In Sicily, hip hop has found two different places united by the same need: to transform the language of art into freedom, education and community.
As part of the European project Soundroutes, coordinated in Italy by A Sud, two Local Hubs were set up — one in Palermo, within the Juvenile Detention Centre, and one in Catania, at the Cooperativa Prospettiva, a long-standing social inclusion organisation.
Palermo – the voice that breaks the silence
In the Palermo workshop, nine young detainees worked on rap as a form of personal and collective expression.
Through writing, rhythm and storytelling exercises, they experimented with words as an act of freedom: a way to name themselves, to process experiences and imagine the future.
The session, led by trainers and artists from the hip hop scene, focused on the textual dimension of rap – rhyme, metre and storytelling – as tools for listening and awareness.
Participants also compared their own lyrics with those produced in other European workshops, showing great curiosity and a desire for dialogue.
The experience ended with a small live performance and a shared desire: to be able to continue.
‘In a space where everything is limited, words become infinite,’ said one educator. ‘Hip hop here is not escapism: it is presence.’
Catania – the beat of the community
In Catania, the workshop was hosted by the Cooperativa Prospettiva, founded in 1981 and always committed to supporting minors and young adults in vulnerable situations.
In this centre, which has been working for decades to combat educational poverty, hip hop has been introduced as a means of socialisation and empowerment.
Six young people – three girls and three boys, with migrant backgrounds and from complex contexts – took part in the programme, alternating between musical training and group discussion.
The workshop allowed them to learn about the values of Soundroutes and to reflect on their role as young artists committed to justice, inclusion and shared creativity.
From Palermo to Catania, the project confirmed a simple truth: hip hop is still a language of liberation.
In neighbourhoods and spaces that society tends to overlook, Soundroutes has created places of possibility — where the microphone becomes a tool for listening, and rhythm becomes a way to come together.
