Description
The Big Barn is a project of creative social integration, inter-generational collaboration and empowerment of the target group (all generations of unemployed, precariously employed, socially disadvantaged people in North-Eastern Slovenia). The main objectives of the project are communitarian restoration of the barn into a permanent communitarian space of public good and supportive environment for new creative employments, innovative practices and active leisure time for all members of the community; empowerment of community, communitarian actions and communitarian social mechanisms; greater integration of disadvantaged individuals into the local community and their networking with the highly qualified experts; sustainable development of rural areas (ecology, biodiversity, natural materials). Their objectives will be achieved through professionally managed creative workshops on 6 hectares of property in Slovenske gorice – sustainable building with clay, interior design, orchard, herbs, and storytelling.
Summary of project results
In geographically, economically and infrastructural disadvantaged rural areas of North-Eastern Slovenia, increased social and inter-generational discrepancies are noticed as well as several types of precarious lifestyles and a high level of daily migrations towards Austria. There is a risk for local rural areas to become dormitories of daily migrants towards Nord. Local communities leak social networks and social inclusion for a disadvantaged individual is harder every day. Beside those extreme levels of poverty, family aggression, and psychological illnesses are observed, resulting in one of the highest suicidal rates in Europe. Project “Big Barn” was an answer to this situation. An innovative integrative project on 6 hectares of property in the rural area of Slovenske gorice, with its “barn” becoming a centre of activities of creative social integration, inter-generational collaboration and empowerment of the target group. Project successfully reached its main goal: a communitarian restoration of “the barn” into a permanent communitarian space of public good and supportive environment for new creative employments, innovative practices and active leisure time for all members of the community. The Big Barn is now a big, living platform for communitarian initiatives. More than 40 users regularly meet and work there. A strong and wide social network was created among more than 100 individuals – participants, mentors and organisers of the project, who now continue working together on several fields, helping each other on the daily basis and creating several new creative initiatives and businesses. Beneficiary organised more than 60 professionally managed creative workshops inside and outside “the barn” in 4 different creative/professional fields: sustainable building with clay, interior design and restoration of the furniture, orchard with old varieties of fruit, and herbs. During the workshops of clay building and interior design, they changed the old barn into the communitarian space to meet and work, empowered 5 individuals who now continue with professional work in the sector of clay building, and 2 individuals who continue to work in the field of (up-cycle) interior design. Participants created the educational orchard with old varieties of fruits, empowered 1 individual who now professionally works in this field, and also established a long-lasting herbal polygon, called “Herbal Human”, opened to public and community to meet and learn together.
Summary of bilateral results