On February 17th, the third capacity building seminar for the Revive project took place online. The seminar's central theme was "Where the Past Meets the Future: Principles of Creating Sustainable Community Spaces in Heritage Sites." It provided valuable insights into various methods for improving communities and optimizing the use of buildings, offering a deeper understanding of how to create sustainable, impactful spaces.

 

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Cellino Attanasio, Italy : an outlook towards the live experiment

 

The seminar began with a brief presentation by Alessandro Perfetti and Graziano Di Crescenzo, representatives of the ITACA association, partners of the REVIVE project. They introduced everyone to the upcoming on-site experiment in Italy, which is the third such action within the Revive project. The experiment is taking place this spring at the former Church of Santo Spirito, recently converted into a small theatre. The current task is to enhance the space so that local residents can express their needs and abilities, transforming it into a hub for community gatherings.

 

Through two previously held online bootcamps, young talents from six different countries selected to participate in the experiment, proposed various ideas for improving the space and agreed to specific solutions they will implement on site. These ideas were also informed by the perspectives and wishes of the local community, as presented by Cristina Cerasi, the engagement collaborator at ITACA. 

 

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CrAFt : Creating Actionable Futures project

 

The next presentation was delivered by Konstantina Douka, a research fellow at the Department of Architecture at the University of Bologna. The main focus of her presentation was on integrating the principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) into urban transformation projects. She discussed experiments and lessons learned from the "Craft – Creating Actionable Futures" project, which is part of the efforts within the European Union to place the transition to climate neutrality at the forefront of urban development. This initiative also tests collaborative governance models influenced by the NEB approach to city transformation. 

 

In the context of the Revive project, Douka emphasized the importance of incorporating more community-driven activities. She believes that engaging local residents, particularly youth, in these initiatives is crucial, as it provides them with a platform to promote their interests and express themselves.

 

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Community engagement in rural settings

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Afríca Rodríguez, from a small village in Galicia, Spain, shared her experiences along with her NGO, Rural Hackers. The main focus of their work is bringing life to a decaying village. They have created a co-living space in Anceu, a tiny village in the north of Spain, at a site that had been previously abandoned. Their initiative includes an international residency program, offering opportunities for artists and individuals eager to explore and contribute to the community.

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Afríca also presented several ideas that are easy to replicate, aimed at inspiring young talents to implement similar initiatives within the Revive project in Italy and beyond. She highlighted strategies for engaging the public and involving citizens, such as building relationships with locals and co-organizing meaningful events with them. It was also recommended to engage in impactful projects such as “Inside Out” or “Before I Die”, which contribute to community development and are free to participate in. These initiatives provide valuable opportunities for creative expression and social connection, further strengthening the sense of community and are often easy to implement, without much resources needed.

 

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Moving Forward with the Revive Project

 

The important connection with the local community in Cellino-Attanasio has already been established, and the inhabitants are not only motivated but also excited to welcome young talents this spring. The online preparatory activities, including two bootcamps, check-in sessions and the latest capacity building seminar, prepared the group for joint work while the collaborative spirit has set a strong foundation for the project's success. 

 

Stay tuned for more information about the final online capacity building seminar scheduled for the 17th of March!