Revive project  continues to prepare for its second live experiment in Turku, Finland by hosting another two bootcmps  with the goal to revitalize the neglected Varvintori area in Turku. These online bootcamps had been designed for the international group of selected young talents and local stakeholders. These sessions are designed to evoke collaboration, identify challenges, and outline revitalization strategies for this specific site. The bootcamps, led by an Art Director, serve as an intro to live experiments that will explore these strategies in depth.

 

The first bootcamp, held on April  16, 2024, from 2 to 5:30 PM CET, served as an introductory session.  It opened with a short introduction of the Revive project by  Matea Hafner and Slavka Župan. 

 

After this young talents introduced themselves using the "pecha-kucha" format, presenting 10 images in 20 seconds each, offering insights into their personal and professional backgrounds. This is a fun way of “breaking the ice” and helped both the young talents and local stakeholders as well as the project partners  get acquainted for the first time.

 

Following introductions, Lucija Klarić opened the practical part of the session by asking young talents to share their expectations for the project using a Miro board. Participants, both local and international, shared their hopes for the experiment and the project as a whole. These expectations will be revisited post-experiment to assess which were met, unmet, or exceeded.

 

The central part of the bootcamp was a presentation on the experiment and its challenges, delivered by Milla Jarvipetaja, Antti Alanko, Anna Kuusela and Suvi Lehtinen from the TUAS. They presented the brief history of Turku and Varvintori area which is the focus point of the experiment. They explained why they choose this area and presented the goals for the project which are: Developing and testing innovative sustainable and inclusive solutions for reviving old historical towns and sites based on intercultural and cross-sector experimentation inspired by cultural

heritage. Anti explained the process of the experiment and presented the participants with the term: placemaking which is best used for describing this particular experiment: the use of arts and culture by

diverse partners to strategically shape the physical and social character of a place.

 

The young talents were presented with:

1. what they will be working on 

2. how they will be working (what methods they will be using )

3. where will it be applied  (the exact positions for video mapping)

 

The presentation concluded with logistical information and next steps. 

 

Post-presentation, participants engaged in hands-on work using SWOT analysis to outline their roles, skills, and interests. This exercise, conducted in breakout rooms, provided valuable insights into the young talents' profiles and needs and how they can be best used in further tasks and within the experiment itself. 

 

Between the two bootcamps, young talents received guidance from mentors and worked on preliminary ideas using the Miro board. They were given some homework which will serve as a point of discussion in the next bootcamp.

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On September 10, 2024, Revive hosted the second Bootcamp, marking an important step in the preparation phase for the Turku Experiment. The session was a mix of inspiration, collaboration, and hands-on creative exercises, designed to drive forward the project's ambitious goals.

 

The event kicked off with a presentation by Antti Alanko, the Art Director of the Turku Experiment. He reminded everyone of the project's primary objective: fostering deep community engagement through creative urban development. Antti also shared an overview of the experiment’s schedule, offering insights and inspiration that reflected Turku’s current state, setting the tone for the day's activities.

 

Following this, Lucija led an interactive session on the Miro board, where young talents reviewed their previous assignments and homework. The group eagerly engaged with each other’s ideas, sparking lively comments and generating valuable feedback. The energy in the room was very positive as participants were eager to collaborate and refine their concepts.

 

The bootcamp continued with a series of brainstorming exercises, using mind maps, key words, and other creative techniques. These activities further fueled the group's inspiration, driving innovative thinking around the challenges presented by the Turku Experiment.

 

Before the break, the young talents shared their first impressions of the overall process so far. Their responses were overwhelmingly positive—participants expressed excitement and motivation to continue working on their project. 

 

After the break, the session shifted to practical matters. The talents were provided with crucial information about the logistics and technical details of the upcoming experiment, ensuring everyone was well-prepared for the next stages.

 

This second Bootcamp not only reinforced the goals of the Turku Experiment but also served as a vital platform for young talents to collaborate, share ideas, and further refine their creative visions.