What does it mean to practise proximity?

Caring for territories and the people who inhabit them, building relationships capable of generating trust and shared responses to society’s needs: this vision lies at the heart of the Biennale of Proximity, which will arrive in Turin in 2026, turning the city into an open space for dialogue, storytelling and collective creation.

The Biennale of Proximity is a national event that for over ten years has highlighted experiences of community engagement, participation and social innovation across Italy.

It is not just a single event, but a collective process that connects people, networks and territories committed to experimenting with new ways of inhabiting the world, grounded in mutual care, cooperation and solidarity.

The Turin edition: a path to be built together

The 2026 edition, scheduled for October 1–3, 2026, will be made possible by the work of the Turin 2026 Local Committee, an open and diverse group bringing together organisations from the third sector, the social economy, culture, research and civic activism. The Committee supports the city throughout the journey towards the Biennale, working on the co-creation of a shared programme and on enhancing the many practices of proximity already active across the Turin area.

The Turin pathway is already underway and has so far involved more than fifty organisations. Within the Committee, thematic working groups have also been established to explore content, methodologies and proposals in view of the 2026 event.

In December, the Turin 2026 Local Committee came together for a new moment of dialogue and shared work: an opportunity to strengthen collaborations, expand the conversation and continue building the path towards the Biennale together.

Join the Local Committee

Organisations interested in actively taking part in this process can join the Local Committee until January 31, 2026. Details on how to apply are available on the official Biennale website in the dedicated section.

For further information, please write to: biennaleprossimita@gmail.com

Legambiente Piemonte e Valle d’Aosta is organizing the ninth edition of the EcoForum for the Circular Economy in Piedmont, a thematic forum that brings together analyses, discussions, and insights on waste management and circularity.

Date and location

Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 December, 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM; Circolo del Design, Via S. Francesco da Paola 17, Turin.

Programme

Wednesday 10

• The evolution of pay-as-you-throw systems

• The Biomethane Factor

• Award Ceremony: “Good Practices 2025” Mentions

• Award Ceremony: “Waste Free 2025” Municipalities and Consortia

Thursday 11

• From collection to recycling: the role of producer responsibility consortia

• Recycling at risk: what challenges lie ahead?

• Future scenarios for the circular economy

• Exemplary circular economy plants

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Reserve your seat via Eventbrite.

Learn more about Legambiente’s forums at the website of Legambiente Piemonte.

December 2025 at the Sambuy Gardens: Christmas at Giardino Forbito Sambuy

Throughout the month of December, the Sambuy Gardens will transform into a gathering place dedicated to creativity, literature, music, and the arts, thanks to the special programming curated by Giardino forbito ETS.

In the heart of Turin, opposite Porta Nuova station, the Gazebo Forbito Sambuy once again becomes a space for community, cultural experimentation, and shared beauty, with a series of events designed for families, residents, visitors, and enthusiasts. The program alternates between artisanal workshops, botanical activities, musical moments, literary encounters from the “Books of Advent” series, dance, installations, and initiatives dedicated to the holiday season.

The calendar opens on 6 December with “Glass Plants”, a day dedicated to botanical micro–compositions curated by Alessandra Bailone, accompanied by creative workshops for children.

On 7 December, the “Books of Advent” series begins. The first event, “Stories & Wine Under the Tree”, features Natalia Ceravolo and an eno-literary journey pairing four short stories by Dino Buzzati with four local wines. This will be followed by tango with Creación Tango Torino, founded by Santiago de León and Eugenia Deanna.

8 December will be a festive day for the Sambuy Gardens. At 4 p.m., Mayor Stefano Lo Russo will inaugurate the return of the Emanuele Luzzati Nativity Scene to Piazza Carlo Felice. Complementing the celebration, the Madre Enrichetta Choir from the Francophone Catholic Community of Turin will perform, and both a creative papier-mâché Christmas workshop by Cinzia Scanavacca and a nativity-making workshop for children will be offered. Hot chocolate by Ottimo Gelati will be served.

On Saturday 13 December, for Santa Lucia and the arrival of the “Pioniera” sculpture by artist Raffaella Brusaglino, the Coro d’Argento, directed by Maestro Guiot, will celebrate the day with songs and melodies. “Natural Balm” will be the workshop led by Sara Cravero of Coutersia Laboratorio Creativo, dedicated to crafting an artisanal body balm.

One of the liveliest days in the holiday program will be 14 December, featuring the Biodiversity Market (10:00–18:00), pizzica with Paranza del Geco, and the second event of “Books of Advent” – “Mysteries Under the Tree”, featuring authors Tiziano Fratus, Enrico Camanni, Enrico Pandiani, and Orso Tosco, in collaboration with Libreria Trebisonda. In the afternoon, tango returns with Creación Tango Torino, followed by “Whispers: Sounds and Stories Up Close in the Garden”, featuring Poesia a gettone (Arianna Abis), Arpablù (Michela Tancredi), and Pascal Clown (Pasquale Dominelli). At 4 p.m., a workshop with Monica Fissore of Beesù will take place, along with an exhibition of papier-mâché Pinocchios by Cinzia Scanavacca.

On 20 December, the day will be dedicated to “Christmas Flowers”, with displays and workshops on floral accessories and holiday arrangements by Paola Tonani.

The program concludes on 21 December with the final event of the “Books of Advent” series: “Pages & Nature Under the Tree”, dedicated to books on nature, ecology, and the environment for children and adults, in collaboration with Libreria Trebisonda. The day ends with tango by Creación Tango Torino and the official closing celebration of the Giardino Forbito 2025 events.

Floral arrangements throughout the month will be curated by Vivai Giani and F.lli Gramaglia, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Pollinators Community.

The December program reaffirms the commitment of Giardino Forbito ETS to the cultural and social regeneration of the Sambuy Gardens and the surrounding area, through a pathway that blends art, community, participation, and local enhancement.

Programme

6 DECEMBER — Glass Plants
Day dedicated to botanical micro–compositions with Alessandra Bailone.
Creative workshops for children throughout the day.

7 DECEMBER — Books of Advent: Stories & Wine Under the Tree
11:30 a.m.: first event in the series with Natalia Ceravolo, pairing four Dino Buzzati stories with four local wines.
3:30 p.m.: tango with Creación Tango Torino (Santiago de León and Eugenia Deanna).

8 DECEMBER — Luzzati Nativity Scene Inauguration
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.: continuous Christmas wreath workshop with Cinzia Scanavacca.
Children’s workshop for crafting a nativity scene.
4:00 p.m.: official inauguration with Mayor Stefano Lo Russo for the return of the Emanuele Luzzati Nativity Scene.
Participation of the Mother Enrichetta Choir of the Francophone Catholic Community of Turin.

13 DECEMBER — Santa Lucia
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.: soap display and body balm workshop with Sara Cravero (Coutersia Laboratorio Creativo).
3:00–5:00 p.m.: celebration with the Coro d’Argento, directed by Maestro Guiot, and unveiling of the “Pioniera” sculpture by Raffaella Brusaglino.

14 DECEMBER — Biodiversity Market & Books of Advent: Mysteries Under the Tree
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.: Biodiversity Market with local producers and artisans.
11:00 a.m.: pizzica in the garden with Paranza del Geco.
11:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.: “Mysteries Under the Tree” with Tiziano Fratus, Enrico Camanni, Enrico Pandiani, and Orso Tosco (Libreria Trebisonda).
3:30 p.m.: tango with Creación Tango Torino.
From 3:00 p.m.: “Whispers” with Arianna Abis, Michela Tancredi, and Pascal Clown.
4:00 p.m.: workshop with Monica Fissore (Beesù).
Exhibition of papier-mâché Pinocchios by Cinzia Scanavacca.

20 DECEMBER — Christmas Flowers
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.: display and workshop on floral decorations curated by Paola Tonani.

21 DECEMBER — Books of Advent: Pages & Nature Under the Tree / 2025 Closing Event
Third and final event dedicated to books on nature, ecology, and the environment (Libreria Trebisonda).
3:30 p.m.: tango with Creación Tango Torino.
Official closing of the 2025 Giardino Forbito events.

Throughout the month, floral arrangements by Vivai Giani and F.lli Gramaglia, created in synergy with the Metropolitan Pollinators Community, shape the garden into a blooming stage for winter encounters.

The end-of-year celebration of the Innovative Enterprise Incubator of the Polytechnic University of Turin returns for its 26th edition, taking place on Monday, 15 December from 5:30 PM at I3P.

At the centre of the event — funded by the Piedmont Region through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) — will be the many projects that animate the incubator, the young innovative companies shaping 2025, and the announcement of the new “I3P Startup of the Year”, selected for the results achieved throughout its growth journey.

Participants will have the opportunity to get to know the new companies that have joined I3P’s incubation programme, meet startuppers who are working to bring new ideas to life, and greet the companies that are “graduating” this year after successfully completing their incubation path.

The event will also offer a chance to explore the achievements of the fourth year of ESA BIC Turin, the space-startup incubation programme managed by I3P in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the Polytechnic University of Turin and the LINKS Foundation, and to meet the young talents supported through the initiative.

The evening will conclude with an informal moment dedicated to exchanging ideas, contacts, and holiday greetings, looking ahead to a new year grounded in innovation.

How to participate

The meeting will take place on Monday, December 15, 2025, from 5:30 PM, in person in the Agorà Hall of the I3P incubator, located inside the Campus of the Polytechnic University of Turin and accessible from the entrance at Corso Castelfidardo 30/A or from the pedestrian gate at Via Borsellino 53/N.

Participation is free of charge, subject to registration on Eventbrite.

Programme

• 5:30 PM | Participant and guest reception
• 6:00 PM | Welcome remarks and introduction
• 6:05 PM | “Iniziamo l’impresa”: I3P and startup results for 2025
• 6:15 PM | “Venturing in space”: Year 4 of ESA BIC Turin and its community
• 6:20 PM | Presentation of the new “graduated” startups from I3P
• 6:50 PM | Presentation of the new alumni startups from the ESA BIC Turin programme
• 7:20 PM | Announcement and award ceremony for the “I3P Startup of the Year 2025”
• 7:30 PM | Closing remarks

We are happy to invite you to the Impacto Launch Event, a moment we have been looking forward to.

The first opportunity to tell our story, share our vision, and open the doors of our European ecosystem to organisations, companies and professionals who care about social innovation, ethics and impact.

What we will share with you

During the event, we will introduce:

• What drives us and how we interpret social innovation today.
• Our pillars and how they translate into practical support for organisations.
• The Impacto Network
• What we are building and opportunities for collaboration in 2026

Membership pathways, capacity-building programmes, partnerships, calls and upcoming initiatives designed for companies, Third Sector organisations and public institutions.

Two exclusive benefits for participants

To thank you for being with us at this very first step, Launch Event participants will receive:

• Priority access to the upcoming Networking Event (17 December)

A dedicated moment to meet potential partners, exchange needs, and build new collaborations.

• A free tool developed by our team: “Application Essentials”

These resources are designed to offer immediate value and will be available only to participants.

Who is this event for?

For anyone who wants to:

• understand who we are and what we do
• explore new possibilities for collaboration
• strengthen competences in EU project design and impact
• join a European network grounded in trust and shared values
• discover upcoming opportunities for 2026
• simply learn more about Impacto with curiosity

Whether you represent an NGO, a startup, a company, an institution or you work independently, you are welcome.

• Launch Event – 9 December, 17:00 CET (Online)
• Networking Event – 17 December (Online) – Launch Event participants will receive priority access

Register to the first event here.

We look forward to meeting you, hearing your experiences, and opening this new phase together.

Thank you for being part of the beginning of Impacto’s journey.

More than two hundred people took part in the Torino Social Impact Assembly, hosted by the Metropolitan City of Turin on 4 December 2025.

The event represented an important opportunity to share visions and opportunities for the ecosystem and to discuss the implementation of the Torino 2030 Metropolitan Plan for the Social Economy, approved last spring. The Plan is designed to foster partnerships among diverse actors around a shared objective.

The presence of the Mayor of Turin, Stefano Lo Russo, highlighted the value of the platform and the role of social impact in shaping urban policies — from the new urban development plan to regeneration processes and the enhancement of public assets. The economic system must be socially sustainable, with positive externalities included in economic evaluation and freed from unnecessary administrative barriers. This represents a cultural shift, and Turin, thanks to its critical mass, can reaffirm itself as a laboratory for social innovation.

This vision was reiterated throughout the event. Guido Bolatto, Secretary General of the Turin Chamber of Commerce, recalled how Torino Social Impact has been supported since its early days, when only twelve partners were involved. Today, it promotes networking activities, strategic projects aimed at equipping the social economy with adequate infrastructure, and several deeply transformative initiatives that are now reaching the final stages of their development. Sonia Cambursano, Metropolitan City Councillor, underlined the importance of alignment between territorial strategic plans and the impact-driven initiatives of individual organisations, stressing the value of a transversal document dedicated to the social economy. She also noted that the development of the Plan involved 134 ecosystem actors, demonstrating a truly participatory process.

Mario Calderini, spokesperson for Torino Social Impact, focused on the shared vision underpinning the partnership: building a territory capable of attracting social impact enterprises and investments, recognising the social economy not only as a redistributive tool but also as a driver of economic development. The social economy is thus positioned within industrial policy frameworks, as a lever for more equitable and inclusive growth. It becomes a cross-cutting economic model and, increasingly, a political direction capable of influencing the entire system.

As highlighted during the Assembly, Torino Social Impact today represents a broad ecosystem, involving hundreds of actors, a strong base of grassroots practices, and a territorial strategy aligned with European policies. The ecosystem’s approach is bottom-up: rather than implementing projects that could be managed by individual organisations, it focuses on large-scale systemic initiatives. These “lighthouse projects” are challenging established paradigms, unsustainable market logics and administrative rigidities, addressing areas such as impact finance, public–private partnerships and the enhancement of public real estate assets. Among the most significant initiatives are the Social Impact Stock Exchange, the Outcome Fund and new tools for impact measurement and public asset valorisation, which will be able to go the extra mile if integrated into the strategic vision of the ecosystem, politics, banking foundations, and impact finance.

Contributions from ecosystem members highlighted the urgency of supporting the emergence of young social entrepreneurs. The future of the social economy depends on the ability to attract new generations committed to change, environmental responsibility and technological innovation — people who work for the community without having to choose between doing good and doing business. Education and entrepreneurial training, both in schools and beyond, are essential to nurturing a new generation capable of combining social responsibility, innovation and sustainability. Governance must be genuinely engaged, and young people must be meaningfully involved in transformation processes. A key issue is the creation of networks capable of turning experimentation into scalable models. Alongside social economy actors, representatives from the Industrial Union and the banking system also took part, playing a crucial role in the sector’s development — from fostering financial autonomy to promoting social procurement. A key message that emerged was that dialogue between diverse perspectives enables the creation of shared value and the spread of innovative practices. A significant contribution is also coming from professional associations (accountants, notaries, lawyers and labour consultants), which have established a Community of practice and a Manifesto for Impact, integrating expertise and project development in a systemic way.

Another key area addressed during the Assembly — and one set to become increasingly central at European level — is access to housing, now a true emergency. Turin represents an advanced laboratory thanks to experiences such as Homes4All, the Community Land Trust of the Porta Palazzo Community Foundation, and other initiatives that the Plan aims to further strengthen.

The Plan also promotes the creation of accessible, open and inclusive spaces capable of generating opportunities and support. Turin has developed unique models in Europe — from Community Houses (Case del Quartiere) to Community Concierge services (Portinerie di Comunità) — through collaboration between social entrepreneurs, institutions and philanthropy. These actors, together with those working in inclusion, care and education, will play a central role in the upcoming Biennale of Proximity, whose preparatory process was presented during the Assembly. The concept of proximity must be extended at every level: building community means practising proximity.

The Assembly also provided an opportunity to present the tools available to the ecosystem, including Community of practice, the Buy Social platform, training opportunities and the European Projects HUB, as well as initiatives planned for 2026.

Finally, Torino Social Impact welcomed representatives of the ITCILO. Turin is home to the UN campus dedicated to decent work, social justice and the social economy. Paola Babos, Deputy Director of the ILO Training Centre, presented ongoing activities and announced, together with Torino Social Impact, the organisation of the Forum “Business, Social, One Vision” on February 20. The event will bring together the national social economy ecosystem and international guests, including Juan Antonio Pedreño, President of  Social Economy Europe, to highlight the role of the sector in integrating competitiveness and social development.

Watch the full recording of the Assembly

The 2025 edition of the Social Enterprise Open Camp has come to a close today, after four intense days across Turin, Cuneo and Pollenzo, with Torino Social Impact among the system partners.

The SEOC is an international camp dedicated to social entrepreneurship and systemic change. It was created as a structured working space where aspiring and established social entrepreneurs, facilitators, investors, foundations, and partner organizations share time, methods, and responsibility. The 2025 edition clearly demonstrated this approach: 240 scholarships awarded, a carefully curated audience built on intergenerational and international diversity, and the active contribution of more than 40 partners, including Torino Social Impact. More than 450 participants from over 40 countries worked intensively on ideas, projects, and visions for social enterprises, with the goal of turning inspiration into action and action into lasting change.

Over these four days, social enterprises, organisations and foundations engaged in intensive workshops and plenary sessions with visionary speakers such as Otto Scharmer, Senior Lecturer at MIT & Founding Chair of the Presencing Institute; Patrice Schneider, Chief Strategy Officer Media Development Fund; Adama Sanneh, CEO & Co-founder of the Moleskine Foundation; Mario Calderini, Full Professor at the Politecnico di Milano and Spokesperson for Torino Social Impact; and Peter Holbrook, CEO of Social Enterprise UK.

On one hand, the event highlighted the growing importance of advancing the social enterprise model—a model that places people and the planet at its core, promotes genuine systemic change in economic paradigms, and invests in the transformative power of innovation, culture and partnership-building. On the other, discussions explored the shifts taking place in the philanthropic sector, with a transition from a financial reporting–driven approach to one grounded in trust and in assessing the social and environmental impact generated. This shift aims to align all actors around shared goals, while reducing administrative burdens that hinder a long-term and results-oriented culture.

The debate also addressed themes related to place-based approaches, territorial development and community engagement, exploring how impact-driven principles can guide urban regeneration and shape the future of communities. Culture and creativity emerged as essential drivers of social transformation, opportunity creation, empowerment of marginalised groups and community activation. The workshops provided a concrete space to advance projects and approaches related to housing, innovation, inner areas, access to cultural and natural heritage, disability, education and many other fields.

It was a privilege to host the Social Enterprise Open Camp – TOGETHERNESS – Cultivating Systemic Change, which offered an immersive and intensive residential training format, featuring a rich programme of workshops and plenary sessions addressing some of the most pressing themes in social entrepreneurship and impact investing.

Music in the service of international solidarity.

The Sowhat group returns to the stage for a special event: a charity concert in support of the projects promoted by Needle in South Sudan, an organization committed every day to providing education, healthcare, and new opportunities to the most vulnerable communities.

South Sudan, marked by years of conflict, instability, and severe socio-economic challenges, remains one of the countries where access to education and healthcare is most fragile; this is why every support initiative plays a vital role.

The event will take place on Saturday, December 14th at 9:00 p.m., at Via Don Dublino 12 in Chivasso.

Reservation is mandatory, and can be made by phone or via WhatsApp at +39 347 250 5930.

It will be an opportunity not only to enjoy great music, but also to contribute in a meaningful way to an initiative of profound human value.

We invite you to join us for an evening where art and social commitment come together.

Every note played will be a small but significant step toward a better future.