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Description
LLC Merkinės muilo fabrikas have leased the Merkinė manor for forty years, intending to renovate and revitalize the area to create a long-term economic and social benefits for the town, local community, the region as well as all other stakeholders.
The manor is located in a unique place close to the Merkinė mound, overlooking the Merkys and Nemunas rivers confluence valley. Merkinė is the town with a rich history of being established as one of the main trading and cultural centres during different historical periods does not sufficiently express these features when presenting its current identity. Revitalization of town’s cultural, special and architectural assets is significant for attractive cultural tourism site development.
Applying cultural placemaking methodology LLC Merkinės muilo fabrikas, together with partners from Lithuania and Norway, aims to strengthen the provision of cultural services, cultural cooperation, tourism and craft industries in Merkinė and the entire region.
Project activities aimed at the development of the area, applying the creative placemaking principles, deepening and popularizing the glorious history of the Merkinė area, as well as the unique cultural sovereignty of the region. Through the duration of the project it is planned to create pilgrims accommodation spaces, as well as form a multi-purpose creative spaces for local artists and artisans in renovated and repurposed culturally important buildings of Merkinė manor. Supporting local artist and small-scale hard craft manufacturers series of business development and support service workshops will be organised and delivered to locals to help them to establish themselves in the area while promoting its cultural identity and creating new jobs.
The applicant, together with partners, aims to ensure that the Merkinė manor does not become another fast-moving tourist attraction, but offers a slow, high-quality and deep understanding of the local culture and history.
Summary of project results
Merkinė Manor is located in a unique location, close to the Merkinė Mound, which overlooks the valley of the Merkís and Nemunas confluence. Merkinė, a town with a rich history, which has established itself as one of the main commercial and cultural centres in different historical periods, does not sufficiently express these features when presenting its current identity. The revitalisation of the town''s cultural, special and architectural assets is important for the development of an attractive cultural tourism destination.
The project aimed to develop the cultural area by applying the principles of cultural placemaking to the sustainable development of the region, by enabling the local community to participate actively in the development of activities and by adapting currently minimally used cultural facilities to cultural uses. By applying the cultural placemaking methodology, Merkines Soap Factory UAB, together with partners from Lithuania and Norway, has strengthened cultural services, cultural cooperation, tourism and craft industry in Merkinė and the region.
The project has created pilgrim accommodation spaces, a multifunctional cinema space and multifunctional creative spaces for local artists and craftspeople in the renovated and newly adapted culturally important buildings of Merkinė Manor.
The project carried out the following activities and achieved the following results:
1. 4 publicity events were organised;
2. The large dispensary was renovated;
3. 2. 10 art exhibitions in the area were organised
4. Organised creative evenings 23 times
5. Workshops organised 10 times
6. 30 artists attracted to art residencies
7. 61 film screenings organised
8. Cultural cinema education organised 32 times
9. Space for cinema development activities provided
10. Marketing and publicity strategy developed
11. Cultural entrepreneurship seminars organised 12 units
12. Organised best practice sharing seminars and a visit to Norway 11 events in total.
13. Organised markets and living archaeology festivals total 33 events
14. 168 people participated in cultural entrepreneurship training
15. 4 new services created:
15. 1. Film broadcasting and film education, including local film festivals.
15. 2. Organisation of the Merkinė Market. The Merkinė Market is held on the MF territory and attracts a whole range of participants and visitors. The number of people wishing to participate, i.e. to showcase their products, is increasing year by year, and the Commission is considering how to expand the area to accommodate all those who wish to do so, using its own resources.
15. 3. Entrepreneurship promotion activities. Periodic educational events are organised in various formats, the products used by the MF for other activities are purchased only from local businesses, the space created in the large building allows businesses to not only present their products during the fair, but also to create them on site.
15. 4. The pilgrimage activity has been completed following the completion of the contracting work, which has created a service for overnight accommodation for pilgrims. The route of the pilgrimage route was agreed with the nearest cultural and tourist information centres.
The project directly benefits the residents of Varėnos district and the members of Merkinė community, who have joined the project activities, set up workshops, traded in markets, participated in trainings, and attended best practice sharing seminars. Together, they will add significant value to a region that is currently underperforming on various indicators.
Summary of bilateral results
Mads Skeie is based in Bergen, Norway. The founder of the company, Mads Skeie, an acclaimed sommelier in Bergen, has established a home brewery with local community members, producing cider and other spirits using local traditional methods, while maintaining authenticity, and has extensive experience in organising educational and awareness-raising events. Mads Skeie and his associates were actively involved in promoting entrepreneurship in the Merkinė community, sharing their experience and providing training.