Description of organisation

The Siena Art Institute Onlus (SART) is a non-profit arts organization based in Siena, Italy. Its mission is fostering artistic excellence while developing cultural awareness and social responsibility.

SART welcomes young and accomplished artists from all disciplines who are interested in the intersection of art and civic life, and who wish to explore how the theoretical content of individual creative and artistic practices can be translated into sociallymeaningful projects that produce a deeper understanding of the cultures in which we find ourselves.
SART has a strong commitment to Deaf Accessibility, in association with other local organisations (Siena School for Liberal Arts, Mason Perkins Deafness Fund Onlus).
SART collaborates with national and international institutions such as The School of Art at the Institute of Chicago, the National Academy of the Arts in Lahore, Ohio State University, Brandeis University, the Academy of Fine Arts in Athens, the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, the University of Siena and many more.
SART's activities are aimed at different target groups: young Italian and International artists and cultural operators with fewer opportunities; local people with disabilities; secondary school and university students; craftspeople; art and culture professionals; teachers; groups of local volunteers; expats.


SART's regular activities are:
--- VISITING ARTISTS PROGRAM ---
The Siena Art Institute invites professional artists and writers for residencies in Siena throughout the year. Visiting creatives are asked to give a public presentation upon their arrival in Siena to introduce themselves & their work to the local community; while in Siena, they pursue independent projects and provide insight and inspiration to the city.
--- CITY ARTS PROGRAMS ---
SART wants to serve as a resource for the local community; throughout the year, SART offers a variety of City Arts Programs for children and adults, teaching painting, drawing, silversmithing, English language, creative writing, and much more.
--- STARTERS - PUBLIC TALKS ---
StARTers are conversations with artists and creative professionals of international repute who explore art as an inventive process, meeting of experiences, a tool for change. Talks are free, in English and Italian, and are made accessible to deaf people upon request.
--- STUDY PROGRAMS FOR ITALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL YOUNG ARTISTS ---
SART offers programs designed for young artists from all disciplines who are interested in the intersection of art and civic life, and who wish to explore how artistic projects can lead to a deeper understanding of local communities.
--- INTERNSHIPS ---
SART works together with Italian and international universities and secondary schools to offer internships in the fields of arts and culture to young people aged 15 to 25.
--- COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS ---
SART creates cultural heritage promotion and enhancement projects, involving the local community as a driving force. Such projects are ideated in partnership with Sienese museum networks (such as Fondazione Musei Senesi) and associations, and encourage collaboration between students, craftspeople, people with disabilities, local and international artists and designers.
Other projects, like "Ortaperto", are focused on sustainability and involve people with disabilities and local volunteering groups in the creation of urban gardens and bug hotels in the city's private and public spaces.

SART's objectives are:
- Fostering academic and artistic excellence by choosing only highly qualified staff, faculty, and visiting artists, being guided by the Standards of Good Practice of the Forum on Education Abroad;;
- Creating a diverse and supportive community and open exchange of ideas amongst students, visiting artists, and faculty, encouraging the development of individual and collaborative artistic projects, fostering artistic production, intense critical dialogue, interdisciplinary and intercultural communication, thoughtful reflection, and growth;
- Encouraging the connection between international participants and the Sienese community, helping our artists access the practical and cultural resources of the area through observation, dialogue, outreach, and collaboration, and helping the local community to interact with the talents and insights of our projects participants;
- Developing social awareness and responsible action by providing service-learning opportunities and promoting discussion about international differences in approaching social needs; by working closely with local and international groups addressing important issues such as Deaf accessibility and education, and socio-economic and environmental sustainability;
- Providing assistance and opportunities to those in need, believing that everyone should be given the chance to study abroad, we are proud to offer merit- and need- based scholarships to assist qualified applicants in covering the cost of tuition for our programs.

Inclusion topics

This organisation is willing to involve volunteers who face situations which make their participation in activities more difficult, from the following categories for different types of project:

• Cultural differences
• Economic obstacles
• Social obstacles