Futurekeepers Ferrara: Youth shaping the city’s heritage
08/04/2026
Futurekeepers in Ferrara is a four-step journey inviting young people to become active stewards of the World Heritage Renaissance city in the face of climate change.
On 5 March 2026, during the Heritage Stories Lab – Tales of Flânerie, more than 45 high-school students from the “Aleotti Dosso Dossi” and “Smiling International” institutes explored the UNESCO-listed historic centre. Through slow and attentive observation, they engaged with everyday places, capturing emotions, material details, and emerging memories along the way.
On 19 March, in the workshop Design Play to Care, the students transformed these insights into loss scenarios and care narratives. They explored risks linked to drought, flooding, extreme heat, and ongoing urban transformations, while proposing concrete actions and messages to engage their peers.
These stories will inform the third step: a “playful invitation” designed for primary school students, encouraging younger generations to reflect on care and responsibility. The journey will culminate in a fourth step, a “stewardship circle” bringing together high-school participants in May 2026 to reflect, exchange, and activate new practices.
Curated by Farah Makki with the support of Plam Creative Studio, and developed within the CAMPUS – Living Lab Ferrara project, Futurekeepers will continue to share the stories generated and co-create new forms of collective stewardship for the World Heritage city.
