DIFFERENT
BUT THE SAME.
why fridas
FRIDAS, which stands for Freedom in Rights Identities driven through Arts and Sports, aims to combine healthy sport competition and contemporary art to achieve several goals: breaking down gender bias, promoting physical and mental health, challenging discrimination in sports, combating social exclusion, and educating coaches and decision-makers in sports organizations on issues of gender equality and accessibility for people with disabilities.
Inspired by Frida Kahlo, symbolizing resilience in the face of adversity, this project sees art and sport as essential allies in strengthening individuals, fostering independence, and shattering prejudices. By intervening in the rugby sector, typically perceived as masculine and rugged, we aim to encourage introspection and self-discovery.
Moreover, rugby, renowned for fostering loyalty and trust among players, serves as a powerful tool in combating discrimination and gender disparities. By integrating art into the equation, we aim to transform rough contact into moments of enlightenment and mutual understanding, challenging biases and embracing diversity.
methodology
The project’s innovation lies in its multidisciplinary approach, utilizing contemporary art to promote physical and mental well-being, challenge discrimination, and provide a holistic education. FRIDAS emphasizes the transformative power of athletic participation as a form of resistance, challenging stereotypes and promoting inclusivity.
target audiencies
FRIDAS targets young people aged 12 to 17, including members of participating rugby clubs and adolescents from marginalized backgrounds, such as Ukrainian refugees in foster care.
FRIDAS PROJECT
The FRIDAS project, developed by Latitudo Art Projects and funded by Erasmus +, aims to utilize sports and art to combat gender bias and promote inclusion. It will employ healthy sports competition and contemporary art in a multidisciplinary approach to support those facing limited opportunities in sports.
Focusing on education and the enhancement of physical and mental health, FRIDAS will tackle social exclusion through sports, particularly rugby, and artistic endeavors. This initiative will challenge discrimination and promote broader humanistic education.
During its first edition, aimed at young participants from Primavera Rugby in Rome and Nada Ragbi Klub in Split, FRIDAS will integrate performance art to connect athletic gestures with rugby techniques, strengthening their significance. Professionals will analyze rugby movements, linking them to self-awareness, while artists assign unique meanings to each action, collaborating with psychophysical trainers to create a final performance.
This culminating event will empower individuals within the groups to express themselves freely. Art will transform the rough contact of rugby into a transformative moment for addressing prejudices and gender differences. Bridging these seemingly disparate fields will promote informal learning, foster participation, cooperation, and unleash creativity among young people.
In its second edition, FRIDAS will expand to five countries (Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, Spain, and Greece). It will involve an Italian wheelchair rugby team as mentors and engage young participants through gamification, storytelling, and art, with the aim of fostering empathy and mutual understanding.
A key element will be an interactive video game, co-created by rugby players and artists, which will promote reflection on inclusion across cultures. The project will aim to create a space where all identities are celebrated, and inclusivity becomes central to the rugby community.