sport, street art
and social inclusion
Read the publication that tells the story and highlights the achievements of SAB
Street Art Ball Project is an initiative that brings together sport, street art, and social inclusion, transforming basketball courts and urban spaces into places of expression and connection. Through urban regeneration interventions, the project brings new life to abandoned or degraded areas, creating public artworks that foster intercultural dialogue and social cohesion.
We believe that every space can become a place of growth, inspiration, and connection. Using street art as a universal language, we transform anonymous environments into vibrant and participatory areas, enhancing the identities of local communities and collective creativity.
Our interventions respond to an increasingly urgent need: rethinking urban spaces as places where art and sport become tools for well-being, inclusion, and social interaction. Street art, with its immediate visual impact, tells collective stories and encourages active participation, while street basketball creates opportunities for meeting and sharing, breaking down cultural and social barriers.
Being within one of these spaces means experiencing its energy and value, recognizing it as a place that welcomes and leaves a mark. It is this awareness that has driven us to invest in a project of urban regeneration, because we believe in the transformative power of public spaces and their impact on communities.
For us, it’s simple:
we love playgrounds
MISSION
Creating inclusive,
sustainable
and vibrant spaces
Creating inclusive, sustainable, and lived-in spaces that bring together art, sport, and community, transforming urban places into symbols of belonging and dialogue.
This is the core mission of Street Art Ball Project: regenerating abandoned or underutilized urban spaces, restoring functionality and vitality through artistic and social interventions. Our goal is to promote active participation and engagement of local communities, involving schools, associations, and local organizations.
Each regenerated space becomes a cultural and social landmark, based on relationships, sport, and street art. Through our interventions, we aim to make the city a more open, shared, and accessible place, where public art and street basketball meet to generate well-being, inclusion, and social cohesion.
VISION
Art inspires,
sport brings
people together
We envision a future where every public space becomes a meeting place, a creativity lab, and a symbol of inclusion.
We believe that every urban playground can be much more than just a playfield: we want to transform it into an iconic place, where street art stimulates creative expression and street sports promote integration and social interaction.
For us, each intervention is not just a public artwork, but a true catalyst for social change, a step toward a more inclusive, open, and dynamic community. Art inspires, sport unites: together, they create a better future.
OUR STORY
2020
SAB was born in Bergamo in 2020 as a symbol of rebirth after the first lockdown.
2021-2022
Since the first intervention in 2021, the project has grown rapidly: between 2020 and 2022, 10 playgrounds were created across Bergamo, Lombardy, and Sicily, thanks to the collaboration of artists, volunteers, youth organizations, and institutions.
2023
In 2023, SAB became part of the programming for Bergamo Brescia Italian Capital of Culture, with the creation of 6 courts along the bike path connecting the two cities and another 6 in various Italian regions.
2024
2024 marks further growth, with 8 new playgrounds across Italy. Among these, playground no. 30, commissioned by Sport e Salute for the Giffoni Film Festival, transformed a school area into a space for sports and artistic gathering.
For us, every urban playground is an opportunity for connection and inclusion.
SAB leaves visible marks on the landscape and lasting impressions on people, creating public spaces that are accessible, shared, and participatory.
WHO WE ARE
HG80
SAB is a project of HG80, a cooperative founded in 2011 in Bergamo and established as a social enterprise in 2014. Street Art Ball Project is one of HG80’s most significant initiatives, reflecting its mission: culture for social good and social good for culture.
HG80 develops projects rooted in the local territory, based on listening to communities and creating participatory pathways. The cooperative fosters collaboration among youth, public and private entities, the Third Sector, and businesses, building lasting synergies.
The team’s expertise spans project management to networking, from managing participatory processes to organizing cultural, artistic, and theatrical events. HG80 also provides consultancy to informal groups, associations, and youth enterprises, supporting social and cultural innovation.
With projects like SAB Project, HG80 demonstrates the potential of culture as a tool for inclusion and urban regeneration, transforming public spaces into places of gathering and shared creativity.