I_Improve 2018-21

In 2018-2021 we have joined 5 cultural organisations from the River Cities network, each experienced in running a wide range of cultural and educational programs and activities, for the “I_Improve” (Erasmus+) project.

About the project

The aim of the project was twofold: a) to co-develop creative formats to enable waterfront communities to share stories and experiences through participatory practices; b) to foster 6 participating organisations in extending and developing educators’ competencies. For this reason, learning visits and sessions with informal education expert Avril Meehan, also, periodical partners meetings were run. We had a chance to take part in urban furniture’s co-design process, and to learn in-depth about the artistic research process in various locations. One of the most amazing findings for our organisations was the role of music records in fostering memory — a topic, which was explored by Oostende Public Library. In our turn, we have shared our expertise in developing urban games for a heritage sites and arranged a study visit to Kaunas and Vilnius for our partners from Venti di Cultura (Italy).

During the period of 2018-2021 the organisations developed and launched creative participatory formats — urban games, urban walks, visual storytelling, music sessions with waterfront communities. This required activating their own resources and networks.

Partners

The cooperating organisations are:

• Venti di Cultura (Italy),
• SPÖ Wiener Bildung (Austria),
• Oostende de Stad Aan Zee (Belgium),
• River // Cities (association / Poland),
• Intercult (Sweden),
• Laimikis.lt (Lithuania).

During this period, our urban games and research Lab developed:

• methodology for running visual storytelling workshops, that explores the identity of the place; we started using illustration for visual mapping of the elements that create a sense of place, and have already used it in other ongoing projects in 2020-2021.

• brainstorming and storytelling card game “UPĖ: stories flow” – a tool for ideas on revitalisation of the riverside; concept and art direction: Jekaterina Lavrinec + Julius Narkūnas, design and illustrations: Inesa Jarkova. This tool was presented to the representatives of cultural organisations and leaders of communities in different Lithuanian cities.

Behance: Upė Stories Flow
You may learn more from our presentation of the game on youtube (in Lithuanian).

• method game “Method Roulette” is a tool for cultural organisations to explore cultural innovations: to map their hidden resources and to find out new methods, matching the goals and needs of the groups of people.

It is easy to use: construct your own method by turning the roulette’s wheels. Try different combinations of wheel sections: a) Choose your target audience (whom you address); b) Pick a goal (what you want to achieve); c) Define the resources needed for this task; d) Lastly, think of an idea for a method. Or you can start by defining your resources. Then picking a goal and the audience. And finally, finding out a method. Tip: use components of roulette as examples, contribute with your own!

The file for printing can be downloaded from the Laimikis site and used, under Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) conditions. You also may find details about the Method Roulette here, at Laimikis.lt site. concept: Jekaterina Lavrinec + Julius Narkūnas; design: Vytis Vasiliūnas.

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The materials of the project can be found at the river // cities site.

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