Manifesto | Federica Buonsante

Welcome to a pioneering project dedicated to enhancing a sense of belonging through the power of creative education.

Mission

On a mission to dissolve human barriers by empowering individuals through immersive practices that foster connection, self-expression, and a sense of belonging, making art and mindfulness accessible to all, for a more attentive and peaceful society.

How can we adapt to a rapidly changing world while preserving our true nature, the sacredness of daily life, the quality of our relationships?

Vision

We view the creative act as a powerful medium that liberates individuals from the compulsive need to consume, enabling them to fully embrace the experience of life as Creators.

Our Values

Attention
Connection
Intention
Expression
Authorship
Belonging
Expansion

Approach

By engaging with the anthropological roots of art, we seek to understand why humans, across time and cultures, have always felt the need to create—and how this creativity can become a transformative force in shaping individuals and communities alike.

We emphasize the importance of looking beyond the artistic object itself. We believe that art has the power to reshape limiting cultural frameworks, dissolve feelings of separation, and create space for new perspectives.

Our arts-based research focuses on the anthropological aspects of human exchange, particularly rituals, celebrations, and gifts. In this way, we aim to understand how individual sensitivities relate to collective experiences through shared creative intentions, which can ultimately reshape limiting cultural frameworks and dissolve feelings of separation.

By integrating diverse cultural behaviours in response to sensory experiences common to all humans, we seek to foster deeper connections and a more inclusive understanding of our shared humanity.

Art-Based Research (ABR) Methods

Art-Based Research (ABR) methods provide a crucial set of tools that enable us to explore these themes in dynamic and innovative ways. ABR draws from diverse art forms—literary writing, music, dance, performance, visual arts, and film—allowing us to address research questions in holistic and deeply engaged ways where theory and practice are intertwined.

ABR methods “[adapt] the tenets of the creative arts in order to address research questions in holistic and engaged ways in which theory and practice are intertwined” (Leavy 2020).

This interdisciplinary and inclusive approach allows us to open new ways of seeing and experiencing the world. The methods we use include, but are not limited to:

Literary forms: Short stories, novels, experimental writing, graphic novels, comics, poems
Visual arts: Collages, paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations, video art
Textile arts: Quilts, needlework, especially in indigenous research
Performing arts: Performance scripts, theatrical performances, dances
Multimedia: Films, songs, musical scores

What all ABR methods share is the power to connect people, whether they are participants, co-researchers, or audience members—especially those who might otherwise remain unseen and unheard in traditional research processes. These methods democratize meaning-making, offering opportunities for collaboration and participation that allow research to be publicly accessible and impactful.

Storytelling and the Arts as Meaning-Making Tools

Stories are a fundamental way that humans understand the world. As theorist Mark Turner argues, “the literary mind is the fundamental mind” (Turner 1996), and most of our experiences, knowledge, and thinking are organized as stories. In line with this, we believe that stories—whether told through visual arts, written texts, or performance—can help us make sense of one another and the places around us, leading to more meaningful interactions between people and their environments.

Through our work, we aim to collect and share stories that open up new possibilities for understanding human experiences, fostering creative activation and collective expansion. By using the evocative and provocative power of the arts, we address pressing social issues, challenge cultural norms, and contribute to the creation of a more socially responsible and equitable world.

The Power of ABR in Addressing Social Inequities

As part of our commitment to social responsibility, we embrace ABR for its potential to serve as “a methodology for radical, ethical, and revolutionary research that is futuristic, socially responsible, and useful in addressing social inequities” (Finley 2008). Through its public accessibility, collaborative nature, and ability to provoke deep emotional and intellectual engagement, ABR provides a unique platform for advancing public scholarship and creating knowledge that has a tangible impact on society.

By promoting a horizontal relationship between researchers, participants, and audiences, we bring “others” into the research process, ensuring that a diversity of voices is represented and that knowledge is co-created. This approach not only enriches our understanding of art’s role in society but also democratizes the research process, making it more inclusive and transformative.

SPACE BLANK (by Rong Place ETS) - Story

What we offer today is rooted in a journey of thoughtful exploration and development, born from the need for connection during a time of global isolation. Established in 2020 in Puglia, Italy, Rong Place emerged from the vision of Federica Buonsante, a PhD art researcher and spiritual practitioner coming back from a 5 years journey in Asia. After completing her doctoral studies on transcultural public art in Shanghai, Federica recognized the importance of community-based art and its transcultural interpretations. This realization inspired her to create mindful, creative practices that reconnect people with themselves and each other at a moment when the world slowed down and questioned the way we live.

This pivotal period allowed us to prototype our unique approach in a 15m² canvas room, blending art, meditation and stage design to foster self-awareness, concentration, and authentic connection. In 2021, Rong Place E.T.S. was officially awarded the PIN grant for Creative Innovation by the Puglia Region and registered as a non-profit organization. At this time we welcomed both children and adults from the local community to engage through our immersive creative acts, while also reaching participants from Brazil, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, the UK, the US, Nepal, France, Taiwan, and India .

Despite the world reopening, many of the issues we confronted during those early days persist. By the end of 2022, the project evolved into an expanded vision and nomadic approach. In an age of digital overload and fractured attention spans, the sense of isolation remains deeply felt. We continue to design and facilitate mindful practices that offer an antidote to this disconnection by merging the power of creation with active meditation.

Each program we deliver is the result of dedicated research and experimentation, focused on creating spaces that nurture care, genuine connection, and holistic growth

Practice Gallery