Are we a partly Italian cultural innovation?

Workspaces unMonastery
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Some time ago @davideagazzi told me to be on the lookout for smart people to apply to this call for project. In my understanding we (as in unMonastery powered by Egderyders) tick all of the boxes. They want projects that are:

  • socially innovative cultural projects ("progetti culturali di innovazione sociale")
  • collaborative
  • innovative
  • scalable ("scalability is a myth", as @pietro reminded us at LOTE3, but we can argue that)
  • reproducible
  • sustainable for themselves and the people who work for them (we would probably say "in" them for the unMonastery – plus we have a heterodox approach to sustainability... )
  • conducive to positive local impact
  • open source

It works like this:

  • apply by December 9th.
  • it must pass a hurdle of expert evaluation .
  • if it does, it is put on some website and left online two months. People vote for their favorite projects (42K voters last year).
  • the 8 most voted projects are then re-assessed by expert evaluators.
  • the winning projects stands to win the very respectable sum of 100K.

The catch is that the applicant (or the leading applicant in case of a partnership) must be Italian. For the unMonastery, a natural partnership would be Comitato Matera 2019 + Edgeryders LBG, but other possibilities might be considered.

What does everyone think? Should we apply? @ben, @ilariadauria, @Nadia, @noemi, @brunoconte, are you interested?

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Im in

what do you need help with?

3

designed for us…

Upping the local imput/output in our project description will help us redefine/tweak our workstrategies.

4

Not for us

No, not for us. Nothing is designed for us or people like us (yet). Make no mistake, this will be an uphill struggle.

5

Yes.

I’m up for it, seems it’s all in Italian, so presumably the application needs to be in Italian – @alberto can you help or should I ask @ilariadauria?

6

9th December / 11th December

I’m in.

Let’s not forget though that the 11th of December there is also the deadline for the EU Social Innovation Prize - that is if we still want to apply (again).

I want to stress a couple of things, before we go for it: this stuff is about culture. Here you can find the projects which were voted last year. We have to describe the unMon as something that enables a process which they are aiming at: 1) foster positive dinamics which come from the networking of skills of different cultural enterprises 2) support cultural enterprises to find new business models which are economically and socially sustainable.

How it works?

  • eligibility: no profit, low profit or profit organizations. Edgeryders and the Committee MT2019 are eligible. 
  • fields: the project has to operate in the following fields: litterature, music, theatre, dance, painting, cinema, video, photography, plastic art, performing arts, editing, philosophy, pedagogy, psicology, sociology, anthropology. 
  • content: unfortunately you cannot past the first page of the online form unless you fill in all the blanks. The info which is needed on the first page is: title / abstact (2500 characters) / max 3 fields related to project (architecture, sociology, open data, ecc.) / external links to website. After they ask you stuff on the proposing organization. 3 images related to the activity of the lead partner's activites. 
  • friend organization: the partners which are organizing the call are known both by MT2019 and Edgeryders: Avanzi (davideagazzi), Fondazione Ahref (worked with Damien Lanfrey and Donatella Solda), Fondazione Fitzcarraldo (Alessandro Bollo and Franco Bianchini of MT2019 Committee), Tafter (MT2019), Societing (Alex Giordano, close to RENA, MT2019 and Edgeryders). Don't know if this can count in something, but just thought it would be important to mention it. 

I’m off limits until the 18th of November (the jury for MT2019 is this Wednesday: yikes!), but after that I am willing to take the lead on this. It would be of great help if in the meanwhile we could collect some brainstorming on strong ideas for which the unMon is related to fostering new ways of doing culture.

Here are some first scattered ideas to start with:

  • The unMonastery is like an artistic residency, but for people who want to solve local problems in a local community in collaboration with the local inhabitants: it can be a start up, a new civically mind tool, a robot, a game,... whatever.
  • The unMonastery is a creative refuge for social innovators which offers them the opportunity to research, experiment,   produce and test pre-market or non market products which emerge in relationship to local context. 
  • The unMonastic line of conduct sets out a series of principles which link the residency experience to a wider vision of how to have a cultural impact through social innovation: the unHagiography is there to orient daily life style, reflections on 200 project-design, resilience, parsimonious use of local resources.
  • The unMonastery is a cultural process which enables skilled, committed unMonastarians to dedicate themselves to the resolution of local problems by linking their personal resources to those of the hosting community: enterprises, associations, schools and neighbours will progressively be involved in the process and learn a new approach to problem solving and change making by taking part in it. 
  • The unMonastary is designed for replicability 
  • Tools produced by and for unMonastery: prospective guidebook for building a 200 year project, evolutive toolbox, open design principles for unMonastic utensiles and clothes, parametric design principles for unMonastic furniture, unMonastery radio
  • Projects which can explain the cultural impact of the unMonastery through social innovation: designer-in-residency program (online and offline) for the objects (with the local crafts) and the spaces (online with the ER community and offline with local associations), ...
  • The unMonastery can count on the backup of 2 online platforms (Edgeryders and MT2019), 1 physical space (Palazzo del Casale) and a local community which is being built around the unMonastery 
  • can we have 5 videos of the lucky unMonastarians by the 9th of December
  • update the unMonastery website in Italian 
  • 100K management: although this will be a tough one, I propose to secure with the Committee that if ever we win the prize, it is all devoted to the management and development of the unMonastery in Matera
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Pre-organizing this…

I have written to the organization asking to confirm:

  1. that an Italian-British partnership (MT2019-ER) is indeed eligible.
  2. that we can also submit in English (though this is tricky: many voters will be Italian. On the other hand, it is easier to channel edgeryders to cast their vote if the material is in English).

I am waiting for a response. Unofficially, Davide says yes to the first question and I have not had a chance to ask him the second one.

If we decide to go ahead:

  1. I cannot do much writing, but I am willing to carry out framework-level negotiation with Paolo at MT2019 and some supervision. Other core people in Edgeryders LBG will make their own call, but we are all exhausted and stretched thin.
  2. somebody needs to take the lead on channeling voters onto the website. We need to think whether this is a good way to spend social capital as opposed to, say, a crowdfunding campaign we would be more in control of. Give it some more thinking: run the scenarios in your head and see.
  3. I would insist the funding is allocated to ER LBG and earmarked for the unMonastery project. In the event of a winning application, the time put into it by people in the community would be paid by ER from that budget.
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Status update on CheFare2 – decision needed

The folks at Avanzi got back to me:

  • a partnership between MT2019 and Edgeryders is ok for them (and actually looks good), as long as MT2019 (or another Italian partner) is in the lead.
  • submission cannot be in English. It has to happen in Italian to even stand a chance to get through their voting phase.

I confirm my previous position:

  • I cannot do much writing, but I am willing to carry out framework-level negotiation with Paolo at MT2019 and some supervision. Other core people in Edgeryders LBG will make their own call, but we are all exhausted and stretched thin.
  • But I will only do this if somebody confirms she is willing to take the lead on writing the call and channeling voters onto the website. Edgeryders LBG will only mobilize their network if we see a significant push from Matera.
  • I would insist the funding is allocated to ER LBG and earmarked for the unMonastery project. In the event of a winning application, the time put into it by people in the community would be paid by ER from that budget.

I guess this is a decision for @ilariadauria and @ritao to make. I don’t see anyone else that could drive the process, though I would be happy to be wrong. Try to make one in the next few days? There is a ton of work to do, and doing it in the last week is not really an option. IMHO if we don’t start on Monday 25th we don’t start at all.

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Lonely lead :slight_smile:

I have never taken the Che Fare bando out of my mind: I am willing to take the lead on this, knowing that it will be hard. I honestly think that the shot is worth wile not because of the 100.000€ (which will be hard to win) but because it is a good communication process which will enhance further the unMonastery’s visibility. [Rita O] is in India from the 23d to the 30th, so I doubt she will be able to give a hand - obviously, I will be very happy to be wrong too :-). I am personally traveling non stop until the 5th of December, but am willing to give my spare time per day to this. Only thing is that if we also want to make the EU Social Innovation prize with in-a-box, then we have to distirbute the work. This is how I see it for Che Fare:

  • I'll put on a wiki in Italian and progressively fill in the gaps. If I need feedback or help on specific parts, I will shout out. If no one answers, tough luck :-) 
  • For the channelling voters on the website, I would need something like \#portaMateranel2019 to happen: in this I really think that the partnership with MT2019 makes sense, otherwise it's useless: have an e-flyer to convey a Twitterstorm, and then use it to ask people to vote: could that be something to explore? And then of course across social networks, community mt2019 and all the rest. 

I guess there is no other answer than starting right now.

So, here we go!

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What I need / What I propose

I’ve updated the wiki for the Che Fare Application. By doing this on the platform it helps me to maintain a rythm because I feel it’s a public commitment :slight_smile:

What I propose: Writing out the questions, I thought of declining the unMonastery in its design/crafts aspects: there are several applications and dimensions of the unMonastery which relate to design and crafts. I’m thinking of @immaginoteca @ritao @ilariadauria, and probably some I don’t know of. there are very specific questions linked to the production of culture as common good (open source technologies), how to make the link between online/offline networks and economic sustainability. I don’t know about parametric design, but I know the application Rita and I submitted was very much link to creating a revenue stream through the coproduction of objects for the unMonastarians crossing open design and local crafts. Otherwise I do feel the application is way to vague. Anything against this?

What I need (in any case):

  • 3 sexy images: pictures / logos (maybe one specific for the unMonastery-design'in crafts?
  • 3d part of the Application: "Soggetto Proponente". It is an automated format, so my question is how do we enter the information for both partners?
  • 3d part of Application: "Soggetto Proponente". Do we put Edgeryders information and unMonastery?
  • Information for the 3d part of the Application: "Soggetto Proponente" - Edgeryders/unMonastery and Comitato Matera2019: Please check + ad information
    • NAME: Edgeryders / Comitato Matera 2019
    • ADRESS ORGANIZATION
    • WEBSITE www.edgeryders.eu / www.unmonastery.eu / www.matera-basilicata2019.it
    • TWITTER @edgeryders / @unmonastery / @Matera2019
    • FACEBOOK FANPAGE
    • YOUTUBE / VIMEO ACCOUNT
    • OTHER SOCIAL NETWORKS
    • LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE: Nadia El-Imam (Edgeryders) / Salvatore Adduce (Comitato Matera 2019)
    • PERSON RESPONSIBLE OF THE PRESENTED PROJECT: Ilaria d'Auria
    • OFFICIAL EMAIL: nadia@edgeryders.eu / info@unmonastery.eu / segreteria@matera-basilicata2019.it
    • CONTACT EMAIL: ilaria@unmonastery.eu / dauria@matera-basilicata2019.it
    • PHONE NUMBER: +39xxxxx
    • TYPE OF ORGANIZATION: S.R.L. (Edgeryders) / Comitato (Comitato Matera2019)
    • QUALIIFICA DI IMPRESA SOCIALE: NO (Edgeryders) / NO (Comitato Matera2019)
    • BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION: (max 1000 battute)
    • HOW LONG HAS ORGANIZATION BEEN ACTIVE FOR?
    • NUMBER OF ENROLLED COLLABORATORS: Part time / Full time
    • WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE ORGANIZATION
    • EXTERNAL LINKS (max 3)
    • EXTERNAL IMAGES (max 3)
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Some answers (not many)

I have decided to answer these questions in a comment to the wiki.

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images . I can do it

Hi guys!

Ilaria, what kind of images are we talking about?

“3 sexy images: pictures / logos (maybe one specific for the unMonastery-design’in crafts?”

I might help with this, let me know how?

“We can Hangout” to talk about this. It might be an efficient way for you to communicate what you have in mind.

I’m available! ;- )

hugs!

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Rita, thanks!

A good starting point might be to look at the pics that the winning projects used last year, here. The images are not determinating for the evaluation, but can be interesting for the social voting process. PErsonally, I think that on this issue [Rita O] is a better person to speak to, however maybe now it’s a bit premature until we develop the core idea a bit more?

I would maybe use an picture of Matera with some graphic design on top?

How much time do you need to develop some graphic images?

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Ok, last year projects might be divided on the following topics:

. suggestive photographs, ( 1 , 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 24, 29 )

. photomonages - (manipulated) photograph + text or grahics - communicating proposal  ( 3 , 6, 16, 20, 25, 26, 28, 31 )

. something kind like graphic design “posters” or “logo”  ( 2, 8, 19,  32 )

. infographic, drawing,  scheme ( 7, 23, 27, 30 )

This index to last years descriptions might be useful in the next days.

Taking into account that the way the site works makes it really hard to get to each project.

( :open_mouth: ? … kind like dialing old phones, having to wait for the wheel to go all the way arrrounnnddd…)

problem: Implies waiting some time to reach the project description.

If the site is the same, it is even more relevant that the image helps to convey:

the why and what:  Why is it a good choise to invest someone’s vote on our project!?

Some of the images presented last year might serve as starting point

for us to imagine that there are different kinds of possible approaches.

Just two examples related to concept and how to convey the idea:

21 human (?) approach

minimalist, simple photograph, very direct and simple. Inner growth through photograph ( two women seem curious and interested )

23 institutional approach

clear scheme, relating real space to online forms of spacial apropriation - app,

(personaly I feel that this graphic has an idea the project offers: usefull info, fun and freedom for exploring the itineraries!)

what do you think about when you say:

“maybe use an picture of Matera with some graphic design on top”

we have to figher this out ;- )

For instance, take this example… I wouldn’t say that it is very interesting…

Well, not sure if this notes help at all…

Anyway, Yes! I can do the image with some graphics.

Relating to time…

Depends on what we end up needing - concept for transmiting the idea. (easy or hard to work out in images… :slight_smile: )

If we have the picture to work on and want to put some text or simple graphics on top,

should consider like a week, couple hours per day, to get a good graphic.

(including eventual corrections from feedback)

Better not leave it until last moment…

If you exchange emails about the concept…

please share them, if you keep me up with your conversations

it will be easier to get your feelings and thoughts… :- )

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Wow!

[pacheca] I am impressed by your analysis of picture use. Great, great work.

1 Like
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from India with love…here I am!

@alberto thank you for pinging, it’s great for me to have your trust. I’ve talked to @ilariadauria, she is perfect as project leader and I’ll follow her guidelines and whatever she decides to do. I’ll be in India next week but with my laptop and wi-fi I can work as well on the application.

So, let’s go on! I do want to focus on the fact that design and crafts are mighty ways to spread the UnMonastery philosophy and that objects always carry histories and emotional values.

good luck to us. Namastè

1 Like
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Pinged Paolo and MT2019

Ok, let’s do it. FYI, I have written to Paolo to get them to sign off to this project. Given the precedent of the Resilient Cities application, I don’t foresee any problems.

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Parametric design is collaborative and can be open source

@ilariadauria yes, parametric design is also about designing things that we can produce locally and collaboratively. Parametric design is about building complex and high-quality objects by assembling very simple elements. In order to do that, it requires software, time, logistics and organization (that’s why it’s also often crowd-built and collaborative).

We can, for instance, design a chair for the unMonastery, build it in wood and release the file in open-source so anyone (a designer or not, from Matera or not) can take it, change parameters (height, width, numbers) and build its own chair.

Maybe I can help with that if you need materials…?

@alberto one question about your point: I would insist the funding is allocated to ER LBG and earmarked for the unMonastery project. In the event of a winning application, the time put into it by people in the community would be paid by ER from that budget. -

Don’t you think we should define how (much) we would get paid?

LET’S KEEP WORKING

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This is getting out of hand!

@ilariadauria: maybe you should consider creating a separate project about this gig. It is not clear where to put news and discussions. If not, we will need to be quite tidy within the unMonastery project, which is the virtual room of Edgeryders where we are now. Create wikis, communicate clear what goes where etc.

Anyway, latest news:

*Paolo accepts the strategy we outlined. I am going to prepare a memorandum of understanding that covers the partnership between MT2019 and Edgeryders LBG for the CheFare application project.

  • @immaginoteca: we should definitely prepare a budget – even if it is not very precise – of what happens in the event we do, indeed, win the 100K euro. This is important for expectation managament and to avoid bad vibes in the aftermath. The budget is going to be based on activities: “Activity A costs X”. So, if we decide we need some parametric design done, it goes in there. That is where you pencil in how much you get paid, and also what other stuff might be needed (materials?). In fact, to a first approximation, that’s what a project is: resources needes, activities, outcomes. This will be @ilariadauria’s key concern in writing the application!

  • Remember that some of the money need to be allocated against overhead (administration processes, infrastructure such as websites/social media presence/incorporation etc). In this case, overhead is particularly fair since both MT2019 and Edgeryders LBG have been investing significant resources in making the unMonastery happen for the best part of a year. For now, as you can see from the budget that was published, not a euro has gone to pay anyone in Edgeryders LBG (whereas some money has been put down to pay people in the community involved in the unMonastery project).

Let’s keep working.

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You are right about keeping it tidy, but I must admit I didn’t expect such a feedback on the issue :slight_smile:

I suggest that

  • all the comments to the wiki of the applications (related to the content) are written below the wiki iteslf.
  • latest information on the bid and general questions and shout outs are done in this page
  • we open a new post on the communication issue, as I am sure that it will develop progressively, especially once we start going out with the voting process. --> should we unite forces with the Social Media group on Edgeryders? [pacheca], what do you think?

News from updates:

  • I recieved all the info I needed from Edgeryders
  • I am still waiting for some information from the Matera 2019 Committee
  • I would need feedback and information on
    • the Business Model Canvas of the unMonastery
    • the budget
    • the activities appointed to the 4 peopleÂ