Students bring “The Courage to Dream” to the stage in Rome

On 25 October 2026, students from the Arvalia Music School and S. Pincherle school took part in “The Courage to Dream,” a concert organised by the Rome-based association I Cerchi Magici. The programme combined music, theatre and dance to show what sustained support for young people can make possible when exploring “resilience, rebirth and solidarity.”

Since 2024, the Cuomo Foundation has supported I Cerchi Magici by helping fund the running of the Arvalia Music School. Located in Magliana, a working-class neighbourhood in southern Rome, the school offers singing and instrumental lessons to children from disadvantaged backgrounds, including children from recently immigrated families.

The Foundation’s support allows the school not only to help children learn music, but also to make space for creative expression, participation and growth. This work is part of the Foundation’s broader commitment to education and to improving opportunities for the youth.

One of the evening’s most moving moments honoured Alfredo Cuomo, co-founder of the philanthropic organisation that bears his name. His life story, set to music, connected the performance’s themes of perseverance and possibility with the values that inspired the Foundation. Mrs. Maria Elena Cuomo, Philanthropist and the President of the Foundation, travelled to Rome and attended the event along with the Foundation’s representatives.

The concert brought students of all ages together as performers and collaborators, giving them a public platform to share what they had been learning and creating. Its success was not measured in numbers, but in the chance it offered young people to be seen, heard and celebrated. It also showed that access to the arts can help give the courage to dream.