GBU: hacking learning and having fun meanwhile
When you grow up in the late 70s and early 80s in Italy, what could possibly go wrong? Well, almost everything…
So you, as a kid, look for what feels good, and what was better than a western movie, back then? Even better, a strange one, where those Arizona deserts look more similar to Spain or Sardinia maybe, and where cowboys are not always exactly role models of a superior white western civilisation (killing natives and enslaving black people) – and anyway they could all use some more time (and soap and water) in their bathrooms. GBU is indeed a short for The good, the bad and the ugly, the great spaghetti-western movie by Sergio Leone that taught Americans how western movies should be done in modern times.
Fast forward, we are now in the roaring 20s of another millennium, and we suddenly discover that what was once the reason for joking on us, is now the most valuable asset of education e and it is crucial in understanding the main target groups in our job, non formal education of young people. It is the geek culture, that strange mix of spaghetti western and sci-fi movies, comics, videogames and computer hacking that has been the talk of the town among young people for years already. We love to discuss it in our Twitch channel, called the GBU – here we go.
The GBU is me, my gombaah Carmine Rodi and our other (older 😛 ) brother Jan Lai: three trainers and youth workers trying to make our way in the universe use a different way to share, discuss, confront, challenge what we do and love to do, youth work and training, testing it against the power and energy of geek culture.
We have great plans of digging the geekiness out of you all: we started hosting a university researcher (and former participant in a youth exchange organized by Jan…) involved in the landing of Perseverance on Mars, then we had our friend and colleague Mafalda Morganti talking about LARPs – live action role playing games – and if you do not know what are we talking about, you are missing a great tool for your youth work, and the GBU recommends you play and learn!
Our next guest could be you, if you dare dragging out your worst best side and discuss memes, videogames or whatever else with us and our public. Otherwise you can just watch the show, and learn a bit more about how to interact with online audiences, use memes and Star Wars reference to address racism and other urgent matters, and much more.
The GBU waits for you!