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Description
Currently, Panevėžys lacks a place for cultural activities that can be easily accessible for local communities. It has a long tradition of professional art places and activities, even temporary ones such as symposiums, plein airs, workshops, however, there is a still a gap between professional arts and local communities. Several years ago, Panevėžys has started its revival campaign investing a significant amount to its cultural and social assets. One of these projects is rethinking Skaistakalnis park, which is a unique place in Panevėžys located centrally but still keeping its natural character and on the North side facing the industrial territory. In this park poet, activist, lawyer Čerkesas had its mansion. It was a place for people to gather and exchange ideas. Without this mansion, the park lost its cultural asset. Currently, the mansion is being renovated and adapted to the public use. The activities in the mansion follow ideas of Čerkesas. The place will serve as an activation for local communities.
Through different new cultural services and educational programmes in three new studios of applied arts, audio-video production and theatrical self motivational, artists and local inhabitants will learn new competencies and enhance cultural entrepreneurship. By using innovative methods such as creative placemaking, co-creation, art of hosting, project team and artists will enhance cultural entrepreneurship of local people.
The input will also be coming from foreign ideas delivered by artists in residence programme, which will be dedicated to have a close relation between artists and local community. Local community will be an active participant throughout all art residency process.
More so, there will be an ecological garden developed by experts together with local stakeholders.
All these themes are supplemented by entrepreneurial mindset and local cultural entrepreneurship trainings.
Summary of project results
Skaistakalnio Park in Panevėžys is a unique location in the city center, yet it has preserved its authenticity. It was once home to the Pragiedruliai homestead, owned by the poet, activist and lawyer Čerkes’as. This homestead served as a gathering place where people came together to share ideas. However, for many years, the homestead was abandoned, and the park lost its cultural appeal.
The aim of the project was to bring public involvement back to this revitalised cultural heritage site (Pragiedruliai homestead), catering to the needs of the local community. To achieve this, it was decided to apply a creative placemaking approach and cultural entrepreneurship training, along with the restoration of the site as a cultural centre for the local population to make it attractive and accessible to all.
The following activities were carried out during the project:
- A knowledge exchange trip was organised to visit project partner Nabolagshager AS in Oslo, Norway. Six people participated in the trip to learn about good practices, visit art residencies, and make new connections. Additionally, three people went to Iceland to explore more art residencies and learn from local good practices.
- A two-day training session on local culture and cultural entrepreneurship was held for the project team and stakeholders, with 27 participants attending.
- A two-day training on communication and working with people was conducted, with 16 participants.
- Creative placemaking training was provided for local communities, with 98 people participating throughout the project.
- A training on audience development was held, with 22 participants.
- Four studios were established during the project: a theatre studio, an audio-video studio, an applied arts studio, and an art residency studio. These studies have been used for educational activities as well as for strengthening cultural entrepreneurship skills of the local community. A total of 408 people participated in theatre education, 125 in audio-video studio education, and 502 in applied arts studio education. Additionally, six artists from Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein participated in the art residency.
- An ecological garden installation and creation workshop was held, with 88 people taking part in the workshop.
The project resulted in the creation of new spaces for theater, applied arts, audio-video studios, art residencies, and community activities within the Pragiedruliai Homestead. These spaces now host cultural education programs and services. The revitalized Pragiedruliai Homestead has made the site more attractive and accessible to both locals and visitors, contributing to community revitalization and local development.
Through a variety of new cultural services and educational programs in the newly established studios, along with innovative methods like creative placemaking, co-creation, and the art of hosting, local residents gained new skills in cultural entrepreneurship. This contributed to fostering community involvement in the area''s development and encouraging local entrepreneurship by using local resources.
Summary of bilateral results
Project partner Nabolagshager AS has been involved in the process of creating an organic garden, sharing good practices on how urban gardening provides economic benefits and retains the people who work there.Project partner Fragment AS from Norway shared experiences on developing long-term strategies, including knowledge and cooperation with local groups, workshops on urban agriculture and business models.