Urboteca, a mobile lab for participatory urbanism part of Association for Urban Transition is officially launching  the DANUrB+ Summer School: Urban Exploration Workshops for Youth as part of the local activation of international project DANUrB+ in Giurgiu. Aimed at valorising the local danubian heritage, the project is developed locally in Giurgiu by a partnership between Association for Urban Transition, "Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism and Giurgiu Municipality.

THEMATIC

The programme is dedicated to young people interested in discovering Giurgiu with new eyes, exploring the heritage of the city through its buildings, streets, spaces and collective stories with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the local challenges and opportunities.

The educational workshops will bring together a group of young people who will learn how to look at the city past the everyday through non formal creative methods, giving them a chance to find the local stories of the city from older generations and express their experience as residents of Giurgiu. The young people will be guided by URBOTECA tutors and students of the Urbanism Faculty at “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest.

ELIGIBILITY

The programme is dedicated to:

• 15-19 years old residents of Giurgiu
• Enrolled in a theoretical or technological college or professional schools in Giurgiu
• Available throughout  5th - 30th July 2021 for weekly meetings

AGENDA

The workshops will take part in the period 5th - 30th July 2021, in a hybrid online and physical format. There will be 4 day-long workshops of applied theory happening in Giurgiu. Between each workshop the participants will have a week-long period for small practical projects and urban observation exercises with online support from organisers. Over the course of the programme the young people will gradually create stories of Giurgiu that will be showcased in a final public event.

5th -11th July: Urban observation and walking through Giurgiu

Theory: What is urban observation, how it’s done, what tools to use?

Practice: Documenting a walk through Giurgiu using a mobile app

12th - 18th July: Critical thinking and analysing the city

Theory: How to analyze observations, generate ideas and define a research topic?

Practice: Documenting a place in Giurgiu 

19th - 25th July: Fieldwork through interviews and filmmaking

Theory: How to gather info from other people, what is an interview, how to use creative filmmaking?

Practice: Filming an interview with older residents from Giurgiu

26th - 30th July: Putting everything together and storytelling

Theory: What is storytelling, how to develop a story based on gathered material & communicate it?

Practice: Define a short story about Giurgiu

30th July: Final event with projects presentation and film screening opened to the public and with presence from local authorities

BENEFITS

The programme is free and participants do not require any previous experience or knowledge of topics tackled in the workshops. Based on registration through an online form, 20 young people will be selected to take part in the project and will:

• Receive a work package and theoretical guidance on urban observation with practical materials and tools;
• Present the project as part of an official final event and receive a recognised certificate of particiipation;
• Develop skills in urban observation, critical thinking and working with creative tools (e.g. storytelling, filmmaking, multimedia, mobile apps);
• Meet other young people interested in similar topics from Giurgiu and work together;
• Create an individual project that can be used for portfolio and further job or study applications;
• Become part of the DANUrB+ network to get involved in future activities at a local level.

ORGANISERS

These workshops are developed as part of DANUrB+ project in Giurgiu through a partnership between Association for Urban Transition, "Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism and Giurgiu Municipality. 

DANUrB+: http://dtp.interreg-danube.eu/danurb_plus

Association for Urban Transition: http://atu.org.ro/portfolio-item/danurb/

"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism: https://www.uauim.ro/cercetare/danurb-plus/

Giurgiu Municipality: http://www.primariagiurgiu.ro

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DANUrB+ project was launched in July 2020 to activate underused cultural heritage and resources on the peripheral and border regions along the Danube River. It is co-financed by the Interreg Danube Transnational Program 2014-2020. The expected result is to increase local development and international tourist attractiveness.

Project co-funded by European Union funds (ERDF and IPA).