RestArt 2024: how the idea for a street art festival was born

The first coffee, the first idea

It was November 2023 when four friends sat down at the "Il Punto" bar in Botrugno with a crazy idea: bring urban art into the historic center of their town. None of them had any organizing experience. None had a budget. All they had was one certainty: the town's walls deserved a second life.

> "It took us three months just to convince ourselves it was actually doable," recalls Marco, one of the founders.

The first wall

The first step was the simplest, but also the boldest: asking the mayor for permission. Most associations dread that conversation. Botrugno's mayor, on the other hand, saw the potential right away: urban regeneration, cultural tourism, local identity.

The first wall chosen was on Via Roma, the beating heart of the town. There, in January 2024, Franz Donato, a writer with a strong local reputation, arrived to create the first permanent piece in RestArt's vision.

The community steps in

The second crucial ingredient was the community's response. It didn't come from the top down, but from the bottom up: residents started posting photos on social media, talking about the piece, showing their appreciation.

2024 by the numbers:
- 4 murals completed (Via Roma, Piazza San Pietro, Vicolo Figulinai, Via Garibaldi)
- 15 volunteers involved
- 300+ visitors during the launch weekend

The decision: becoming a festival

By the end of 2024, the four friends had realized something: this couldn't stay a one-off project. It needed a bigger vision. In November 2024, APS OnStage was founded, and RestArt became its first major annual event.

The rest, as they say, is history.

A lesson for anyone starting out

If you want to launch a cultural project in your own town: start small, think big, always listen. The best ideas don't come from experts in offices, they come from people who love their community and have the courage to get their hands dirty.