Blu-ray Disc and backup
copies. The group verified the effective functioning of the supports and
took care of any replacements.
-      Hospitality
The working group contacted the guests—e.g., university lecturers,
directors, operators—, arranged meetings, and organized travel and
accommodation.
-      Multimedia Content
The working group, consisting of photographers and video makers in
training, documented each of the events. Students also created
multimedia content to be used for social communication.
-      Social Communication
The working group was responsible for creating and programming
content for the Cineclub Instagram and Facebook pages. It disseminated
news about the events and built audience loyalty through content
designed for different targets.
-      Press Office
The working group drafted and disseminated press releases, organized
press conferences, invited institutional partners, and collected their
statements.
-      Graphics
Students designed graphics for posters, brochures, and online
communication.
-      Newsletter
The working group collected the participants’ e-mail addresses and
created a newsletter reporting on upcoming events.
Some of the themes covered within the context of “The DAMS Mondays”
were: “Le maschere della commedia all’italiana” (Masks of the Italian
comedy), with the screening of Dino Risi’s Il Sorpasso (1962), in the
edition restored by the Cineteca di Bologna and Istituto Luce, and Il
Federale, directed by Luciano Salce (1961); “Non sono una bambola” (I am
not a doll), with an analysis of Nicholas Ray’s Johnny Guitar (1954), Jean-
Luc Godard’s Vivre sa vie (1962), and Michelangelo Antonioni’s Deserto
                                                             URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024           95



rosso (1964), and interviews with guests including Francesco Zucconi
from the IUAV University of Venice. Some of the film-review events also
focused on television seriality and game studies. One of such events,
introduced by Damiano Garofalo from “La Sapienza” University of Rome,
involved the analysis of the interactive film Bandersnatch, part of the
Black Mirror franchise, which required a special screening in order for
the audience to express their preferences and plot choices. A special
event was organized to celebrate Oscar night, with a screening of Joseph
L. Mankiewicz’s All about Eve (1950) and guests including journalist and
film critic Enrico Magrelli, one of the authors and presenters of the
“Hollywood Party” Radio Tre programme.
The above-mentioned events, together with the partnerships established
and the presence of experts in the field, have sparked interest in the
cinema, thus contributing to the cultural growth of the area. The
interactive nature of the events has proved to be essential in building a
community of connoisseurs and enthusiasts who, in turn, have supported
local cinemas.
Audience development activities have also made it possible to include
new audiences. These have been guided in the improvement of crucial
skills and tools to both enjoy cultural content and decode messages,
fundamental in order for the artistic experience not to become
meaningless and alienating9. As it has already been mentioned, each the
event planned by the Cineclub has provided an interpretive tool for the
audience: the screenings have been preceded by an introduction
delivered by experts in the field—film professors, directors, actors,
cinema operators, and experts in other fields related to the topic to be
covered—, who have also been responsible for constructing a narrative
that could encourage the participation in cultural initiatives.
Consequently, the audience has started to play an increasingly active role,
as it has expressed its opinion and has been involved in the programming,
with its collective intelligence being recognized10. Indeed, the local
community has actively participated in programming and
implementation, through open planning, public bodies, associations, and
committees that have interacted and cooperated with the Cineclub to
create content that may meet the needs of the community. The Cineclub
internal working and research groups have focused on specific topics that
are in line with the mission of some of the actors involved, who are in
constant dialogue with the community in order to listen to and analyse
the audience.




9
  Heather Maitland, A Guide to Audience Development, 2nd ed. (London: Arts Council of England,
2000).
10
   Alessandro Bollo, “50 sfumature di pubblico e la sfida dell’audience development,” in Francesco
De Biase (ed.), I pubblici della cultura. Audience development, audience engagement (Milano: Franco
Angeli, 2014).
                                                               URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024            96



4.       #LaCulturaRestaAccesa Festival.

The result of a collaboration with the Lecce Library and Museum Centre,
the Apulia Regional Council, the Teatro Pubblico Pugliese Association,
and     the    Apulia    Film    Commission,       #LaCulturaRestaAccesa
(#CultureStaysOn) Festival aimed to promote and support the work of
cultural organizations in the local context, an objective that proved to be
particularly significant during Covid-19 lockdown in Italy. The digital
schedule designed by the student members of the Cineclub offered daily
audio-visual content from the archives of the associations involved.
Through the Festival YouTube channel, a variety of cultural and identity-
related topics were explored in the fields of music, dance, theatre,
archaeology, contemporary art, literature, and publishing.
Such programming was made possible thanks to intensive work on
archive materials and content curation. The content offered by the
associations involved was further developed through re-editing and the
creation of soundtracks and graphics. The fruitful interaction between
the Cineclub and the Library and Museum Centre demonstrated a shared
interest in making cultural heritage digitally available, enhancing local
culture even in a period of uncertainty.
Between March and May 2020, daily events were organized to promote
the new content published on the LaCulturaRestaAccesa YouTube
channel. Some examples of that include the performances put on by the
Koreja innovative theatre company11; the concerts by musicians Paolo
Fresu, Uri Caine and Raffaele Casarano; Davide Barletti’s Italian Sud Est;
Carmelo Bene’s Lectura Dantis; videos on the staging of the Venus of the
Rags, a conceptual artwork by Michelangelo Pistoletto; and interviews
with well-known personalities in the fields of art and architecture, such
as Eugenio Barba, Goffredo Fofi, Elio De Capitani, and Renzo Piano.
The CRAfest 2020 experience developed as part of this project. An online
international contest organized by the Cineclub and the Musiclub
Unisalento, it aimed to promote the work of young artists in the fields of
music and short film production. On this occasion, the Cineclub set up a
jury chaired by Stefania Rocca to evaluate the competing short films,
giving the students the opportunity to put into practice the critical skills
they had acquired during their university studies.
The experimental model of #LaCulturaRestaAccesa Festival proved to be
an effective tool in the cultural development of the area, as it brought
together the skills and resources of important national and international
artists and cultural operators. Furthermore, the CRAfest 2020 allowed
emerging young artists to reach new audiences even during a healthcare
emergency.



11
  Brecht’s Dance. La danza del ribelle (2001), BRAT (Fratello): Cantieri per un’Opera Rom (2010), Katër
i Radës. Il naufragio (2014, co-produced with Biennale Musica Venezia – International Festival of
Contemporary Music).
                                                URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024   97



5.     Other Collaborations.

The Cineclub has collaborated with a variety of cultural institutions in the
area, with the aim to implement a wide range of initiatives including
screenings and seminars, some of which are summarized below.
-      History of Cinema – Starter Pack (13/10/2022 – 15/12/2022)
In the context of the History of Cinema course part of the bachelor’s
degree in DAMS, a screening of classic films was hosted, with a historical
analysis of the latter being carried out.
-      FeelM – From Primitives to the Future (2021 – ongoing)
In collaboration with Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, CoolClub,
and Cineteca di Milano, the event has been exploring the link between the
sounds of contemporary music and early cinema through the soundtrack
of silent films.
-      From my Armchair: Music and Cinema, Origins and Similarities of
Different Disciplines (2021)
The initiative was carried out in collaboration with Centro Sperimentale
di Cinematografia, CoolClub, and Apulia Film Commission. A series of
masterclasses focused on the sound processes of silent films,
historiographically delving into the different approaches of early and
contemporary film composers.
-      Repeat! The Film that Lived Several Times (2020)
In collaboration with Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, such a
retrospective explored the early 20th-century film adaptations of
theatrical and literary works, with the films being broadcast on
#Laculturarestaaccesa YouTube channel.
-      Your Mind at the Cinema (2019-2020)
The event was held in collaboration with the Italian Association of
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. Films dealing with the various stages of
life and the relationship between the human and inhuman were analysed,
in an attempt to facilitate the understanding of the emotional and
unconscious aspects characterizing topical issues.
-      Arts/Media (2018)
Carried out in collaboration with Interdepartmental Research Centre in
Digital Humanities, the project focused on philosophy and art history,
film analysis and media convergence.
-      Full Screen (2017)
Held in collaboration with “Rete degli Spettatori” Association, the
initiative aimed to initiate a discourse on contemporary filmmaking in
Italy. It involved the screening of a series of contemporary films produced
in Italy, followed by seminars held by directors and film critics.
-      Conversations about the Future (2017)
The Conversations about the Future Festival has been held in Lecce since
2013. Every year, about 80 events take place over four days, with over 150
guests exploring – from a multidisciplinary perspective – the issues that
characterize contemporary society and those that will develop in the near
future. In the 2017 edition of the Festival, the Cineclub, in collaboration
                                                           URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024          98



with “Diffondiamo idee di valore” Association, hosted the “Cinema about
the Future” section of the initiative, with films focusing on art, migration,
journalism, activism, and other topical issues.

6.      A New Phase: a Cultural Association.
In January 2023, the Cineclub Universitario founded the cultural
association of the same name, thanks to the passionate commitment of 17
students and graduates from the bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts
and Music, and the master’s degree in Performing Arts and Audio-Visual
Production Sciences. The Statute of the Association formalizes some of
the objectives that have characterized the activities of the Cineclub since
its early days. In particular, Articles 3 and 4 of the Statute clarify that 12,
Art. 3. The association operates for the pursuit of civil, solidarity and
socially useful purposes on a non-profit basis, carrying out ‘activities of
general interest’ that may benefit its members or third parties, as set out
by Art. 5 of the Third Sector Code.
Art. 4. The aim of the Association is to promote the wider dissemination
of the outcomes of cultural, technical, and professional initiatives in the
field of the cinema, with a view to enhancing the local, national and
foreign cinematographic and audio-visual heritage.
Accordingly, the Association aims to:
-       cooperate with educational institutions in order to set up a cultural
centre through activities for the dissemination and promotion of film
culture;
-       foster interaction within the university community;
-       promote exchanges with similar organizations based in Italian and
foreign universities.
The Association also aims to foster the education of its members and
contribute to local cultural growth. It encourages participation in social
life by means of concrete initiatives. The Association may carry out any
activity deemed useful for the pursuit of social goals, even cooperating
with natural or legal persons, public or private bodies.
Furthermore, the Association is willing to improve accessibility: fostering
the interaction within the community also means facilitating the
involvement of people with disabilities. By collaborating with
associations that support the organizers of cultural events in the
development of appropriate strategies, the Cineclub promotes social
inclusion through measures that enable people with disabilities to
actively and safely participate in the most diverse activities. Some of the
films screened during the Cineclub events have audio descriptions,
created for individuals with visual impairments by specialists in the field.
Such an approach has allowed the Association to involve that part of the
audience that is often difficult to reach, the “audience by surprise”

12
  Associazione Culturale “Cineclub Universitario”, Statuto dell’Associazione Culturale “Cineclub
Universitario”, 2023.
                                                               URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024            99



described in a study on audience development carried out for the
European Commission:
People hard to reach/indifferent/hostile who do not participate in any
cultural activity for a complex range of reasons, related to social
exclusion factors, education and accessibility. Their participation could
hardly be possible without an intentional, long-term and targeted
approach 13.
In addition, the Association is committed to the criteria of eco-
sustainability, adopting renewable solutions in the creation of
installations and transferring promotional activities to digital media14.
The Association planning currently shows a particular focus on the study
of space and landscape issues. The Cineclub offers a privileged
perspective on the matter due to its collaboration with organizations such
as the Apulia Film Commission, the Castromediano Museum, and the
University of Salento.
The actors that trigger, and participate in, the creation of values and
practices are examined in a series of studies on the transformative
processes of the contemporary southern landscape. The dissemination of
Apulian cultural identities and the enhancement of the area have been
part of the Apulia Film Commission programmes since its inception,
which has resulted in works having their roots in Apulia and produced by
local artists. Consequently, the cinema is close to the various local
contexts and captures the events taking place in the region in a
participatory manner. The landscape never acts as a backdrop, but it is
always a subject that leaves its mark on the stories being told,
strengthening or changing the identity of specific places.
Some of the activities carried out by the Association have enabled the
formation of research groups involving students interested in broadening
their knowledge in these areas. The initiatives that have been
implemented since the foundation of the cultural Association are listed
below.

13
   Other audience categories were also identified by the study: “Audience by habit. People who
usually attend and/or participate in cultural activities, whose barriers to access are relatively easy
to overcome, and towards whom different strategies are possible, like audience education to
attract similar audiences not currently participating; taste cultivation to increase and diversify
content and attendance. ‘Habit’ in this framework means that those audiences are familiar with
the same idea of being an audience, therefore cultural experiences are not just something they
are used to do, but much more a part of their identity and self-perception. Audience by choice.
People who are not used to participate for reasons of life style, lack of opportunities or financial
resources; those for whom participating is not a habit, or who rarely choose to attend a show or a
concert, but don't have any particular social or cultural disadvantage; to engage them different
strategies are possible, as extended marketing but also education and participatory approaches”.
See Alessandro Bollo, Cristina Da Milano, Alessandra Gariboldi, and Chris Torch (eds), Study on
Audience Development – How to Place Audiences at the Centre of Cultural Organizations, European
Commission, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, 2017.
14
   As far as sustainability is concerned, the “Cineclub Universitario” Association guarantees,
where possible, the implementation of sustainable events in compliance with the indications
provided by the ‘Festival Green Guide’ promoted by the Association of Italian Film Festivals, in
line with the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) defined by the Ministry of the Environment
also for the culture and entertainment sector.
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-      Abysses of Silence. Images from Banditi a Orgosolo, directed by Vittorio
De Seta and released in 1961 (31/03/2023)
The initiative was carried out in collaboration with Cineteca Sarda,
University of Cagliari, University of Salento, and Castromediano
Museum. Through stills and frames from the film, the analysis focused
on Vittorio De Seta’s Banditi a Orgosolo, which won the “Best First Feature
Award” at the Venice Film Festival in 1961.
-        Image-Landscape (2023 – in progress)
The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Eurisko
association for social development, within the context of the Theories and
Techniques of Audio-Visual Language course part of the bachelor’s
degree in DAMS. The initiative focuses on an analysis of the
representation and role of the landscape in classic and contemporary film
productions. Some screenings include the use of audio description for
visually impaired individuals.
-        Nature Rebels (27/03/2023)
In collaboration with Bifest Bari International Film Festival, the Cineclub
participated in the panel on cinema and ecology for high schools, with the
realization and screening of a montage of several film scenes featuring
monstrous creatures.
Although the screenings may be linked to specific university or school
projects, access has always been free and open to the entire community,
in line with Goal 4 of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
which aims not only to ensure quality, equitable, and inclusive education
with reference to compulsory schooling, but also to promote non-
compulsory learning opportunities throughout an individual’s lifetime15.
The cultural policies analysed identify the role of the citizen not only as a
user of culture, but also as an active participant in its protection and
promotion: the study and implementation of innovative art forms leads
to the development of responsible and involved audiences16.

7.       Concluding Remarks.
Thanks to the support of local institutions, DAMS students have been
entrusted with the management of the Cineclub activities, taking care of
film retrieval and content curation, creating schedules, welcoming guest
speakers and interacting with them. The planning of events has always
been geared towards community involvement, with the aim of building
community loyalty and creating a link between the local population and
the academia, while sparking the people’s interest in film and television
by offering quality film programming and interviews with well-known
experts. The 20th-century meaning of the word “Cineclub” has thus been
restored, with it being interpreted as one of the first instruments for the

15
   Stefano Molina and Francesca Billotta, “Il goal 4 dell’Agenda 2030 e le politiche per un’istruzione
di qualità in Italia”, Working papers. Rivista online di Urban@it – 2/2020.
16
   Flavia Barca, “L’Anno Europeo del Patrimonio Culturale e la visione europea della cultura,”
DigitCult | Scientific Journal on Digital Cultures 2, no. 3 (2017): 75–93.
                                                          URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024           101



cultural legitimation of the cinema and the diffusion and protection of
film culture and art.
As soon as the Cineclub is recognized as a student association of the
University of Salento in May 2023, it will have access to new forms of
funding for the improvement of teaching and education services. Thanks
to that, the dedication and attention that have always characterized the
work carried out by the Cineclub will be strengthened and complemented
by substantial new ambitions.
Over the years, the Cineclub of the University of Salento has succeeded in
both involving the local community and interacting with cultural bodies
in the public and private sphere. The agreement between the Apulia Film
Commission and the University of Salento has encouraged Cineclub
students to engage in experiences that have allowed them to develop their
skills and knowledge in film programming. In accordance with the
principles established by the Faro Convention, the Cineclub Universitario
has committed to ensuring democratic participation in cultural
promotion events, with the aim of raising awareness of “the process of
identification, study, interpretation, protection, conservation and
presentation of the cultural heritage”17.


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