ABOUT
What is the School of Vision Masterclass
A closed-room working format.
Small cohort. High standard.
Classroom, fieldwork, and direct feedback across Rome.
Four days of intensive work across three layers:
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Classroom sessions on vision as strategy — how to state the future you are building, why it matters, and how to make it non-negotiable.
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Field access to Rome’s living power infrastructure — innovation hubs, private archives, architectural studios shaping the city’s next form.
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Closed-door feedback from people who operate at city, brand, and institutional level.
ROME CHAPTER
4-day Masterclass
April 2026
Admission is by application.
We design each cohort around fit, ambition, and friction: people who are actively entering a phase of definition, expansion, or leadership.
A Curated Circle for Founders, Leaders & Cultural Minds.
Rome. Fall 2026
Build a clear, non-negotiable vision and learn how to make it real, through three layers of work:
CLASSROOM
Vision as strategy
State the future you’re building, why it matters, and how to hold the line.
FIELDWORK IN ROME
Inside the city’s cultural and institutional infrastructure.
Curated access to private archives, institutional programmes, and studio environments shaping the city
CLOSED-DOOR FEEDBACK
Direct insight
From leaders working across institutions, brands, and the city’s cultural ecosystem.
The Rome-based vision lab where symbolic language becomes defensible strategy, tested inside real power sites.
Limited cohort. Admission by application.
WHO IT'S FOR
For founders, leaders, investors, professionals, researchers, and cultural practitioners who are ready for change and actively shaping their voice and direction, including emerging talent under 35 and artists/curators with strong potential and limited resources.
APPLY IF YOU ARE
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In transition, moving into a new role, mandate, or chapter
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Repositioning your work and need a clear, defensible direction
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Ready for a rigorous, peer-level exchange in a small, selected cohort
WHAT HAPPENS IN 4 DAYS
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Curated sessions combining theory, case studies, and structured dialogue
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Studio visits and site encounters across Rome’s cultural and strategic infrastructure
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A small group format designed for high trust, high intensity, and direct access
WHAT YOU LEAVE WITH
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A clear Vision Statement: what you are building, for whom, and why now
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A strategic narrative you can use across contexts to communicate direction
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A next-step plan to carry the work forward after Rome
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A peer network you can activate beyond the programme
Day 1 | Orientation, what is vision
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Welcome and framing of the chapter.
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In-class session on what vision is and why it matters.
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Fieldwork in Rome focused on architecture, power, and symbolic space.
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Curated encounters inside an innovation and cultural ecosystem.
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Evening aperitivo with the cohort
Day 2 | Symbols, identity, and the zeitgeist
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Workshop on how symbols shape meaning, identity, and collective imagination.
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Expert encounter on the XXI century zeitgeist and geopolitical context.
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Conversation on how cities attract their future through vision and narrative.
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Studio-level case study on redesigning heritage for the future.
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Dinner and informal exchange in a private setting.
Day 3 | Rome, Up Close
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A curated “grand tour” from ancient to contemporary as a vision laboratory.
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Short sessions to consolidate learning and refine direction.
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Space for independent exploration or guided inspiration.
Day 4 | From vision to Action
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Pull everything together.
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Finalise your vision statement and next-step plan.
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Closing circle and continuation beyond Rome.
Curated and led by Marco Bassan
The Masterclass is curated and led by Marco Bassan, founder of Spazio Taverna and the School of Vision. Each edition is designed as a high-touch learning experience that combines frameworks, fieldwork, and peer-level exchange.
A changing faculty of guests and practitioners
Each edition brings together a selected group of guest speakers and practitioners with specialised expertise across culture, institutions, design, media, strategy, and research. Rather than a fixed faculty, the programme evolves through contributors whose perspectives are relevant to the chapter and its themes.
Previous Rome edition (2025) included
Fieldwork & access: ENI ROAD, Palazzo della Civiltà (Fendi Archives), MACRO, Fondazione Valentino Garavani, Accademia di Moda e Costume, House of Emerging Technologies.
Guests & practitioners: Cristiana Perrella, Jacopo Costanzo, Sebastiano Caputo, Matteo Costanzo / Lab Roma 050, Studio Labics, Numero Cromatico, Ludovico Pratesi, Pietro Ruffo,
Guests and locations vary by edition
Application Options
Full Experience
For leaders, founders, investors, and people ready for change: clarify the story, choose leverage, move with momentum.
Full experience includes everything in the Masterclass, plus: 1:1 strategy (pre) · 1:1 roadmap (post, 6–12 months) and a private dinner with the School of Vision team + guest
Price: €3,200 (VAT incl.)
Early Bird: €2,500 (VAT incl.)
- until places run out
Emerging Talent
(Under 35)
For founders, employees, professionals and researchers under 35 shaping their voice.
Includes the full 4-day Masterclass in Rome.: hidden site visits & special access · dialogues with cultural/scientific leaders · work on symbols, narrative & strategy · shared lunches & informal time with the team.
Price: €1,500 (VAT incl.)
Early Bird: €900 (VAT incl.)
- until places run out
Trusted by visionaries across sectors
The Masterclass is developed by Spazio Taverna and the School of Vision. Each edition features a changing set of encounters, guests, and site access shaped by Rome’s cultural ecosystem.
Voices from the cohort
Short reflections from participants of the November 2025 edition.
Anna
Eleni
Jason
Joana
Giulia
Joana
Giulia
Joana
Giulia
Full Experience
For leaders, founders, investors, and people ready for change: clarify the story, choose leverage, move with momentum.
What's included?
Full experience includes everything in the Masterclass, plus: 1:1 strategy (pre) · 1:1 roadmap (post, 6–12 months) and a private dinner with the School of Vision team + guest
€2,500 (VAT incl.)
Emerging Talent
(Under 35)
For founders, employees, professionals and researchers under 35 shaping their voice.
What's in included?
Includes the full 4-day Masterclass in Rome.: hidden site visits & special access · dialogues with cultural/scientific leaders · work on symbols, narrative & strategy · shared lunches & informal time with the team.
€1,500 (VAT incl.)
Scholarship
For artists and curator with strong potential and limited resources.
What's included?
Includes the full 4-day Masterclass in Rome.
Tuition Covered (limited)
After these places are filled, reduced-fee admissions may be available for selected applicants.
Have a look at the Visionary Thinking Methodology
FULL EXPERIENCE
For leaders, founders, investors, and people ready for change: clarify the story, choose leverage, move with momentum.
Full experience includes everything in the Masterclass, plus: 1:1 strategy (pre) · 1:1 roadmap (post, 6–12 months) and a private dinner with the School of Vision team + guest
Price: €3,200 (VAT incl.)
Early Bird: €2,500 (VAT incl.)
- until places run out
EMERGING TALENT
For founders, employees, professionals and researchers under 35 shaping their voice.
Includes the full 4-day Masterclass in Rome.: hidden site visits & special access · dialogues with cultural/scientific leaders · work on symbols, narrative & strategy · shared lunches & informal time with the team.
Price: €1,500 (VAT incl.)
Early Bird: €900 (VAT incl.)
- until places run out
WORKSHOPS
12+ hours of in-room strategic work.
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Vision as strategy: define the future you’re building.
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Attach it to symbolic power; make it defensible in public.
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Take a position, stress-test it, refine it.
VISITS
Strategic field access to active power sites.
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Rome’s working infrastructure: innovation hubs, private archives, architecture studios shaping the next masterplan, artist research spaces.
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See how identity, territory, luxury, and policy are produced.
MENTORING
Closed-door feedback from active operators
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Direct sessions with people shaping Rome’s cultural narrative, institutional agenda, urban form, and brand position.
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No panels, no audience—sit down, present your direction, get real feedback.
WORKSHOPS
12+ hours of in-room strategic work.
-
Vision as strategy: define the future you’re building.
-
Attach it to symbolic power; make it defensible in public.
-
Take a position, stress-test it, refine it.
VISITS
Strategic field access to active power sites.
-
Rome’s working infrastructure: innovation hubs, private archives, architecture studios shaping the next masterplan, artist research spaces.
-
See how identity, territory, luxury, and policy are produced.
MENTORING
Closed-door feedback from active operators
-
Direct sessions with people shaping Rome’s cultural narrative, institutional agenda, urban form, and brand position.
-
No panels, no audience—sit down, present your direction, get real feedback.
WHAT HAPPENS ON MONDAY AFTER THE MASTERCLASS?
You leave Rome with a clearer direction, a shared language, and a plan you can execute.
Your Vision Formula:
A clear, structured statement that defines what you’re building, for whom, why now, and what makes it non-negotiable.
“Ministry of the Future” Brief
A strategic narrative that address Your mandate, your public role, your guiding principles, and the change you want to legitimise in the world.
OUTCOMES
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Tools to make sense of complexity with a systemic mindset
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The ability to read the present and detect weak signals of the future
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A deeper practice of symbolic and associative thinking
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Skills to craft storytelling that’s both meaningful and visionary
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A mindset that unites logic and intuition into one way of deciding
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A distinct personal identity and a vision that is unmistakably yours
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Access to a network of visionary minds and mentors
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Insight into the Western blueprint of vision, through the lens of Italian cities
Your Vision Formula:
A clear, structured statement that defines what you’re building, for whom, why now, and what makes it non-negotiable.
“Ministry of the Future” Brief
A strategic narrative that address Your mandate, your public role, your guiding principles, and the change you want to legitimise in the world.
Chapters
Theory, topics & frameworks
A structured sequence of concepts, questions, and working tools designed to help participants understand how vision is formed, tested, and translated into direction. Each chapter opens a distinct lens, from symbolic thinking to institutional logic, from identity to strategy, combining theoretical depth with practical relevance.
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Chapter I
The artist is the prototype of the visionary. Observe them, as if under a bell jar, to grasp the essential dynamics of vision itself.
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Chapter II
Vision Definitions, Vision Equation, Vision Formula and Vision Path to understand the basic grammar of visionary thinking
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Chapter III
Until your vision becomes clear, the external world remains given, only the inner world can be shaped.
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Chapter IV
Reframing past and future narrative allow vision to emerge in the present
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Chapter V
The artist is the prototype of the visionary. Observe them, as if under a bell jar, to grasp the essential dynamics of vision itself.
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Chapter VI
We explore how great minds shaped society across history — how visions are formed, legitimized, and transmitted through symbols, institutions, and technologies, until an idea becomes a shared direction.
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Chapter VII
Weak signals are early signs of change small, marginal, or unexpected phenomena that reveal how the future is taking shape in the present.
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Chapter VIII
The power of Time, Symbols, Imagination, Paradox and Meaning allow to gain different visionary intelligence
Led by
Years of work have turned visionary thinking into action by building situations where culture, space and institutions meet.
The Masterclass is led by Marco Bassan, Founder and Director of the School of Vision.
In our last edition (Rome Masterclass 2025) participants spent four days in studios, fieldwork and expert encounters — ENI ROAD, Palazzo della Civiltà (Fendi Archives) — with lecturers & guests including Cristiana Perrella (MACRO), Jacopo Costanzo, Sebastiano Caputo, Matteo Costanzo / Lab Roma 050, Studio Labics, Numero Cromatico and art critic and historian Ludovico Pratesi
Speakers and activities vary by edition.
WHO
IS IT
FOR
The School of Vision is for those who see before others see.
Whether you're a creative, entrepreneur, researcher, or executive, you’ll join a close circle of individuals ready to question what’s established and imagine what’s next.
Ideal for people in transition, expansion, or leadership roles — or those who know that vision is their real edge.
Chapter I
In the Artist's Mind
The artist is the prototype of the visionary. Observe them, as if under a bell jar, to grasp the essential dynamics of vision itself.
Chapter II
What is a Vision
Vision Definitions, Vision Equation, Vision Formula and Vision Path to understand the basic grammar of visionary thinking
Chapter III
Exploration of the Internal World
Until your vision becomes clear, the external world remains given, only the inner world can be shaped.
Chapter IV
Inner point of Vision
Reframing past and future narrative allow vision to emerge in the present
Chapter V
Understanding of External World
To formulate a vision today is to engage contemporary forces critically, decode their mechanisms, and transform from within their logic.
Chapter VI
Visionary in History
How great mind shaped society during history
Chapter VII
Detecting Weak Signals
Weak signals are early signs of change small, marginal, or unexpected phenomena that reveal how the future is taking shape in the present.
Chapter VIII
Vision's Intelligence
The power of Time, Symbols, Imagination, Paradox and Meaning allow to gain different visionary intelligence
Chapter I
The artist is the prototype of the visionary. Observe them, as if under a bell jar, to grasp the essential dynamics of vision itself.
Chapter II
Vision Definitions, Vision Equation, Vision Formula and Vision Path to understand the basic grammar of visionary thinking
Chapter III
Until your vision becomes clear, the external world remains given, only the inner world can be shaped.
Chapter IV
Reframing past and future narrative allow vision to emerge in the present
Chapter V
To formulate a vision today is to engage contemporary forces critically, decode their mechanisms, and transform from within their logic.
Chapter VI
We explore how great minds shaped society across history — how visions are formed, legitimized, and transmitted through symbols, institutions, and technologies, until an idea becomes a shared direction.
Chapter VII
Weak signals are early signs of change small, marginal, or unexpected phenomena that reveal how the future is taking shape in the present.
Chapter VIII
The power of Time, Symbols, Imagination, Paradox and Meaning allow to gain different visionary intelligence
PROVEN
IMPACT
ABOUT
Scholarships
If you are a young creative, we want to offer you the opportunity to join our community.
We have reserved a limited number of scholarships to support talented young
artists, curators, and creatives who might not otherwise have access to this opportunity.
We believe that including diverse voices and experiences enriches the entire community, creating a space where everyone can grow, connect, and be inspired.
Applications are now open for selection. Apply today.
FAQ
A four-day, application-only masterclass in Rome designed for a small, curated cohort. It combines classroom sessions, curated fieldwork, and peer-level exchange to help participants build a clear, executable vision.An immersive learning experience that blends art, strategy, and personal transformation. Unlike traditional courses, it uses creative and symbolic thinking to unlock bold ideas and build a unique method for visionary leadership.
Neither. It is a working format designed for active participation, discussion, and reflection, rather than passive listening.
The Masterclass is designed for founders, leaders, professionals, researchers, and cultural practitioners at a turning point in their work, practice, or public role, seeking greater clarity, direction, and coherence.
No. The programme is cross-disciplinary. What matters is the quality of your work, your seriousness of intent, and your reason for applying.
You apply online and select your path inside the form: Full Experience, Emerging Talent (Under 35), or Scholarship. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and we reply by email with the outcome and next steps.
The cohort is intentionally kept small to protect the quality of exchange, trust, and depth of work. Places are limited.
We look for clarity of intent, seriousness, and relevance. We prioritise applicants who are actively building, leading, or repositioning something and who can contribute to a peer-level cohort.
You will receive a response within a few working days. If you need a decision by a specific date, you are welcome to mention it in your application.
The chapter combines classroom sessions, curated encounters and fieldwork across Rome, and direct exchange with peers and invited practitioners. The overall structure remains consistent, while guests and locations may evolve as the chapter is finalised.
Some locations and contributors are still being finalised. The programme is curated as a working draft, and certain guests or sites may change. The structure, methodology, and learning outcomes remain consistent.
Yes. Each edition includes a changing group of guest speakers and practitioners selected for their expertise across culture, institutions, design, media, strategy, and research. Their contribution varies by edition and helps shape the chapter through specialised perspectives and direct exchange.
You leave with a clearer Vision Statement, a stronger strategic narrative, and a next-step plan to carry the work forward after Rome, as well as a peer network you can continue to activate beyond the programme.
There are three application paths:
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Full Experience
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Emerging Talent (Under 35)
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Scholarship
You apply once and select the path that best fits your profile.
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Full access to the four-day masterclass structure, including classroom sessions, curated programme activities, and peer-level exchange. View more in "what is included in the fee"
The same programme access as the Full Experience path, at a reduced fee reserved for selected applicants under 35.
Scholarship places cover tuition for a limited number of selected applicants with strong potential and limited resources. Once scholarship places are filled, reduced-fee admissions may be available for selected applicants.
The fee includes classroom sessions, curated programme activities, a few selected meals, coffee and water during classroom sessions, transport to locations within the programme of activities, tickets and entry fees to site we will be visiting, teaching and informational materials, as well as exercise sheets.
Travel and accommodation are not included.
Yes. While accommodation is not included, we provide practical guidance and recommendations to help participants choose the most comfortable accommodation options in Rome.
A few selected meals and an aperitif are included as part of the programme. All other meals are at your discretion.
Yes. Coffee and water are provided during classroom sessions.
The Masterclass is held in English.
If accepted, you will receive confirmation and payment instructions by email. Your place is confirmed once payment is received by the stated deadline.
Yes. If accepted, we provide the necessary documentation and invoice details for payment.
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Within 10 days of acceptance: full refund
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More than 30 days before the start date: 80% refund
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29 to 20 days before the start date: 50% refund
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19 days or less before the start date: no refund
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Yes. You may transfer your place to another person up to 10 days before the start date, subject to our approval. Any fees related to the transfer process are the responsibility of the participant.
Yes. The programme may evolve as guests and locations are confirmed.
Yes. We also develop tailored formats for organisations. If this is relevant to you, please get in touch.
If you need further information, feel free to contact us directly.
SCHOOL OF VISION
