Massimo Lorenzani
Degree in socio-pedagogical education sciences
Socio-pedagogical professional educator, Professional Trainer for harm reduction interventions, first aid and drug checking , Coordinator of Lab57 - "Alchemica" , Lab57 - "Alchemica" - Social Promotion Association
Bologna, Italy
About
Massimo Lorenzani, psychonaut, independent researcher and explorer of modified states of conscience, with a degree in socio-pedagogical education sciences. He has been working since 1998 in LAB57 Project (Antiprohibitionist Laboratory Bologna) and since 2003 became its coordinator contributing to develop and practice Drugchecking for the very first time in Italy since 1998. Member of NEWNet and Basic Network as one of the founders since 1998, member of the Italian Network of harm reduction (ITARDD). Experienced in harm reduction interventions in Clubs, Festivals, Free parties, street rave parades, teknivals in Italy and Europe since 1998. Skilled teacher in professional training sessions for harm reduction interventions, first aid and drugchecking for dozens of institutional harm reduction projects and independent activist peer groups throughout Italy.
HARM REDUCTION IN ITALIAN “FREE PARTY” SETTINGS: THE ONGOING PROCESS FOR A JOINT ACTION
Harm reduction in free party settings in Italy started from the grassroots. Lab 57 was the main promoter, since 90s, of an integrated intervention where harm reduction workers were organizers (Bologna street rave parades) or strictly working with sound systems, to create a safer environment in a free party (Labirintz decade -2016).
From the 1st decade of 2000, harm reduction in free party settings was carried out also from so called “institutional” projects and organisations. The dialogue between the militant part and the institutionalized one has not been easy, since different ways of intervening were blocking a dialogue and a joint action, despite the objective was the same: guarantee health and well being of partygoers.
In summer 2021 the 1st step for a better cooperation was done, in a big summer teknival. The process to create a national outreach network to intervene in illegal raves started and from that point, many joint interventions were carried out.
The process of cooperation is still ongoing. In this presentation we will focus on the strengths and weaknesses of this process and joint action, giving a view to cooperation between national and international projects, the importance of the dissemination and sharing, to improve and update one another's practices. This is also in terms of dealing with organizers, local authorities, and media, on how to raise awareness on the issue of gender-based violence as well as how to counteract the stigma on free parties.
