For the second time, E52 organises the annual Expat Top-10. There are a lot of internationals in Eindhoven who have done a great job for the city, and by this, we put a spotlight on them. This year’s theme of the Top-10 is ‘Sport & Leisure’. Every day we present you an interview with one of the winners. In this interview, you can read about how they ended up in Eindhoven, how they put an effort in the city and how they look at the Eindhoven with their international perspective. Today: Cristian Boscheri.
Cristian Boscheri
Born in 1990
From Arese, Italy
In Eindhoven since 2012
#1 on bucket list: “Inaugurating my own school”
Bboy, breaker or breakdancer, Cristian Boscheri is it for already more than twelve years. With the projects from wedowe, which can also consist of breakdancing, he tries to change the world. So that he can solve what in his opinion is the world’s biggest problem: communication.
“I got a map of Europe and started to draw X’s on it where I didn’t want to go to, actually I drew a lot of X’s”
After his bachelor in Energy Engineering Boscheri wanted to go abroad for a master’s degree. “I wanted to study renewable or sustainable energy but in Italy there was no such thing. So I went searching where in Europe I could go to.” Through a friend of his brother, Boscheri heard about Eindhoven and what was possible over there. “The TU/e had a program where I could choose exactly the subjects that I wanted. Besides that I found out that the Netherlands have a great breaking culture. Especially the region of Eindhoven is well known for this sport.”
“I started with my study because I thought the biggest problem in the world was the energy problem, now I think it’s communication”
Boscheri worked for one year in a lab. “I know I was making a difference and helping the world with my work in sustainable energy. But I didn’t feel it, because it’s not so direct. I’m an extremely visual person, and when you work with people you feel more that you really make a difference.” So in 2015 Boscheri went to Brazil for three weeks. There he took part in a social breakdance project. “I already practiced breakdancing for twelve years. First it was just a hobby but since then not anymore. I really saw that breaking could help people, for example, to get more self-esteem. After that I started wedowe, to solve what I thought was the new biggest world problem: communication.”
Boscheri started this wedowe to activate people to make to world a better place. He does that with projects which have a measurable social impact, these are called dowes. “Everyone is uncomfortable with something. It can be climate changes or the problem of communication but everyone has such a thing. And I’d like to activate people to change their uncomfortability.” Dowes can vary from events, to films, to campaigns, as long as it changes the world around people. Pimp my Clothing is an example of a dowe, where people were inspired to fix their damaged clothing instead of throwing it away. Shiro is a movie to show talent of the Dutch movie industry. Or wedoENERGY Map, which is a tool to help students/organizations in doing energy activities. ‘’The logic is quite simple, everybody could spend some energy to make the world a better place. That’s why I would like that really everybody on the planet would start a dowe.”
“Breakdancing doesn’t care about race or ethnicity, it doesn’t know any racism.”Cristian Boscheri, – Winner of Expat Top-10
‘’There is a shit load of social value in breakdancing’’
Bosheri practices breakdancing five to six days a week. Most of the times with friends, sometimes alone. “You know the term breakdancing wasn’t the original term. Actually it was called breaking or Bboying. But it all started in the U.S.A. and the journalists who wrote about it didn’t like those terms.” Boscheri also organises breakdance dowes. “It’s simple, you get together and there is no judging. That’s the case with breakdancing and I think with any other sport. So if I would get a billion euro’s I would organise a shit load of events. Which could be about sport or other things but with the goal to kill hate.”
“Eindhoven is a city of do-ers”
“Eindhoven has so much potential. If you have ideas, here is where you can make it happen. Besides that it’s a very international city, you see a lot of colour together.” But Boscheri thinks the different communities aren’t connected enough. “There could be more collaboration between networks. But to reach that, we need to overstep our egos. A lot of organisations tell us that they want to collaborate but when it really comes to it, they don’t want to overstep their egos and don’t collaborate at all.” But still, Boscheri believes that Dutch people are more equal than in Italy. “People are more equal and approachable. Only not when it comes to personal space. You are not so touchable.” Further on he believes that there aren’t many differences. “Perhaps the classic stuff like weather and food. You don’t use pesto only for pasta and you guys put stuff on pizza that is forbidden in Italy.”
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