Per iniziativa di un gruppo d’artisti diplomati all’Accademia delle Belle Arti di Firenze, nasce l’Accademia D’Arte AD’A, che propone corsi di carattere artistico e culturale rivolgendosi a tutti coloro, italiani e stranieri, che sono interessati ad apprendere o approfondire discipline artistiche specifiche.

L’Accademia è aperta tutto l’anno e si trova nel centro storico di Firenze, sede d’importanti musei e meta di studio d’artisti d’ogni parte del mondo.
Oltre all’insegnamento delle materie seguite da artisti professionisti, l’obiettivo dell’Accademia è agevolare la comprensione e l’inserimento degli allievi nel variegato mondo dell’arte.

La durata dei corsi è strutturata con varie alternative in relazione alle possibilità di soggiorno a Firenze degli interessati.

Per gli studenti stranieri, in particolare, l’Accademia offre un servizio di prenotazione alloggio con diverse alternative così come un programma permanente d’attività culturali e ricreative, e tutto un insieme d’iniziative e facilitazioni per consentire un soggiorno di studio interessante e proficuo.

 

The Lorenzo de Medici school, which opened its doors in 1973, was one of the very first in Florence to specialize in the teaching of Italian as a foreign language. The school is situated in the San Lorenzo quarter in the heart of the old part of the city, just a few steps away from the Medici Chapels and the famed central market area.

Housed in a former convent dating back to the medieval period (the adjacent thirteenth century church of San Jacopo Corbolini is integrated into the complex) the school underwent extensive renovation and today provides a wide range of modern conveniences such as a cafeteria, air-conditioning, reading rooms and an attractive courtyard garden.

The school-whose students come from all age groups and from all over the world- guarantees a high quality in teaching and in the services provided.

OUR METHOD

In line with the most up-to-date theories on Italian language teaching, our method aims at a harmonious development of all four linguistic skills: listening and speaking, reading and writing.


The small number of students per class and the varied teaching techniques enable each student to be an active participant in the learning process. The language is always presented in context with the student immediately putting into practice what has been studied.
 
 
The school provides, free of charge, a pack of course materials which is frequently updated. Preference is given to original and stimulating material that is aimed not only at improving language skills but also permits the student to learn more about Italian culture and present day Italy.
 
The teachers hold University degrees and have specialized experience in the teaching of Italian language and culture to foreigners.
They attend monthly teacher training seminars. 

 
LEVELS

Each type of course is offered in seven levels and 4 weeks are needed to complete a level. Absolute beginners can only start their classes on the first day of the course (see dates). Non beginners can start the course at the beginning of each week. The most appropriate level is selected through a placement test.


A more detailed description of levels is available on request.


Beginning: 
Will be able to interact in simple daily situations: at the cafè, restaurant, hotel, shops, railway stations, in the street. Will know how to introduce themselves and talk about themselves, to invite others to do something and to reply to an invitation. To ask for, and to give, information on people, places, services, articles to buy. Acquisition of the basic structures of the language through the use of the present and present perfect of the most commonly used verbs; article-adjective-noun agreement, direct and possessive pronouns.


Intermediate 1:
Will be able to deal with daily situations such as at the gym, real estate and travel agencies etc. understanding the gist of information given. Ability to talk and write about personal habits and experiences through the correct use of the present, past and imperfect tenses. Will be able to describe, in simple terms, places, surroundings and people. Will be able to speak about personal plans and make promises using the future tense. Ability to express hopes and wishes by using the conditional. Will be able to give and follow instructions, advice and commands through the use of the imperative.


Intermediate 2:
Will be able to deal with more complex daily situations: at the doctor, at the pharmacy, on the telephone, at a job interview. Will be able to take part spontaneously in conversations on familiar or daily matters. Will be able to relate the plot of a movie or tell a story while at the same time expressing opinions and points of view by using the present subjunctive. Ability to describe in detail places and objects by using relative pronouns and making comparisons. Will be able to comprehend short articles and literary texts where the passato remoto is used.


Intermediate 3:
Will be able to deal with more complex daily situations: at the bank, hotel, the box office. Will be able to conjecture opinions with the use of grammatical structures such as the subjunctive and "if" clauses. Ability to argue personally held opinions, ideas, preferences. Will be able to understand without too much effort the significant points of short literary texts and articles even when expressed in complex forms such as the passive, impersonal and implicit. Will be able to understand the gist of radio and TV shows.


Advanced 1:
Will be able to recount and write about events, personal experiences, traditions and habits using quite complex grammatical patterns such as subordination, tense agreement and indirect speech. A broadening of vocabulary will allow a very good understanding of literary prose as well as articles and news reports on current events. Will be able to follow without too much effort movies and radio and TV programs in standard Italian. Would be able to work or study in an Italian environment.


Advanced 2:
Will be able to interact with native speakers, orally or in writing, in any given situation whether it be formal or informal. Ability to discuss and express personal ideas including in an academic or professional context - in an elegant and well articulated manner through the use of forms of the subjunctive, "if" clauses and the passive voice. Ability to read a wide range of texts making distinctions between different styles of writing. Will be able to understand without difficulty TV and radio shows and movies.

Mastery:
Will be able to write fluently using correct grammar, sentence construction and the appropriate linguistic register. Will have acquired a wide vocabulary with specific application to specialized area such as Italian bureaucracy, youth culture and the field of medicine. Will be able to understand movies and TV programs even when idiomatic Italian, regional accents and slang expressions are used. Will be able to understand works of literature in both form and content.

According to the Common European Reference Levels -European Language Portfolio - our levels correspond as follows:

EUROPEAN LANGUAGE PORTFOLIO / LORENZO DE' MEDICI
A1  Beginner
A2  Intermediate 1
B1  Intermediate 2 / Intermediate 3
B2  Advanced 1
C1  Advanced 2 
C2  Mastery

 

We hope this can be for you a start for a cultural exploration of Italy. We will be pleased to endow you with an instrument capable to improve your knowledge of our country: the italian language. Look at it as a key to open the many doors of our reality. We wish you good work and a very nice trip!

Koinè is a special kind of school. In fact it was set up in 1980 as an association of teachers, all coming from personal and professional experiences in the area of teaching Italian as a foreign language. Since these teachers were dissatisfied with their experiences, they decided to create a new structure which would differ from other private schools in the style of work and teaching methods.

Our courses lay emphasis on spoken language, not disregarding grammar rules, but considering language in its actual function, that is a means of communication between people. Therefore our lessons are focused on making students communicate in italian, helping them to achieve a better expression and comprehension. In this we have always been accurate and our method has been established over a 20 years activity of constant research and applied studies.
Our school gained official recognization by the Italian Ministry of Education last year and belongs to the Asils association of Italian schools for foreigners.

The program and didactic method were developed over a 10-year period of research and testing by the didactic group of the Koinè Centre. Through this work, the Center has developed teaching materials, books, and audiovisual tools and organized seminars and teacher orientation courses.
THE PROGRAM Our courses represent a communications program based on the realities of everyday life in Italy, and include the main aspects of social and cultural reality. We have established a program which, through the selection of specific reading materials, helps the student experience Italian society in an individual, personal way and not merely though the eyes of a tourist.
THE METHOD Our program follows a method which considers different didactic methods, but is based principally on activities requiring the use of creativity and induction. These kinds of activities are aimed at developing the confidence and autonomy of the student who is required to participate actively in classes. In this way, the students become the protagonists and the teacher becomes a discussion leader. According to the best scientific research, in order to be truly effective, teaching should involve not only the rational part of the memory but also the unconscious. The goal is to conquer concrete abilities. First, talking and speaking and then reading and writing, to avoid learning blocked by the inability to communicate effectively.

 
On the first day, students take a language test to determine their level and to enable us to create homogeneous classes. There are five levels divided into two cycles. Each level takes a month to complete. Therefore, it is possible to attend for a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 5 months to complete the entire cycle.

BASE LEVEL The attainment by passing three proficiency levels of the “threshold level B1”; that is, the level of communicative ability recognized by the Common European Framework for Languages as permitting participation in an Italian language environment.
ELEMENTARY LEVEL Allows means to handle most daily situations, to satisfy basic needs, and to understand relatively simple information.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Allows means to handle most daily situations, to express one's point of view, and to explain, describe, and recount in a sufficiently precise manner.
ADVANCED LEVEL This enables one to reach the threshold level, i.e., to obtain those linguistic instruments of communication necessary to move easily within Italy and in direct contact with Italians. The entire cycle places emphasis on the spoken language.
SPECIALIZATION LEVEL At two teaching levels: the rationalization through the systematic procedures of knowledge of the language, of correctness of expression of the richer aspects of the spoken and written language.

Upper Level 1: Morphology and syntax 1st part. Analysis and in-depth study of various tone levels in the spoken language.
Upper Level 2: Morphology and syntax, 2nd part. Analysis and in-depth study of the various tone levels in written language. Introduction to dialects.

 

 

QUALITY DESIGN EDUCATION IN MILAN
NABA is an Academy of Arts and Design which was established in 1980 by a group of artists, among whom Guido Ballo, Gianni Colombo, Lucio Del Pezzo, Emilio Isgrò, Tito Varisco, Luigi Veronesi, who aimed at challenging the rigid academic tradition by introducing new visions and languages closer to contemporary artistic practice and the creative professions.

NABA education integrates the more traditional disciplines of visual representation with the new digital technologies and the critical-project culture of Italian Design.

The foundation of NABA educational philosophy lies in applying art to a project, in synthesizing creative and practical abilities and in reaching a perfect balance between critical methodological and technical-manual knowledge.

NABA training programs are based on a cross-disciplinary method aimed at developing artistic-professional skills and profiles in the fields of art, design, fashion, media and graphic design.

This approach derives from continuous experimentation, a strong vocation for research, a close relationship with the artistic and productive environment and a focus on the ethical dimension of education.

2009 SUMMER SESSION
NABA offers a wide choice of Summer Courses: Introduction, Intermediate (Studio Level) and Advanced Level courses.

The Summer Courses propose a wide and updated synthesis of NABA know-how, giving a view of the most significant trends of the market, of industrial creation processes, of artistic and social expression, of Design, Fashion, Graphic and Communication, together with the opportunity to experiment a topical project theme, under the guidance of renowned professionals and in cooperation with big companies.

Introduction Level Courses are intended for students without academic background on a specific subject area and offer a unique opportunity to explore a new creative environment. Students will learn from experienced and skilled professionals and will be taught how to research and present a creative idea. These courses will concentrate on experimentation within the creative design process.

Intermediate Level courses meet the needs of students with previous knowledge in that specific subject area who are keen on building upon this through an intensive and specialised training experience. Students will be immersed in a design environment simulating a professional studio, gaining profound insight into the technical components of the design process.

Advanced Level Courses are developed in collaboration with Accademia Teatro alla Scala and are intended for students attending their last years of University in the specific subject areas dealt with in the summer courses and for professionals in those specific fields who want to make a hands-on training experience in Italy.

Selected visits to museums, companies, production sites and design studios during the programs expose students to the creative and cultural environment in Italy

INTRODUCTION TO FASHION DESIGN
It's Global Cocktail Time!
... to be shaken, not stirred.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Using global influences and trends as a starting point, this course introduces fashion to beginners by showing them how to use a theme to produce and present work that will prepare them for further studies in the fashion field.
Art, crafts, culture and lifestyles from different ethnicities worldwide (Africa! India!) will be the ingredients to put together and shake up to create a small collection of coordinated clothes. Talks will be given during the course on Italy’s fashion system and on art related to the project. Students will also be sent to the best fashion zones in Milan and given lists of places to go and see out of lesson times.


INTRODUCTION TO FASHION STYLING
Editorial Fashion Styling. The image of a magazine and the related editorials.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course introduces a specific overview of the elements that have to be taken into account when putting together fashion items to attract media attention towards a fashion magazine and the related editorials. From media to final customers throughout image and concept look. Fashion Styling means creating a concept look that represents fashion dreams.

INTRODUCTION TO FASHION ACCESSORIES
Designing Contemporary Accessories. From architecture to shoe design.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Student teams will be formed for bags and shoes. Students can choose to work on a bag or a shoe project or on both of them.
At the first stage of the course special lectures will be delivered to provide the fundamentals of shoe design and bag design. The acquisition of technical skills will be part of the project. A collection will be developed with a professional teacher from Ars Sutoria (a traditional Italian shoe and bag craft school). A hand-made prototype will be created directly on the last day.

In the second stage of the course students will be given a topical trend theme on which they will conduct their research and that will be developed as a basis for their women's shoe collection or women's bag collection.

Students will be shown how to present and illustrate their ideas. A sketch book will be generated as part of the project and specific research on materials will be carried out. Students will visit a shoe and leather library where they will be given the opportunity to see and touch all kinds of accessory materials.

INTRODUCTION TO FASHION MARKETING
Conjugating creativity to management.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
- The course will explore the fundaments of marketing and its techniques and activities as they are employed in the fashion business. The course will cover the following topics:
- Vision and mission; the fashion marketing environment, fashion product development and production, the relationship between company and markets, domestic and international; the marketing decision system, marketing research and information system.

- The fashion marketing mix, pricing policies and distribution channels, integrated marketing communication and promotion, net fashion; loyalty and fashion brand equity, fashion consumer behaviour.

- Auditing the organization and its environment; strategic and operative planning; selection of target markets, definition and segmentation; positioning, analysis of competition, competitive advantages and global /glocal marketing strategies

- The fashion marketing planning process, and the different approaches to planning; impact of internal and external environment on the decision-making process, the fashion marketing plan

- Periodic monitoring of plan, co-ordination of retail activities

INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHIC DESIGN
COURSE DESCRIPTION
With a focus on the contemporary visual surroundings we question its quality and reason. We explore the links between urban communication and graphic design through a mixture of theory and practice to inspire a ‘Totally Refreshing View’ of Milan.


INTRODUCTION TO INTERIOR DESIGN
Discovering the evolution of living space.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Lifestyle, art and design research in Milan is used to develop an interior space plan. Studio work and field trips foster the conceptual development of possible interior layouts resulting in one original interior space design.
Living spaces are the results of complex factors interacting together.

Measurable distances, material quality, density and colour, noise and rhythm all contribute to the identity of a place.

Going through each factor, one by one, is an artistic and professional experience on the deep nature of each isolated field.

Like in a chemistry lab, the students will be introduced through the analysis of the elements of Space, trying to comprehend the metamorphosis from the Void to the Full.

The aim of the course is mixing in a randomly scientific procedure the various components in order to recognize, through experimentation, the creation of different typologies and Space kinds

During the first phase students will be free to express their own research by means of any technique: hand drawing, digital graphics, movie, etc..

The contribution of digital media will help students to collect all the impressions and will become a real tool, capable of memorising and reproducing step by step a way to reprocess the knowledge gained during this experience.


INTRODUCTION TO PRODUCT DESIGN
Discovering the design process.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Market trend research, material sourcing in Italy and creativity are used to design a model. Working as a member of a team, students will create a concept and develop an original prototype design.
The course will introduce participants to the Culture of Project and Design of “Making-of … the art of doing”, in the sense of the Italian “Bottega” (a professional workshop led by an expert), similar - back to the past - to a real creative laboratory, following the way of learning adopted by Leonardo da Vinci typical of the historical Humanism in the Renaissance cultural movement in Italy, more than six centuries ago.

The course is divided into two main parts:

1. Creating a Personal Notebook.

The notebook will offer the chance to keep the memory and the elaboration of personal contents and the experience in the lab.

2. Create an Art-Design piece.

The active and creative experience of working with hard and soft materials in the AtelierFORTE workshop.

The course will enable students to get through the experience of working at “Bottega”; a full immersion activity with a mix of lessons, lab-experience and a team workshop.

“Andare a Bottega” (being trained in a professional workshop led by an expert), in the past was an extremely rare opportunity to share and hand down knowledge before the birth of Art Academies. The greatest artists of the Renaissance acquired their own knowledge through this “Bottega” experience. In this way young generations will have the opportunity to make this kind of experience and experiment this atmosphere.

In the workshop, participants will work together to produce a hand-made Art-Design piece. Working with hard and soft materials takes a relevant part of the experience.

In the beginning every participant will also produce a Personal Book with the aim of collecting all the impressions and personal notes about the experience. This hard paper work will become a real tool, capable of memorising and reproducing step by step a way to reprocess the knowledge gained throughout this experience.

 


INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
Fashion Design Studio (developed in collaboration with Parsons Paris)

Lighting Design Studio (developed in collaboration with Accademia Teatro alla Scala)

Landscape architecture

 

ADVANCED LEVEL
Costume Decoration and Painting (developed in collaboration with Accademia Teatro alla Scala)