Science, art, and community: the Proximity Care project launches the contest “Stiamo bene qui. Racconti di benessere” (We're happy here. Stories of well-being) to celebrate its fourth year with Proxy Village

Proximity Care, the project promoted by the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa and the Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca Foundation, aims to promote all artistic expressions that address the link between well-being, healthy lifestyles, community, and territory through the competition ‘We feel good here. Stories of well-being’. The selected works will be awarded during Proxy Village on June 6, 2026, at the Fortezza di Mont'Alfonso. 

The Proximity Care project has been committed for years to creating innovative solutions in the healthcare sector, focusing on people, communities, and territories in the inland areas of the province of Lucca. Now in its fourth year, Proximity Care is launching the competition ‘We feel good here. Stories of well-being’, with the aim of promoting the creative voices of Garfagnana and Media Valle and giving space to content that tells the story of places, people, and healthy lifestyles, capable of expressing the identity of the territory and the sense of belonging to the community.

The competition was launched during the “Garfagnana Terra Unica” event and represents an opportunity to describe what it means to feel good in one's own territory. Participants can submit an unpublished and original work, choosing one of two sections: Words (stories, poems, songs) or Images (photographs, videos, illustrations).

The award ceremony for the top three entries in each section will take place during Proxy Village on June 6, 2025, at the Fortress of Mont'Alfonso in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana. The event will be an opportunity to experience the dialogue between research, community, and creativity through scientific talks, artistic moments, and an engaging final show, to discover the activities of the Proximity Care project up close. The research teams that developed the various project lines will be present, as well as the associations that contributed to the implementation of the initiatives in the area and numerous protagonists of the project ready to share their stories, in a mix of science, music, and creativity.

The competition “We are happy here. Stories of well-being” is open to all citizens residing or domiciled in the municipalities of Garfagnana and Media Valle del Serchio.

Individuals, groups, schools, associations, and local authorities can participate. The deadline for applications is March 31, 2026.

Participation is free of charge.

All information is available here: https://www.proximitycare.it/concorso-stiamo-bene-qui/