Sitting quietly in my apartment in Turin, Italy… I’m reflecting on how we stacked the technical building blocks of ArtAcadia.org. Almost two years to the day, my life went off on a controlled tangent towards a terrific tomorrow. A future where we do not have to scrounge for funds to restore buildings and help artisans in the process. These talented people are an important part of what we are doing. Safeguarding ancient traditions and passing on skills that would otherwise be lost to society. The buildings that rise up again in all their glory, are an added bonus.

Now that we have a proactive platform to promote all things heritage, it behoves us to use it extensively. My thoughts are now focused on drawing up a plan… an effective strategy to take our past into the future. The new year is just six weeks away, and we’ve pegged 1 Jan 2019, the start of the next phase of the ArtAcadia.org initiative.

The first few weeks of 2019 will focus on spreading the word. Setting up social networking events and generally creating a buzz. Yes, I’m aware that heritage may not be the passion of everyone, but that’s the whole point. By making things interesting and diverse, we hope to appeal to a wider audience. It’s up to us to paint the picture and provide the tools and resources for others to complete their own canvas. Knowledge transfer is the answer.

Speaking of which, 2019 will also see the establishment of the ArtAcadia.org Academy. Making available various online courses as well as a terrestrial haven for Heritage Ambassadors. We are currently looking at suitable properties in the north of Italy. Buildings in decay, but that’s the whole point of it. We’ll attract students from all over the world, to be trained and tutored in the ancient traditions of restoration. This is the proverbial “practice what we preach!” philosophy and good way to ensure that traditional artisanal skills are passed on passionately.