Project passes on historical knowledge 

(MissionNewswire) The Artisan Workshop – Tailoring and Costume Design educational program operating at the Don Bosco Institute in Naples, Italy, is helping students gain theoretic and practical skills in tailoring and costume design. The course comprises 300 hours of education, 90 of which are dedicated to historical, cultural and theoretical study, with the remainder focused on practical workshops in cutting, sewing and garment construction. This has enabled students to gradually learn the craft while discovering not only tailoring techniques but also the complex workings of a film set.

The program is funded by the European Union Ministry of Culture with funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. It runs in collaboration with the Cinecittà Film Studios in Rome and the San Gennaro Community Foundation, and implemented by CNOS-FAP (National Center for Salesian Works-Formation and Professional Updating).

In January 2026, the course started educational sessions at the Isaia Foundation, dedicated to men’s tailoring. Students learned the structure of the male pattern, the study of measurements, the interpretation of the design, the transformation of the basic pattern, the analysis of fabrics, and the entire process leading from cutting to assembly and the finishing of the garment. The experience instilled precision, patience, attention to detail and an awareness of the value of time in craftsmanship.

In February, the course opened a new chapter at La Santissima – Community HUB, where the students are currently engaged in pattern-making, design, cutting and women’s tailoring, within a creative and collaborative environment that fosters exchange, cooperation and experimentation.

The trainer is Andrea Iacomino, who helps students have an understanding of the dynamics, roles and responsibilities on a film set in an environment that doesn’t have the pressure of the film industry’s tight deadlines.

Father Fabio Bellino, rector of the Don Bosco Institute, said, “Andrea also reminds us how urgent it is to pass on artisanal knowledge in an era marked by massive and unsustainable production, emphasizing how teaching sewing means preserving a historical memory of craftsmanship and restoring dignity and visibility to trades that risk disappearing, especially in a city like Naples, recognized worldwide for its sartorial tradition.”

He concluded, “Looking at this journey as a whole, this education is not just a training program, but a genuine educational experience that restores dignity to craftsmanship, forges links between institutions and the local community, and offers youth a tangible space in which to nurture talents, skills and dreams.”

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Italy – Sewing stories by hand: the “Bottega Artigiana – Tailoring and Costume Design” project

Salesian Missions – Italy

World Bank – Italy