Manualetto is an initiative by Studio Doiz APS and the architecture studio DENARA, two Ravenna-based realities made up of under-35 professionals. Many of us have had the chance to live, study or work abroad (in countries such as the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain) and began wondering why spaces like the ones we experienced there, where culture, experimentation and everyday life naturally come together, seemed so rare in our own city. With Manualetto, we try to create one ourselves.

Each year we build a temporary pavilion from scratch in Ravenna’s Darsena, transforming an overlooked space into a lively place of encounter and possibility for a few weekends. Part ideas laboratory, part experimental village fair, the festival brings together theatre, concerts, cinema, exhibitions and conversations — all free of charge.

The project was also awarded in the “Established Projects” category of the NEB Emilia-Romagna Prize 2025 – Regenerating with Culture, promoted by Art-ER in synergy with FRANCO – Forum for Culture-Based Urban Regeneration, as part of the activities aimed at promoting the values and principles of the New European Bauhaus.