Founded in Senigallia in 2013, LAPSUS – Diversa Creatività is a social and cultural association working at the intersection of artistic expression, disability and community participation. Emerging from previous art therapy experiences and the commitment of participants and their families, the association has developed into a shared space for artistic research, creative production and social relationships.
At the centre of its activities is an atelier where artists explore different visual languages, including painting, drawing, photography and video. The atelier is conceived not simply as a place for artistic activities, but as a space where individual creative identities can emerge and be recognised.
From artistic expression to cultural participation
One of the most significant aspects of LAPSUS is its approach to disability and artistic production. Rather than defining participants primarily through their support needs, the initiative recognises their capacity to contribute to cultural life through distinctive forms of expression.
Creativity becomes an opportunity for experimentation, collaboration and reciprocal discovery. The association also builds relationships with families, local institutions and social and health services, connecting its artistic activities with the wider community.
This approach challenges the boundaries between social inclusion and cultural production: participants are not only involved in artistic activities but are recognised as creators whose work deserves visibility.
Festival dell’Arte Irregolare (Festival of Irregular Art): connecting local creativity with wider networks
An important dimension of LAPSUS is its participation in the Festival dell’Arte Irregolare, an initiative launched in 2016 through collaboration between the Comitato Nobel per i Disabili and Bologna’s Department of Mental Health.
The Festival was conceived to provide visibility to artists often excluded from conventional exhibition circuits, encourage reflection on inclusion through art and create opportunities for exchange and collaboration.
Over time, it has developed into an itinerant initiative connecting ateliers, collectives, cultural institutions, galleries, independent artists and organisations working in the social and health sectors: exhibitions, workshops, conferences and encounters bring different experiences of Outsider Art and Arte Irregolare into dialogue.
For LAPSUS, participation in this network extends the value of local artistic practice beyond the atelier, connecting individual expression and community-based creativity with broader cultural recognition.
LAPSUS demonstrates how artistic participation can challenge established perceptions of who is entitled to create and contribute to culture: meaningful inclusion involves more than inviting people to participate, it also requires recognising them as active cultural producers and creating opportunities for their work and perspectives to enter public cultural life.
Location: Senigallia, Marche, Italy
