After the two successfully completed experiments in the old Slovenian alpine town of Tržič and the former Finnish capital Turku, we are now eagerly awaiting the young talents invigorating ideas for the second half of REVIVE. In our last news we informed you about the conclusion of the bootcamp phase of the third REVIVE project in Cellino Attanasio. On the 5th of February the team behind the upcoming experiment in Iași, Romania, the fourth and last of REVIVE, finished theirs.  

Since the first bootcamp in November 2024 and the check-in of this year’s January, the diverse group of young people from several different countries and disciplines did not waste their time but kept at the drawing board of collaborative and innovative ideas. The task of successfully and memorably adopting the space of a former power plant in the Palace of Culture in urban Romania, is now one huge step closer. 

Following the first bootcamp, which introduced the space to the young talents and them to each other, the groundwork for initial inspirations and collaborative efforts was laid out to be fertilized and harvested. As we reported in our year-end news, the participants jumped at the opportunity to let their imaginations run wild in an open, inclusive space of multiperspectivity of backgrounds and skills. Once divided into groups tackling the three main cornerstones of industrial heritage, the social aspect of intercultural dialogue and the physical aspect of special design, they inspired each other based on best practices from around the world. The second bootcamp program occurred to review these synergies and to bundle remaining issues, questions and preparatory steps for the actual realization in May. 

Moderated by Marina Batinić and Lucija Klarić (Culture Hub Croatia) and Coralia Costas (Palatul Culturii Iași, Palace of Culture Iași) information about infrastructural and artistic considerations were presented, highlighted and to this effect animated. Within an instructed twofold cycle of break-out sessions the distinct groups first had another chance of exchange and reflection, to then decide on which broad concepts to pursue. Importantly these ideas, as one participant phrased, “evolve in time”, but the general gist of it needs to be secured for the further preparation of materials required. 

From the vast array of concepts the group, moderated by one of their own, figured out synergies and complementarities among the different ideas. Finding common ground and fruitful synthesis hinges thereby not only on the artistic vision but also on the feasibility of infrastructure, budget and time. The key element of the second bootcamp was in this sense a machine to sharpen propositions, to merge them in a holistic project which delves in the particularity of artistic perspectives while creating a space of relationality. Based on the already very enlightening discussions, the final project will be a transformation of the Palace of Culture into a realm of diversity. Diversity of media, perspectives, languages, materiality and experience. 

Now, with the conclusion of this phase, with a few remaining threads left loose, we are looking forward to the actual experimentation in the field, the realization of ideas from mind and paper to room and space. Both bootcamps and the individual group meetings were highly innovative and collaborative. The young talents successfully united their skills and will for sure create something great.