Last Friday 28 February saw the launch of the Italian Boatbuilders Tour on the Women in Boatbuilding YouTube channel. The work of writer and filmmaker Annie Means, in collaboration with Italian boatbuilder Gaia Brojanigo, the series will roll out over the coming weeks, documenting the women working in Italy’s marine trades today.
Following on from the success of British Boatbuilders Tour video series created by Annie Means in collaboration with Women in Boatbuilding in 2023, The Italian Boatbuilders tour will highlight the female shipwrights, sailmakers and other craftswomen working within the industry in Italy, where gender disparity remains a significant challenge.
The series was inspired by Milan boatbuilder Gaia Brojanigo, whose own hugely popular social media content promotes wooden boatbuilding with the aim of raising the profile of Italy’s boatbuilding heritage. Now a director of Women in Boatbuilding, Gaia was able to connect Annie with interviewees and translate each episode.
Filmed in workshops, boatyards and sail lofts from Venice to Sardinia, each episode of the series features in-depth interviews with women in the Italian marine industry, with the of aim of inspiring others and challenging the status quo.
Founded by Belinda Joslin, Women in Boatbuilding (WIBB) is a community created to support and inspire women working in boatbuilding and related marine trades. Earlier this year WIBB’s work with the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis saw more women than men enrol onto the BBA’s flagship 40-week boatbuilding course for the first time in the Academy’s history.
Our March/April issue features a four-page article from Annie Means about Gaia Brojanigo and her work to revitalise wooden boatbuilding in Italy in the digital age. For stockists and subscriptions: www.watercraft-magazine.com