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Would you like to know more about the Creative Cities project in general? Check out its public website.
The conference is organised by the Centre for community work in cooperation with the British Council, the city of Plzen, CLES - Centre for Local Economic Strategies (UK) and Dodo ry (Finland) on 5 - 7 November 2009 in Plzen. The conference focuses on sharing international experiences of involving the public in community planning and using the methodology of the Future City Game. The conference is for representatives of communities, civic and NGO sectors. You will have an opportunity to find out about a new creative method of involving the public in urban planning. It could be a good inspiration for your own city or NGO. Read more.
You can download the conference programme here.
Fill in the registration form until 30 October 2009.
Breakthrough cities is a groundbreaking report on how cities can mobilise creativity and knowledge to tackle compelling social challenges. The report has been commissioned by the British Council’s Creative Cities project from the Young Foundation. It contains a foreword by leading authorities in social innovation, Geoff Mulgan and Charles Leadbeater, who are also part of the report’s team of authors. Breakthrough cities is a unique resource for anyone working in the field of city policy or simply committed to improving city lives.
Visit the Creative Cities website and download the inspiring report now.
Industrial Heritage: In the Void between Professionals and Amateurs
The event was organised as part of the 5th International Biennial VESTIGES OF INDUSTRY 2009, on 9–10 October 2009 in the the Old Sewage Cleaning Station (Eco-technical Museum), Papírenská 6, Prague 6
British Council organised a closing structured discussion which mapped the background of Creative Cities project. Future City Games was presented as a bridge over the void and a tool to engage both professionals and enthusiastic volunteers and the adapted new use of industrial heritage in the cities. Diverse experiences from different European countries were presented, as well as social and cultural perspectives, political and legislative practice in individual countries.
You can find more information here.
Exhibition: Future City Game in Pilsen – European Capital of Culture 2015
The exhibition was running from 17 June until 17 July 2009 in Mestanska Beseda in Pilsen. It showcased some of the ideas the citizens of Pilsen citizens had of how they can make their city a better place to live in.
The Future City Game in Hradec Králové took place on 19 and 20 June 2009. Its main topic was Hradec Králové 2015 – A Garden for the Future. 18 people participated in the game, divided into 4 teams consisting of 4 or 5 members each.
The winning idea was a project called The renewal of Šimkovy sady in Hradec Králové. The project is concerned with the situation of the city’s parks and it concentrates on their renewal while also creating a public space where people can rest and play. Proposals include opening a new cafe, building an amphitheatre, installing benches and tables, creating new and better playgrounds, incorporating sculptures into the park’s landscape, as well as having a ‘literary walk’, which would offer not only information about the most important city’s writers but also allow people to borrow a book from one of the so-called book boxes. The borrowed book could be left in a special place on the bus, tram or other places reserved for their return. Another original idea was to install Wi-Fi connectivity (powered by solar energy) to enable people to access the internet in the park. Citizens and schools would be able to participate in the design of particular elements as well as in the design of the webpages promoting the project.
The winning project of the Future City Game in Ostrava (12 and 13 June 2009) was a project called ‘Cycling Art – the way which draws’. The project uses the existing web of cycle ways and enriches the city public space in a cultural sense. The project introduces a cycle way along the river Ostravice but incorporates places to stop and rest and take in the sculptures, 3D objects seasonal exhibitions and artistic works situated along the route. It is intended that the art objects would be made using typical local materials such as coal, steel, stone, rubble, slag, and oil. The design of the way and the actual content of the project would be open to well known artists, students, and children. During their trip, cyclists and tourists could also educate themselves or take part as artists (in land art, construction of sand sculptures etc.).
Two more Future City Games with an aim to engage public in the process of Pilsen’s preparation for candidacy to become the ‘European Capital of Culture in 2015’ were played in Pilsen 1 (4 - 5 March) and in Pilsen 3.(18 - 19 March) city districts. The games aimed at addressing the key challenges these districts face. The Game participants were trying to find innovative and creative solutions to these challenges. The feasibility of individual projects was verified by a research of available documents, interviews with citizens and experts in particular areas of work. As outcome of the Game 9 projects were gathered, two of them awarded as winning by a general vote.
The winning idea in Pilsen 1: ‘Pilsen refreshing’
After the termination of two view-towers is Pilsen, there is only one remaining, Sylvan, which is under the administration of the Frantisek Krizik Gymnasium. It is a significant tourist attraction and this project proposes its revitalization and promotion. There could be a restaurant at the top of the Sylvan hill and water cascade connecting Sylvan with the ZOO. This would be an aesthetic way how to bring water to Lochotinsky Park which has already been planned. In the park, there is a plan to reconstruct the pavilion into a cafeteria and a cultural venue. The pavilion would be a natural continuation of the water cascade and Sylvan complex.
The winning idea in Pilsen 3: ‘Skvrnany living room’
Skvrnany living room project presented a cultural facility for leisure time activities. Besides educational and free time activities it would serve mainly as a meeting place which would contribute to developing of the civil society within the district. The main aim of the project is to bring together people from different parts of society – young, seniors, socially excluded, physically disabled. It offers a model called ‘grandpa and grandma in action!’. This model would give seniors and other socially excluded possibility to rejoin the community.
Another round of the Future City Game took place on 30 - 31 January 2009, this time focusing on the Pilsen city district of Slovany. 23 people, split into 4 teams, participated in the game. Each team had to come up with creative solutions that addressed the long-term cultural, social, economic and environmental challenges which Pilsen faces. ‘Svetovar: A Multifunction Zone', presented by the blue team, won the most votes.
The project proposes to reconstruct the former Svetovar Brewery. Despite being easily accessible by road and having plentiful parking places this building is currently not used. The winning idea was inspired by how the old industrial zones in Great Britain have been revitalised. The main goal of the project is to transform problematic parts of the Slovany district into parts which can become the pride of the whole city. In the future the Svetovar Brewery would become the social and cultural centre of Slovany and there would be a multifunction hall, exhibition spaces and youth club located in the building along with other facilities.
The game took place in 24–25 November and its aim was to engage people in creative urban development. There were 20 players (in 4 groups) who participated in the game, ranging from people working in NGOs, cultural and educational organisations.
The winning idea was related to parking spaces and the fact that people don’t feel this is a space that can have some other function too. The project’s name – Become an owner of the biggest living room in the world tried to address this issue. The project would like to use a big parking space in the city centre (in Senovazne namesti) for the cultural and social events.
The opening event of the British Council’s regional project Creative Cities in the Czech Republic is the Future City Game that took place in Pilsen on 20–21 June 2008. The project will be implemented in cities in 14 European countries in the next three years. The Pilsen Future City Game was organised by the British Council in partnership with the City of Pilsen European Projects’ coordination section, the City of Pilsen Department of Culture, Centre for community work – Western Bohemia and ProCulture.
The Future City Game is a tried and tested methodology that has been successful in various cities across the world – Manchester, Oslo and Bogota. The theme of the game in Pilsen was ‘Pilsen – European Capital of Culture 2015’.
There were 22 players who participated in the game, ranging from people working in NGOs, cultural and educational organisations. The participants worked in 5 teams and looked for the best idea to contribute to the European Capital of Culture 2015 competition.
The idea had to be somehow related to a creative city. At the same time it had to be:
- creative and funny
- new and original
- dealing with actual problems in Pilsen
- dealing with global problems of European cities
- important for Pilsen citizens
- sustainable – with positive impact
- feasible
The players could test their ideas on the ground during the second day. They had access to the municipal library, internet, municipal authorities; some teams did small surveys in the streets of Pilsen. The participants could also use cameras or dictaphones.
The winning idea was the project of a Dance Festival in Pilsen streets.
The whole game was played in the presence of observers and representatives of the institutions who are taking part in the Pilsen candidature to the European Capital of Culture. All of them agreed that the game was a useful source of ideas that can help find creative solutions to the long-term challenges of the city.
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