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Shattered Utopias: Collective Education and the Implications for Children in Hippy Communities

Shattered Utopias: Collective Education and the Implications for Children in Hippy Communities

Reimagining education was one of the fundamental goals of hippy communities. Rejecting traditional methods of schooling and child-rearing, they aspired to create a form of collective education that could free the next generation from the shackles of social conditioning. The idea was to allow children to grow and learn naturally, following their own rhythms and interests, free from the weight of discipline and expectations imposed by traditional educational structures.However, like many other hippy utopias, collective education had to grapple with practical realities and showed its set of challenges. This liberal approach to education often resulted in a lack of structure…
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Shattered Utopias: Free Love and Emotional Challenges in Hippy Communities

Shattered Utopias: Free Love and Emotional Challenges in Hippy Communities

In common parlance, the image of flowers in the hair, of free love, and peaceful coexistence endures. The image of an era where social conventions, the institution of marriage, and monogamy were challenged in the name of love without chains, freed from social restrictions. This was another of the central ambitions of hippy communities, who sought to forge a new way of experiencing intimate relationships.Free love—the idea that each individual could freely share love and intimacy with others, without the obligation of exclusivity or a formalized marital structure—appeared as a liberating principle, a way to express affection and desire without…
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Shattered Utopias: Private Property vs Common Ownership in Hippy Communities

Shattered Utopias: Private Property vs Common Ownership in Hippy Communities

The promise of an Age of Aquarius. A new society where the concept of private property was to be scrapped, and where the common ownership of goods represented the guiding idea for creating a more equitable and unified society. This was one of the cornerstone principles underpinning hippy communities, groups of individuals who, between the 1960s and 1970s, sought to reinvent society and liberate it from the constraints of a capitalism perceived as oppressive.The abolition of private property—so went the idea—would eliminate greed, injustice, and inequality. Everything owned by an individual would be shared with the group, creating a community…
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Marco Mattiuzzi: Between the Spheres of Creativity and Introspection

Marco Mattiuzzi: Between the Spheres of Creativity and Introspection

In the contemporary artistic landscape, the pursuit of a unique and personal language often distinguishes an artist. Marco Mattiuzzi, born and based in Vercelli, exemplifies this kind of artist. His work, a unique fusion of diverse fields of knowledge including art, history, music, and technology, is vividly reflected in his creations.Mattiuzzi's artistic roots are deeply embedded in music. Having studied classical guitar under Maestro Angelo Gilardino, he has shared his musical knowledge and passion with many students over two decades at the F.A. Vallotti Civic School of Music in Vercelli and other civic institutions. The influence of his musical background…
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